St Julian’s and Paceville: Where to Stay, What to Do and See (2024)

The village of St. Julian’s (locally referred to as San Ġiljan) is located along the northern coastline of Malta, adjacent to Sliema and a few miles to the West of the capital city Valletta. It’s known as a more urban town in Malta, home to some of the tallest buildings on the island, and is a tourist and nightlife hotspot.

Once a small fisherman’s town, the locality developed rapidly in the 20th century into a more modern village. With a large concentration of restaurants, bars and clubs in the area, it’s a popular destination for locals, although it only counts around 14,000 residents.

Paceville is an area at the core of St. Julian’s, which is known as Malta’s centre of nightlife and clubbing, offering a variety of bars and nightclubs for a great night out.

The St. Julian’s area is also a popular place for some of its entertainment venues. In Paceville, you can find Malta’s largest cinema complex, a bowling arena, a shopping complex, a number of hotels and a small man-made beach at St. George’s Bay.

Although Paceville offers a few good restaurants, there’s a wider variety of choices in other parts of St. Julian’s as well, particularly Spinola Bay, which you’ll encounter along the promenade as you walk in the direction of Sliema. Balluta Bay (the second bay on your way to Sliema) has a small square with a number of smaller cafes, which are great to unwind during the day.

Despite the various package deals offered for St. Julian’s, the town is mostly popular among couples and groups of travellers who are looking for entertainment, good food and nightlife as an important part of their holiday. It’s also popular among singles and groups of youths for its nightlife around the Paceville area.

With a few of the country’s biggest English language schools around in Paceville, it’s a relatively young crowd that frequents the area.

If you’re wondering what the best place is to stay in Malta and whether St. Julian’s is the place for you, here are a few reasons for/against staying there to help you decide.

Why stay in St. Julian’s?

• Great for nightlife and entertainment.
• Good choices and a variety of restaurants in the area, often with nice views to boot.
• Some of the best hotels on the island can be found in this area.
• Well connected with the public transport network with a small bus terminus on the edge of Paceville.
• Reasonably easy to reach popular tourist destinations like Valletta, Gozo and Comino, from Sliema Ferries by boat (which is quick/easy to reach by bus from St. Julian’s)

Why not stay in St. Julian’s?

• Some love the hustle and bustle, others prefer a more peaceful holiday. One downside is that there are too many construction projects ongoing in the area, which doesn’t make for a quiet spot to enjoy a holiday.
• Paceville is busy until the early morning, and although generally safe, crime rates are relatively high in this particular part of town. Some hotels are situated on the edge of Paceville or right in the centre, so keep that in mind when booking accommodation in the St. Julian’s area.
• Although St. George’s Bay offers a (man-made) sandy beach, it’s not the prettiest nor the cleanest. If beach life is a priority for your holiday, this may not be the best area to stay in. Expect a fairly long (1h) commute to get to some of the better sandy beaches.
• St. Julian’s is a more modern part of the island, especially on the seafront, so not the place to be to get a taste of typical life in Malta.

How to get there

By bus:

• To/From the airport: Use the TD2 bus that goes directly from and to St. Julian’s (26 min to St. Julian’s and 1 hour to the airport) or use either the X2 bus (approximately 1 hour). Alternatively, you can choose to get an airport taxi transfer. A private taxi transfer costs around €22 and a shared shuttle bus around €16 for 2 adults (one-way fares in both cases).
• To/From Valletta, you can take the following routes: 13, 13A, 14, 16 (33 to 37 min) and the N13 by night.
• To/From Mdina/Rabat/Ta` Qali Crafts Village, use Bus 202 (60 min drive)
• To/From Bugibba/Qawra, you can take the following routes: 222, 212 and 225 (33 to 49 min)
• To/From Ċirkewwa (to grab the Gozo ferry), use Bus 222 (1 hour)

For other methods of transportation, such as grabbing a taxi or hiring a car, refer to my article on transportation in Malta.

Tip: When staying in a hotel in St. Julian’s, make sure the hotel offers private parking if you plan on renting a car. Public parking is notoriously limited in this area.

Get more detailed info here: How to easily get from Malta Airport to St. Julian’s

Places of interest

St. Julian’s is a modern town that developed rapidly after the 1960s. Before that, it was mainly agricultural land used as hunting grounds by the Knights and later by the British. So, in contrast with other areas in Malta that are overly rich in interesting places to visit, in St. Julian’s, you will only find a handful. Though, in any case, if culture and exploration are very important on your holiday, this wouldn’t be the best place to stay for you anyway.

