Marsaxlokk på Malta - en pittoresk fiskestad

Marsaxlokk in Malta is a picturesque little fishing town, perhaps best known for the colourful and beautiful fishing boats known as 'Luzzu'. Many people come here to take photos and hang out in the restaurants in the charming harbour.

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Marsax lid in Malta

Picturesque, charming, colourful... You want to use all these words at once when describing Marsaxlokk in Malta. We've been here during previous visits to the island, and when we wrote a post yesterday about the Nature experiences in Malta, we realised that we never actually wrote a post about this lovely little town. Time to change that!

Marsaxlokk is a small coastal town in the south-eastern part of the island of Malta. It is about 30 minutes from Valletta by car. You can also get here by bus from the capital, which can take slightly longer.

Siege of Malta - Turkish landing at Marsaxlokk in 1565

Marsaxlokk may seem like an idyllic and peaceful place today, but it was different when the Turks landed with their fleet on 18 May 1565. At the time, Malta was ruled by the Order of Malta (also known in history as the Order of St John) - the last major remaining crusader order.

The Ottoman troops, led by Süleyman the Greatconsisted of 28 000 Ottoman soldiers and another 20 000 or so from Algiers and Tripoli. The Order of Malta had only around 8,000 soldiers, of which only around 500 were knights. The rest were mainly men from the local population.

When the Turks landed in Marsaxlokk, the local population fled to the four fortresses on the island: Fort St Elmo, Fort St Angelo, Fort St Michael and the old capital Mdina. The Turks laid siege to the forts and a bloody period followed, with intense fighting lasting several months.

Only when Sicily sent heavy reinforcements in September that year did the Turks give up and leave the island. Overall, it is thought that the Turks lost between 25 000 and 35 000 men, and the Maltese and their troops lost just under 10 000 men.

Traditional fishing village

Marsaxlokk is a traditional fishing village, and around 70 per cent of Malta's fishing fleet is based here. The bay is full of fishing boats and there is a constant activity of fishermen cleaning and tending their nets. The waters include swordfish, tuna and a fish known in Malta as 'lampuki'.

On weekdays, fishermen sell their catch at the large fish market in Marsa outside the capital Valletta. On Sundays, on the other hand, you can get fresh fish right in Marsa's dock, where a fish market is organised right on the quayside. And of course, there are plenty of restaurants serving fish all over the place.

The Luzzu fishing boats - with the eye of Osiris

Marsaxlokk is perhaps best known for the traditional fishing boats Luzzu, and also the 'Kajjik' which is a similar model. The boats are characteristic of Malta and this type of boat has been used since Phoenician times. Originally sails were used, but today the boats are equipped with engines.

If you look closely at the Luzzu boats, you can see that there are two painted eyes in the bow. These are the "eyes of Osiris" and are considered a very old tradition. According to Phoenician culture, the eye was believed to protect fishermen from evil spirits at sea. Today, tours for tourists are also organised in the traditional boats.

Popular to take photos

Today, many people come to Marsaxlokk to photograph the beautiful boats and the picturesque town. Beautiful photos on Instagram and other social media attract people from all over the world to visit Malta.

Markets and restaurants in Marsaxlokk

Along the quay in Marsaxlokk there are markets with stalls where you can buy things like clothes, scarves, bags and jewellery. Peter actually bought a hat while we were here! The market is transformed into a large fish market, where you can browse through fresh fish.

There are also plenty of small restaurants and bars in the harbour. Especially fish restaurants can be found here, but also several cafés.

More to see and do in Marsaxlokk

In Marsaxlokk there is a nice little church from 1897, Our Lady of Pompeii, which you can visit. You can also check out Fort Delimarawhich, although a small fort, is located on a cliff and was used in the filming of the 2016 film Assassin's Creed.

A further attraction for history buffs is the fort. San Lucian, which is a fortified watchtower from the 17th century. If you prefer to relax in the baths instead, you can seek out a St Peter's Pool, which is a beautiful swimming spot with azure waters, surrounded by cliffs.

See more around Marsaxlokk

If you've made it to charming Marsaxlokk, you'll want to see more of Malta. You'll want to see the capital, Valletta, and perhaps the historic old capital, Mdina.

You can also explore historic UNESCO World Heritage sites such as the underground Hypogeum and Malta's various megalithic temples (including Hagar Qim). While the scenic island of Gozo is at the other end of Malta, its small size makes it almost 'nearby'.

READ MORE: 5 things to see and do in Valletta
READ MORE: Mdina, Malta - the quiet city on the hill
READ MORE: The mysteries of Hagar Qim in Malta
READ MORE: 11 things to see and do in Gozo, Malta

Have you visited Marsaxlokk in Malta?

Have you been to Marsaxlokk in Malta? How was your experience?

Facts about Marsaxlokk

Country: Malta
Residents: About 3600 (2019)
Name: Marsaxlokk comes from the Arabic word 'marsa' meaning harbour, and 'xklokk' which is a Maltese word for south-east.

