Pillar 02 · Things to See & Do
Things to Do in Żejtun: A Local’s Guide
Most visitors to Malta never make it as far south as Żejtun, and the ones who do tend to come for half an hour, take a photo of the parish church, and leave. That’s a shame — Żejtun is the kind of small Mediterranean town where the more time you give it, the better it gets. This page is the start: the things genuinely worth doing, in roughly the order I’d recommend doing them.
The five things you should not miss
St Catherine’s parish church. Lorenzo Gafà’s baroque masterpiece, completed in 1720. Sit inside for ten minutes; the proportions reward stillness. Free, open most mornings outside service times. Full guide.
The Roman villa. Two thousand years of olive farming on one site. Smaller than Domus Romana in Rabat, but more accessible and easier to read. Visiting details.
St Gregory’s church. The older parish church. Quieter, more medieval in feel, and worth visiting for the procession alone if you happen to be here on the first Wednesday after Easter.
The historic core on foot. Take the alleys behind the parish square — the bit of town where Bisqallin and Ħal Bisbut once met — and let yourself get a little lost. This is where Żejtun stops being a destination and starts being a place.
Pastizzi at a local bakery. If you only do one food thing, eat a fresh pastizz where the locals do, not where the guidebooks tell you. Where to eat in Żejtun covers this in detail.
How long do you need?
Half a day (3 hours). Roman villa → walk to St Catherine’s → sit inside → coffee in the parish square → walk back out. Easily done as a morning trip from Valletta or the airport. Half-day itinerary.
One full day (6–7 hours). Add St Gregory’s, two of the smaller chapels, an unhurried lunch, and the heritage trail. End with the walk down to Marsascala in the late afternoon if the weather behaves. One-day walking itinerary.
Several days. Use Żejtun as a base. You’re a 15-minute walk from Marsaxlokk, 25 minutes from Marsascala, and inside an hour by bus from anywhere on the islands. Accommodation guide.
Different ways to spend your time
Żejtun is a small town, but it’s a layered one — the same streets reward different visits. A few directions:
For history lovers. The villa, both parish churches, the chapels, and the palaces. A full day, easily two if you read everything. History itinerary.
For photographers. The honey-coloured limestone goes amber in the last hour before sunset — Triq San Girgor is the classic shot, but the best frames are in the alleys nobody points to. Where to shoot.
With kids. Roman villa (concrete, climbable, captioned), the parish square (running room), Triq San Girgor’s dovecotes if it’s a quiet morning, and Marsaxlokk for boats and ice cream after. Family guide.
On a budget. Both churches are free. The Roman villa is reasonably priced and worth it. The walks are free. Coffee is cheap. Free things to do.
In the rain. St Catherine’s is large enough to wait out a shower comfortably. The Roman villa has indoor sections. A long lunch is always defensible. Indoor options.
Practical realities
A few things worth knowing before you set out.
Opening times shift. Both churches close around midday during services. The Roman villa has reduced winter hours. The smaller chapels are mostly locked except on their feast day or by arrangement with the parish. [LOCAL FACT — Mattew to maintain a current opening-times table here.]
Sunday afternoons are quiet. Most family-run businesses close after Sunday lunch. Plan accordingly: the morning is for moving around, the afternoon is for sitting still.
Festa week is the exception to everything. If you arrive in the second week of June expecting a quiet local town, you’ll meet Żejtun at full volume — band marches, full streets, churches dressed in red damask. It’s wonderful. It’s also not the visit you planned. Festa pillar page.
Dress for a parish church. Both churches are working places of worship. Cover your shoulders. Don’t talk loudly. Skip the photos during services.