Valletta Waterfront

Waterfront

Waterfront · Valletta, Malta 35.8900°N 14.5081°E

Why you should go

Ninety seconds on Valletta Waterfront

Best time

Sunset, blue hourEvening harbour walk

Season

Busiest Jun to SepWhen cruise calls peak

Access

Bus route 130To and from Valletta

Pinto Stores

When were the Pinto Stores built and why?

In 1752, under Grand Master Emanuel Pinto da Fonseca, who gave the Pinto Stores their name. They were built to boost harbour activity, as stores for the Knights of Malta and other merchants.

Bus

Is there a bus to the Valletta Waterfront?

Yes. Public bus route 130 runs to and from Valletta. The Gozo fast ferry terminal at Lascaris Wharf is a short walk along the harbour, so the waterfront also works as a stop on the way to or from Gozo.

Parking

Where can visitors park for the Valletta Waterfront?

On the quays themselves, known locally as fuq il-moll, or in the Atrium and Wedge car parks at the waterfront. The cruise port adds free on-street parking in the surrounding area.

Easy to reach from Valletta, this Floriana quay runs right along the Grand Harbour, past a long row of Baroque stores built for the Knights.

What makes it special

The promenade follows the Grand Harbour quay in Floriana, and three buildings line it. The Pinto Stores stand to one side, the Church of the Flight into Egypt in the middle, and the Forni Stores to the other.

The stores were designed by Andrea Belli in the late Baroque style, and their coloured doors are a favourite subject for photographers and film crews.

The Pinto and Forni Stores were restored with their historic façades preserved. Behind those doors, the 19 Pinto Stores and the Forni Stores now hold restaurants, shops and bars facing the water.

The Valletta Cruise Passenger Terminal was later set at the foot of the stores, a modern building added to the old quay of the Knights.

Visiting

From Upper Barrakka Gardens in the city, take in the Grand Harbour from above first, then ride the Upper Barrakka Lift down to harbour level. The lift is the quickest link between the quay and Valletta, so use it again for the way back up. From the bottom, the waterfront is a short walk along the quay.

Walk the promenade end to end, with the harbour on one side and the restored store fronts on the other. Seen from the quay, the view is the same harbour you looked down on from the gardens, now at water level.

Tips

The exit from the cruise port leads straight onto the quay, so expect cruise passengers on the promenade whenever a ship is in.

If the waterfront car parks are full, use the MCP Car Park near City Gate. From there, walk through Valletta to Upper Barrakka Gardens, about 15 minutes, and follow the route above.