Ghadira Bay is a large sheltered bay in the north east of Malta. Despite some hotels, apartments and villas, there is plenty of nature. At weekends the locals flock to the bay to enjoy the wide, sheltered sandy beach with gently sloping shallow waters, joined by tourists and boat owners.
So at noon on a high summer day, I set out to explore the northern arm of the bay, from the village of Mellieha past the popular beach. Rows of yellow, and of blue and white sun umbrellas shaded the throng taking shade from the midday sun.
Walking slowly in the hot sun I turned into the road leading to the Mellieha Bay Hotel, and past the rear of the building joining the narrow but well used coast path.
The first obstacle to the walker is the delightful and sheltered tiny circle of a high sided bay, known to some as the lovers bay. A dozen small boats were anchored, the occupants swimming, sunbathing and eating.
Having climber around the rim of this circle I continued on easy ground to an area accessible by 4x4 vehicles. Two Land Rovers with roof bars had parked parallel so that they could drape an awning to provide shelter for the day. There is a small quay here and a few visitors had come by boat.
I used the shade from a deserted building to take my lunch snack. Continuing, the landscape changed with some pine trees and other shelter, and the first fig trees. It was a joy to pick the ripe figs and enjoy them, warm from the sun.
At the end of the peninsular, I looked down at the azure blue waters above a cave, and spent a few minutes in the cool of the tiny chapel, before descending to the minute, sheltered Slug’s bay to swim in the warm waters. There is virtually nowhere horizontal to relax, so I sat on the rocks, to dry off and enjoy a rest, before retracing my steps to the village.
Copyright
David Millner
August 2010
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