• Lapsi Church started as a small chapel originally built by the Knights of St. John circa 1560. It was demolished and rebuilt several times. The building that’s seen today dates to around 1716.
• Spinola Palace was built in 1688 by Fra Paolo Raffaele Spinola, a knight of the Order of St. John and Grand Prior of Lombardy. The palace was enlarged in 1733 by the nephew of the original owner, Fra Giovanni Battista Spinola. French troops occupied the palace in 1798, damaging the Order’s emblem atop the clock on the façade. This was reconstructed in recent years. The palace was also used as a military hospital between 1860 and the early 20th century and was known as Forrest Hospital. Nowadays, the palace is not open to the public, but its architecture can be admired from the gate in front of the gardens.
• St. Julian’s Parish Church in Lapsi Street is a modern church built in 1961 overlooking Balluta Bay. Built in neo-gothic style, the church is dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel. It’s the parish church of Balluta and belongs to the Carmelite monastery. It is open every day for visits and services.

Sightseeing and things to do

If you’d like to venture out of St. Julian’s for some sightseeing, these are a few options you can consider:

1. Get a hop-on/hop-off ticket from iSeeMalta for their buses but also ferries that can take you across the Maltese islands for any museums or other places of interest to visit.
2. Take a regular route bus (or the above hop-on/hop-off) to get to Sliema Ferries (15-minute ride), which will open up a number of options for you:
   1. You can get across to Valletta easily with a cheap ferry ride (crossing Marsamxett Harbour) and explore Malta’s capital city
   2. You can take a harbour cruise around both of Valletta’s harbours (which also stops at the Esplora Interactive Science Centre at Kalkara)
   3. You can get to the Blue Lagoon easily, either using the iSeeMalta ferry (which can also take you to Gozo, with their Gozo Pass) or hopping on a boat tour for the day with these guys.

(Because this town is pretty well-connected when it comes to sightseeing tours, I usually recommend against renting a car in St. Julian’s.)

Hotels and Accommodation in St Julian’s

Some of the best hotels in Malta are located in St. Julian’s. For all of my recommendations, have a look at this guide: The Best St. Julian’s Hotels.

These are a few quick recommendations for some of the more popular hotels:

• Hilton Malta – Located at the Portomaso Complex. Facilities include a Spa, 4 outdoor pools, a conference centre, surrounded by a marina and many restaurants and cafes.
• InterContinental Malta – Very close to St. George’s Bay, offering bar service on the beach. Facilities include a lagoon-styled outdoor pool and a private sandy beach. With a variety of restaurants and bars.
• Malta Marriott Hotel & Spa – Well placed for restaurants, bars and shopping along the promenade. Sea views overlooking Balluta Bay, with spa and indoor and outdoor rooftop pool.
• Marina Hotel Corinthia Beach Resort – Amenities include restaurants, cafeterias, pools with pool bars, a spa, a fitness centre, a diving school and a watersport centre.
• Radisson Blu Resort – provides 3 restaurants, a terrace bar, a gym, 3 outdoor pools, an indoor pool, 2 tennis courts, a spa and wellness centre, a diving school, and conference facilities for groups and corporate travellers.
• The Westin Dragonara Resort – Guests can make use of Indoor and outdoor swimming pools and whirlpools, beach lidos and sundecks, restaurants and bars, steam room, sauna and indoor whirlpool, tennis court, table tennis, 24-hour casino, diving school, conference centre.

Restaurants and Bars in St. Julian’s

Restaurants in St. Julian’s are everywhere, on every street and every corner. To give you an indication of the cost for a starter and main course with a basic drink, I’ve marked each restaurant with Euro symbols ranging from € (€15-20 pp) to €€€€ (€50+ pp).

This is a list of personal favourites:

