Pillar 07 · Walks & Nature
Walks Around Żejtun: Coast, Countryside & Heritage Trails
The south of Malta walks better than it drives. The road from Żejtun to Marsascala has fewer nice corners than the footpath that runs roughly parallel to it through agricultural land. The cliff path from Marsascala onward is one of the underrated walks of the central Mediterranean. This page is the orientation: where to walk, when to walk, and what to bring.
The five walks worth doing
Żejtun to Marsascala (coastal). About 35–45 minutes one-way through agricultural land and onto the coastal path. The best afternoon walk in the area. Route notes.
Żejtun to St Thomas Bay. Slightly longer — 50–70 minutes — through some of the most attractive countryside in the south. End with a swim if the season suits. Route notes.
Żejtun to St Peter’s Pool. Via Marsaxlokk, then along the cliffs. Around 60–75 minutes. The pool itself is one of the most photographed swimming spots in Malta and worth the effort, especially outside July and August when it crowds heavily. Route notes.
Żejtun to Xrobb l-Għaġin. A longer walk to the rugged, undeveloped coastline near Delimara. Quiet, wild, and one of the better birdwatching stretches in the southeast during migration season. Route notes.
The Żejtun heritage trail. A walking route inside the town itself, marked with QR codes at the major sites. The full circuit takes around 90 minutes at a generous pace and covers both parish churches, the Roman villa, and the principal noble palaces. Trail map and stops.
Practical advice for walking in Malta
Time of day. Outside winter, walk early or late. The midday sun in May–September is genuinely punishing.
Footwear. Trainers are fine for the in-town heritage trail. For the coastal walks, light hiking shoes are better — much of the path is unpaved and stony.
Water. Carry more than you think. There are few reliable fountains on the coastal routes outside the villages.
Sunscreen and a hat. Both, always, even in winter.
Phone signal. Reliable on all the routes here. You’re never more than 30 minutes from a road.
Cycling
Cycling around Żejtun is improving steadily — there are now connected stretches of dedicated cycle infrastructure between the southern villages, and the agricultural land behind the town gives you traffic-free riding for the back roads. The coastal routes, by contrast, can be busy on summer weekends and aren’t always cycle-friendly. Cycling routes guide.
Birdwatching and nature
Malta sits on a major migration route, and the south of the island — particularly the coastal stretch from Żejtun out to Delimara and Xrobb l-Għaġin — is one of the better places to watch spring and autumn migration. Raptors, warblers, herons, and the occasional unexpected vagrant. The nature reserves at Għadira and Is-Simar are further north but worth the day trip if migration season suits. Birdwatching guide.