Our favorite sunrise spot
The sun rises to the east and sets to the west. That part is easy enough. But finding the best place to experience the sunrise is more difficult.
The sleepy town of Xgħajra is our number one suggestion for early-birds who want to greet the dawn. Quiet, contained, and untamed, Xgħajra faces directly east onto the open sea and the start of day is a wonderful natural display for locals.
Walk down to the accessible rocky shore and find your personal quiet spot. Most mornings, the air is cool and salty and, apart from the rolling waves, the only other sound you can hear is the hypnotic drone of small outboard motors propelling fishing boats back to land after the night catch.
When the moment arrives, the sun breaks out dramatically from the vast body of water. A modest orange dot at first, before it rises into a glaring semi-circle illuminating a golden path across the sea for a few magical moments. Before you know it, it is up in the sky, gently waking up the islands to a new day.
The time of sunrise varies each day, sunrise-and-sunset.com is a reliable source to check the exact moment for when you are planning to visit.
Getting there
Take route 94 from Valletta to Xgħajra and get off at any one of the three bus stops along the coast: Qassisin, Xgħajra, or Penza.
The earliest bus leaves Valletta at 05:50 and arrives in Xgħajra at 6:15. The route operates at 30-minute intervals until 22:50.
Check the latest timetable details here: publictransport.com.mt/en/routes-timetables