The Best Beaches in Malta You Can Only Reach by Boat

Malta has three islands — Malta, Gozo, and Comino. Most tourists see only the main island. The beaches they visit are beautiful, but they’re also the ones everyone else visits. Here’s the thing the locals know: Malta’s most spectacular beaches aren’t on any map you’ll find at a hotel reception. They’re only accessible by boat.

This guide covers the best of them — the ones worth seeking out, and why a private charter is the only practical way to reach most of them.

1. Imgiebah Bay, Malta

Tucked into the far northwest of Malta, Imgiebah Bay is a stunning sandy cove surrounded by dramatic cliffs. There’s no road in — the only way to reach it is by boat or a very serious hiking trail that most visitors won’t attempt. From the water, it’s one of the most photogenic spots on the island: golden sand, turquoise shallows, and almost nobody there.

2. Fomm ir-Rih Bay, Malta

Fomm ir-Rih — Arabic for ‘mouth of the wind’ — is one of Malta’s wildest and most remote beaches. The landscape here feels more like the Canary Islands than the typically flat Maltese terrain: steep clay cliffs dropping to a rocky shore. It’s rough, dramatic, and genuinely beautiful. There’s no beach bar, no sunbeds, no crowds. Just you, the cliffs, and the open sea.

3. San Blas Bay, Gozo

Gozo’s most beautiful beach, and one of the best-kept secrets in the entire Maltese archipelago. San Blas is a small bay of distinctive reddish-orange sand — the colour comes from the iron content in the local rock. The road down from Nadur is so steep and narrow that most car hire companies prohibit driving it. By boat, you anchor in the bay and swim ashore. The village above it has barely changed in decades.

4. Dahlet Qorrot, Gozo

A tiny, authentic Gozitan fishing bay with traditional luzzu boats pulled up on the shore. The water here is exceptionally clear and sheltered from the prevailing winds. While the Blue Lagoon gets thousands of visitors daily, Dahlet Qorrot sees a fraction of that number — and the snorkelling around the rocky edges is outstanding. It’s the kind of place you don’t leave quickly.

5. Santa Marija Bay, Comino

While everyone else is at the Blue Lagoon, Santa Marija sits on the opposite side of Comino in almost complete peace. A wide, sandy bay with shallow turquoise water and views back across to Gozo, it’s everything the Blue Lagoon promises but rarely delivers in peak season. Almost no ferry services come here. A private boat drops you in the bay and you have it to yourselves.

6. St Peter’s Pool, Malta South

This is Malta’s natural swimming pool — a flat limestone shelf carved by the sea into a series of deep, sheltered channels. The water is crystal clear and deep enough to dive in from the rocks. It’s one of the most unique swimming spots in the Mediterranean. From the sea, you approach through a narrow channel flanked by dramatic rock formations. By land, it’s a long walk on rough terrain in the heat.

7. Il-Hofra l-Kbira (Blue Grotto Area), Malta

The Blue Grotto area on Malta’s south coast is famous for good reason — but most visitors only see it from the small commercial boats that run short grotto tours. On a private charter, you can spend as long as you like exploring the entire stretch of coastline: sea arches, hidden caves, and water that turns an extraordinary electric blue as the sun hits it at the right angle.

The Best Way to See All of These in One Day

A full-day private charter from Nautiful lets you build a completely custom itinerary — picking the beaches and bays that match what you want from the day. Want to combine San Blas and Dahlet Qorrot in Gozo with a swim at Santa Marija? Done. Prefer to focus on Malta’s south coast with the Blue Grotto and St Peter’s Pool? Also done.

Your skipper knows every one of these spots intimately — which ones are best at different times of day, how to anchor safely, and which hidden extras to add in along the way. The Axopar 37 accommodates up to 11 guests and is one of the most capable day boats in Malta for reaching the spots other charter vessels can’t.

If you’re planning a trip to Malta and want to see the islands as they really are — not through the window of a bus or from a crowded beach — a private boat charter is the answer. Before you head out, it’s worth checking our guide on what to pack for a boat day in Malta so you’re fully prepared. Book with Nautiful and tell us which beaches are on your list.