Wild Malta: Cliffs, Coves and the Sea

The natural side of Malta and Gozo, from the cliffs of Dingli and the bay of Dwejra with its Inland Sea and Fungus Rock to the paths of Comino, the gardens of San Anton and the sea life of the National Aquarium, with a directory of the places in our guide.

Malta is a small, crowded country, but its edges are wild. On the south-west coast the Dingli Cliffs fall straight to the sea; on Gozo, the bay of Dwejra holds a lagoon reached through the rock; and between the two islands, Comino has almost no traffic at all.

This is a short, honest guide: Malta’s nature is about cliffs, coves, clear water and light rather than large animals. Go in the morning or at sunset, with water and good shoes.

The cliffs

The Dingli Cliffs drop to the sea on the south-west coast of Malta. Follow the cliff-top road and paths past the little chapel of St Mary Magdalene, come for the sunset, and keep well back from the edge.

On the west coast of Gozo, Dwejra is a bay of high cliffs with Fungus Rock standing in the water and the Inland Sea, a lagoon joined to the open sea by a tunnel through the rock.

Comino and the sea

Comino lies between Malta and Gozo, with one hotel and almost no traffic. From the Blue Lagoon, paths cross the island to the Knights’ watchtower of Santa Marija on the cliffs and to Santa Marija Bay; there is little shade, so go in the morning with plenty of water.

For the life under the water, the Malta National Aquarium at Qawra Point has tanks of Mediterranean and tropical sea life, and in Attard the San Anton Gardens surround the palace with old trees, fountains and ponds.

Feature: Dwejra

Dwejra is the wildest corner of Gozo’s coast: cliffs, a deep bay, Fungus Rock offshore and the Inland Sea behind its tunnel. It is also a reminder of how the sea shapes these islands: the Azure Window, the great rock arch that once stood here, collapsed into the sea in 2017. Keep to the paths along the cliffs, and swim in the Inland Sea only in calm weather.

At Dwejra, a lagoon joins the open sea through a tunnel in the rock.

Did you know? The Azure Window, the rock arch that made Dwejra famous, collapsed in 2017; the cliffs, Fungus Rock and the Inland Sea remain.

Our advice

Our advice: walk the Dingli Cliffs at sunset and keep well back from the edge; take an early boat to Comino before the day trippers; and swim only in calm seas. Never take shells or stones from the shore, and take your rubbish home.