Travelling to Marsaxlokk

Car: The drive from Valletta is just over 11 kilometres. Expect about 30 minutes driving time.
Bus: Local buses run from various locations such as Valletta, Sliema, St Julian's and Bugibba. You can check bus times at Malta Public Transports.

History of Marsaxlokk

Stone Age: Just north-east of the city, on the Tas-Silġ hill, there are traces of Neolithic settlements, including temples.
The Byzantine Empire: On the hill of Tas-Silġ there are also ruins of a church and a monastery from the Byzantine Empire.
The Middle Ages: During this time there were many raids and attacks by pirates. The first Phoenicians landed in Marsaxlokk in the 8th century and established trading posts.
1565: Ottoman troops landed at Marsaxlokk and began a siege of Malta and its forts.

19th century to 21st century

19th century: The first houses were built in Marsaxlokk in 1846, before which the fishermen travelled from Żejtun, where most of them lived. In 1890, construction of a parish church (Our Lady of Pompeii) began and the town became a parish in 1897.
20th century: In the 1930s, the bay of Marsaxlokk was used as a stopover for flying boats within the British Empire. The bay was also used during World War II by the British Navy. In 1989, a famous summit between Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and US leader George H.W. Bush was held on a ship in the bay. Bush on a ship anchored in the bay.
2000s: Marsaxlokk has been developed into a modern small tourist resort with restaurants and some small guesthouses. The Xrobb l-Għaġin Nature Park has been developed with wildlife rehabilitation and sustainable accommodation.

READ MORE: What to do in Malta - 25 experiences and attractions

14 Comments

Add yours →

Ama de casa says:

Looks really nice and cosy there! Malta is still on my bucket list. Sometime so ... 🙂

17 January 2021 - 9:34

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Malta is definitely worthy of a good place on the bucket list!
  
  17 January 2021 - 10:35
  
BP says:

Fun! It's been a journey down memory lane. Been to Marsaxlokk and time seems to have stood still there, which I actually like.
Love these colourful and typical Maltese fishing boats. We have also visited Mdina. A fun adventure, as we got totally lost in the city's labyrinth;-)

17 January 2021 - 17:29

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  So nice in Malta! We had (luckily maybe) a guide in Mdina, so we didn't get lost 😉 Nice there!!!
  
  24 January 2021 - 16:47
  
Travelsis says:

We were there, colourful and fantastic mussels at the restaurant. But when my family talks about that city, it is the city where our youngest (1 year old at the time) was stung by a wasp right at the mouth. There were so many helpful people who came to help oss🙏🏼./ Pernilla

18 January 2021 - 20:59

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  How annoying with the wasp! But nice when people are helpful in that way!!! Have fun!
  
  24 January 2021 - 16:48
  
Liniz+Travel says:

It was really so nice there.

Have a nice day

Hugs

19 January 2021 - 7:20

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Of course it is! Thank you!
  
  24 January 2021 - 16:48
  
Bland+Kastruller+och+Vinglas says:

Have never been to Malta, but now feel that it must be on the travel wish list. Sounds like it is an island with plenty of interesting sights.
Love Kajsa

19 January 2021 - 23:56

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Hi Kajsa! Yes, nice island in many ways! Definitely worth visiting! 🙂
  
  24 January 2021 - 16:49
  
Lena - gott för själen says:

Definitely worth going there and photographing this cute city I see. So nice!

Hug Lena

20 January 2021 - 6:22

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Yes, I think this city attracts many photo enthusiasts!
  
  24 January 2021 - 16:49
  
Anita-Malta says:

Hi Helena and Peter! Long time since I looked in here with you now, got a link from BP about this post, which is really a nice and detailed description of the small charming town of Marsaxlokk, many fantastic pictures with a great recognition factor 😄.
We don't visit this place very often these days, but a couple of times a year.
Yes, we still live here in Malta but plan to move to Cyprus as soon as possible. Feels like twenty years on this little island is enough. 😁 Hope all is well with you both! Warm greetings from Anita, Fanny and Felicia 🐕🐕❣️

22 January 2021 - 15:19

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Anita, hello! How nice to hear from you! Glad you liked our post. It has been great to "travel back" to Malta through all the photos! 🙂 It would be fun to keep in touch! Cyprus, interesting! We have become interested in visiting Cyprus, so maybe we can meet there sometime in the future! 🙂
  
  24 January 2021 - 16:51

Marsaxlokk in Malta - a picturesque fishing town

Marsax lid in Malta

Siege of Malta - Turkish landing at Marsaxlokk in 1565

Traditional fishing village

The Luzzu fishing boats - with the eye of Osiris

Popular to take photos

Markets and restaurants in Marsaxlokk

More to see and do in Marsaxlokk

See more around Marsaxlokk

Have you visited Marsaxlokk in Malta?

Facts about Marsaxlokk

Travelling to Marsaxlokk

History of Marsaxlokk

19th century to 21st century

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14 Comments

Ama de casa says:

Helena says:

BP says:

Helena says:

Travelsis says:

Helena says:

Liniz+Travel says:

Helena says:

Bland+Kastruller+och+Vinglas says:

Helena says:

Lena - gott för själen says:

Helena says:

Anita-Malta says:

Helena says:

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