• Waterbiscuit (part of Intercontinental Hotel). Tel: +356 2376 2225 | €€€) – This highly-rated restaurant has an interesting dining menu with Mediterranean flavours and is also a great option for a proper lunch.
• Two Buoys (106, Triq Spinola. Tel: +356 2122 2221 | €€€) – A lovely restaurant with a terrace overlooking Spinola Bay and offering a variety of Mediterranean dishes. A popular choice for its fresh fish among locals as well.
• U Bistrot (27 Triq Censu Tabone. Tel: +356 2311 2361 | €€-€€€) – Another great choice for Mediterranean flavours, with Balluta Bay as a backdrop to your dinner. Hearty, flavourful food and attentive service make it an easy recommendation to make.
• Wigi’s Kitchen (Main Street, Balluta Bay. Tel: +356 2137 7504 | €€-€€€) – Offering a dynamic menu of simple and uncomplicated traditional Mediterranean food.
• 1927 (St. George’s Road. Tel: +356 9925 1459 | €€-€€€) – Small restaurant within the St. Julian’s Band Club, overlooking Spinola Bay. They have a very small menu that focuses on fresh seasonal Maltese food – the speciality of the house is pan-fried local rabbit served with potatoes, garlic and rosemary.
• Caviar and Bull (Corinthia San Gorg Hotel. Tel: +356 9999 3301 or 2759 3301 | €€€€) – This Michelin Guide-listed restaurant is one of the few fine dining options in St. Julian’s. It serves Mediterranean gourmet food with a great view over St. George’s Bay.
• Sale e Pepe Tradizione Italiana (Portomaso Yacht Marina. Tel: +356 2138 3345 | €€€) – One of the best restaurants for Italian food in the area, with a view over the marina of Portomaso.
• Sole by Tarragon (ix-Xatt Ta’ San Ġorġ. Tel: +356 7728 3342 | €€€€) – Fine seafood and Mediterranean restaurant with a vast wine list, a great atmosphere and views of the sea.
• Peppino’s (65 St. George’s Road. Tel: +356 2137 3200 | €€) – This good Italian restaurant set in the picturesque Spinola Bay serves seafood specialities, some meat-based dishes, a variety of pizza, pasta and salads.
• Don Royale Malta (ix-Xatt Ta’ San Ġorġ. Tel: +356 7952 7007 | €€) – Authentic Italian restaurant with a signature contemporary twist specialised in pizza, pasta, grill and co*cktails.

My Top 10 List of Bars in St. Julian’s

1. White Wine and Food (St. George’s Bay) is a nicely decorated bar with views of the sea. It has the biggest collection of gins in Malta, as it serves over 700 different gins and more than 120 different tonics!
2. The Thirsty Barber (Triq Ball) offers a pretty unique atmosphere with a 1920’s US prohibition-style interior and service. With a menu of high-quality gins, whiskies, cognac and brandy and more types of liquor, it’s a great place to step in for a couple of rounds.
3. Hugo’s Terrace (Triq Dragunara) is a very popular bar attended by locals and visitors alike. Located on St. George’s Road, St. Julian’s, the bar offers lounge music in a modern setting. It’s a pretty popular place, especially on weekends, so book a table in advance! Tel: +356 2016 2495
4. Happy Dayz Shack (Triq Spinola) is a laid-back little bar at the end of Triq Spinola. Great for a chat and a drink in a relaxing, colourful place.
5. The Dubliner (Triq Borg Gorg Olivier) is a great little Irish pub with friendly bartenders, a nice variety of draught beers and ales and that offers some tasty pub grub to boot.
6. Saddles Pub (Spinola Bay) is a popular bar in St. Julian’s and a long-time favourite with locals. The pub is spread over two floors, with the main bar and a pool table downstairs, a bar, terrace and a smoking area upstairs. Plays different styles of house music ranging from funky, electro, progressive and tribal house. Saddles is also a sports bar screening different games on three big screens.
7. The Nordic Bar (St. Rita Street) offers co*cktails by the sea while listening to chill-out music delivered by its resident DJs. The best-attended nights are Friday nights.
8. The Drayton Pub (Triq Elija Zammit) is a typical English, proper English pub and a firm favourite among locals.
9. City of London Pub (Triq Ġorġ Borg Olivier) is a similar English pub with a little terrace outside and a feel-good vibe.
10. Bar Native (Main Staircase – Paceville) is a nice bar serving great co*cktails and reasonably priced drinks that you can enjoy from the outside terrace overlooking the “steps of Paceville” as they’re referred to. A good place to watch sports events too.

Nightlife and clubbing

Paceville is the place to be for clubbing and a bustling nightlife, with a mixed audience and various styles of music. Different clubs offer different styles of music, from R&B to Hip-hop and EDM to Rock. Most places have free entrance, which makes Paceville ideal for simply hopping from one bar/club to another. At a handful of others, you have to pay a low entrance fee.

If you’re into doing pub crawls, consider joining one organised by Malta Pub Crawl. Throughout the year they organise pub crawl events that take you past some of the best pubs in the St. Julian’s area. It’s a great way to meet new people from all over the world and their fees include a bunch of drinks, combined with fun games and challenges.

