Two things bring you to this small cove: a clear look at the wooden Popeye film set on its shore, and a swim off the rocks on the far side.
Beach, Mellieħa. Meridian Dispatch.
Yes, visitors report. The Popeye Village Viewpoint and the footpath down to the bay need no ticket; the Popeye Village film set itself is the part that charges entry.
Yes. Beach guides report the water quality as Excellent for the 2025 bathing season. Swimmers get in off the rocks or the jetty, away from the film set, and water shoes help on the rocky entry points.
Take the 41 or 42 from Valletta or the 221 from Bugibba to Mellieħa, then walk about 2 km down to the bay or take a short taxi.
The 19 wooden buildings on the shore were put up in 1979 for the Robert Altman film Popeye, with Robin Williams in the title role. The set is now a theme park, and the whole bay is sometimes called Popeye Village after it.
The bay itself sits hidden between two cliffs. Below the surface it is a varied dive site, with large boulders, swim-throughs and rocky reef among seagrass meadows.
Scorpion Cave, the bay's cavern, has a wide entrance and an air pocket inside. A large old anchor lies on the seabed at about 8 metres, off the far end of the jetty.
A shallow, sheltered training area suits try dives and first diving courses.
A narrow road signed for Popeye Village leads down from Mellieħa to the bay. From the Mellieħa bus stop the walk of about 2 km takes roughly 25 minutes, or a short taxi ride covers it.
Stop first at the Popeye Village Viewpoint for the set, then follow the footpath down from the viewpoint to the water's edge below.
At the bottom, you get into the water from the rocks or from the jetty on the side opposite Popeye Village.
Pack water shoes for the rocky entry points, and a towel. With almost no shade on the rocks, bring a parasol along with your own water and food if you plan a long swim.
Plan the swim for a weekday if you can, when the bay is quieter than at the weekend.
Mellieħa's ridge gives you a quiet night above the bay: the sand is about 3 km downhill, and the Parish Church terrace looks back over it in the evening.
Read the Mellieħa guideExplore the rest of Mellieħa
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