Pillar 07 · Walks & Nature

Cycling Routes Around Żejtun: A Local Guide

Cycling in Malta requires a steady nerve and a sensible route. Around Żejtun, a few of the rural lanes between the town and the coast are genuinely good cycling — quiet, scenic, mostly flat. Here are three.

This article is a stub. We’ll add bike-hire details and seasonal notes as we expand it.

Honest road conditions

It is worth being upfront about cycling in Malta. The major roads are busy, the drivers can be impatient, and dedicated cycle infrastructure is sparse. Most enjoyable cycling on the islands happens on minor rural lanes and the few coastal roads that haven’t been widened. Around Żejtun, the lanes that connect the town with the agricultural land toward Marsaxlokk and St Thomas Bay are the right kind of cycling — narrow, slow-traffic, sometimes single-vehicle width, and often without much in the way of pavement but with little reason for anyone to be in a hurry. Three rough loops worth doing: the Żejtun–Marsaxlokk–Marsascala loop (roughly 12 km, mostly flat, an hour and a half at touring pace); the Żejtun–Delimara peninsula loop (longer, more exposed, best in cooler months); and the Żejtun–Birżebbuġa coastal loop, which is the longest of the three.

[LOCAL FACT — Mattew to confirm any current bike-hire shops in Żejtun or Marsaxlokk, and any cycle clubs running organised rides.]

Riding sensibly in Malta

A few rules of thumb make cycling in Malta safer. Ride defensively. Assume drivers haven’t seen you. Stick to the rural lanes wherever possible. Avoid the major roads — including the road to the airport and the main coastal artery toward Marsaxlokk — at busy hours. Wear a helmet, hi-vis, and use lights even in the daytime. Drink more water than you think you need. The summer wind on the south coast can be ferocious in the afternoon; ride early or late. None of this is unusual cycling advice, but the consequences of getting it wrong on Maltese roads are higher than in many other countries.

What this article will cover

  • Three named routes with distances and surfaces
  • Honest assessment of road safety on each
  • Bike hire — where, what, how much
  • Seasonal notes — heat, wind, winter rain
  • What to wear and what to carry
  • How to combine with a swim

Read more on this pillar

Part of our Walks & Nature pillar. Pair with the Marsascala walk, walking from Żejtun, and walking in summer.

Mattew Cassar

Resident · Writer

Mattew writes zejtun.com from a flat above his grandfather’s old workshop on Triq San Girgor. He has lived in Żejtun for twenty-three of his thirty-one years.