The other parts of St. Julian’s offer mainly restaurants, wine bars and pubs, which all come in different flavours and in the case of restaurants, cater for different budgets.

Feast in St. Julian’s

It is obvious, from the name of the town, that the patron saint of St. Julian’s is in fact none other than Saint Julian. Like many other Maltese and Gozitan towns, St. Julian’s holds celebrations in honour of its patron saint. The St. Julian’s festa is held late in August, with the participation of two band clubs – St. Julian’s Band Club, formed in 1927 and Spinola Band Club, formed in 1987.

The bands provide merry music in the streets, while fireworks are shot off a raft in the middle of Spinola Bay.

Lapsi Feast

Lapsi Feast is an annual event held in June and organised by St. Julian’s local council in collaboration with other local entities. During this feast, the streets near Spinola Bay are transformed into an exhibit of folklore and traditions, with music, food and lots of activities.

Bays and beaches

There are three bays in the St. Julian’s area, of which two offer sandy (manmade) beaches for swimming:

• Spinola Bay is used mostly to berth fishing boats, giving the area a very distinctive feel but not favouring swimmers.
• Balluta Bay (which borders Sliema) is a picturesque bay with a small man-made sandy beach.
• George’s Bay is the most popular option for swimming and sunbathing, with a small sandy beach that is often packed with people until late into the night. St. George’s Bay is located on the Paceville side of St. Julian’s.

Beach alternatives

If you’re staying in the area and don’t feel like taking a trip to other beaches around Malta, you could make use of swimming pools at a few of the local hotels. Most hotels offer paid entrance to their swimming pool where you can spend a day relaxing by the pool. Sliema also offers a few options, some within walking distance (or a short bus ride) from St. Julian’s.

Dive Centres in St. Julian’s

Scuba diving in Malta and Gozo is a popular outdoor activity. Whether you’re on your own or with friends, you can join one of a number of diving schools based in St. Julian’s that offer diving packages for everyone. Their offerings range from instructor-led scuba diving courses for beginners to expert-level experiences. Planning, logistics and equipment are taken care of by the respective diving centre, so all you have to do is plan your dive days.

The following is a list of diving centres In St. Julian’s:

• Cresta Dive Centre, Cresta Quay, St. Georges Bay | +356 21371459 – +356 99820460
• Divewise Dive Centre Malta, Westin Dragonara Complex, offering Scuba & Snorkeling, Tours, Outdoor Activities, Boat Tours & Water Sport | +356 21356441
• 7R Diving Malta – San Giljan Aquatic watersports Club, Triq George Borg Olivier | +356 79525308
• Concept Scuba Malta – Triq Gorg Borg Olivier, Balluta Bay | +356 77651601
• Starfish Diving School – Marina Hotel at the Corinthia Beach Resort, St. George`s Bay, St Julian’s Tel/Fax: +356 21382995 Mobile: +356 79518812

Supermarkets

Although there are over 14,000 residents in St. Julian’s and many more visitors during the year, there are only a few supermarkets in the area. That said, they’re located in convenient places across town:

• WelBee’s Supermarket in Spinola Bay is the largest supermarket in the area and opens daily: Mon-Sat 7:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. and Sun 7:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. This supermarket is part of a complex with other shops and a few restaurants and bars, as well as offices and residential apartments. Parking is free if you shop at the supermarket. Welbee’s Express Balluta is a smaller supermarket that’s more convenient if you’re staying in or near Balluta Bay and Welbee’s Paceville (within the Pendergardens complex) is a good option if you’re closer to the Paceville side of town.
• Arkadia Foodstore Portomaso (Triq il-Knisja) is open from Monday to Sunday between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. including public holidays. The supermarket offers parking facilities at a charge – parking fees for stays of less than 2 hours are complimentary for any purchase of €15 and more.

History of St. Julian’s

St. Julian’s is a relatively young village that was practically undeveloped until the 1800s, having traditionally been a fisherman’s village. the area where today lies St. Julian’s started being used for hunting by the Knights of St John, who also built the first chapel (known as Lapsi) in about 1580. This was later demolished and rebuilt several times until the final version was erected around 1716. During this time, the village continued to grow slowly.

The construction of Spinola Palace, overlooking Spinola Bay, started in 1688 and proved to be a first step in the slow development of the coastal area of St. Julian’s. Under British rule, St. Julian’s was transformed into an important seaside village boasting several prestigious residences. The St. Julian’s parish church in use today was built in 1961.