San Blas Bay

Beach

Beach · Xagħra, Malta 36.0569°N 14.3025°E

Why you should go

Ninety seconds on San Blas Bay

Best time

Golden hourBusy midday Jul and Aug

Effort

Steep, narrow laneLast stretch car-free

Access

Jeep in summerHill shuttle, for a fee

By bus

How do you get to San Blas Bay by bus?

Visitors report taking route 303A to the Kuncizzjoni stop, then walking about 1.2 km downhill, 15 to 20 minutes. Route 303 to Qorrot is the other option, about 25 minutes on foot from the bay.

Kiosk and loungers

Is there a kiosk or deckchair hire at San Blas Bay?

Yes. Deckchairs can be rented on the sand and a small kiosk serves food and drinks through the summer, so a full day by the sea needs little carrying down the hill.

Worth the walk

Is San Blas Bay worth the walk down from Nadur?

For a quiet beach, yes. The narrow approach is what keeps numbers down, and the red sand and boulders at the bottom reward the effort of getting there on foot from the end of the road.

A steep lane from Nadur leads down to this small cove of reddish-orange sand and boulders below terraced fields on Gozo's north-east coast, and you walk the final part.

What makes it special

San Blas Bay is a small red-sand beach below the village of Nadur, on the north-east coast of Gozo. Its sand is the same reddish-orange as Ramla Bay's, and it is often called Ramla's little sister.

Boulders frame the beach, and the red of the sand stands out against the blue of the sea. That pairing of red sand and boulders is what sets the bay apart from other Gozo beaches.

The difference from its larger neighbour is scale. Ramla has a wide sandy beach and draws large numbers, while San Blas offers a calm, intimate setting. The steep, narrow road down from Nadur, and the walk at the end of it, are what keep the cove that way.

Visiting

Follow the signs for San Blas from Nadur to the end of San Blas Road. Park near the main road at the top, or in a small car park further down.

The final section of the road is closed to traffic because of its steepness, so the last stretch to the sand is on foot. In the summer months, if the walk is too strenuous, a jeep service carries visitors down and back up the hill for a small fee.

On the beach, deckchairs are for hire and a small kiosk sells refreshments.

Tips

Wear comfortable shoes rather than sandals. The climb back up is steep and exposed in July and August: carry plenty of water and avoid midday.

Outside the main summer months the kiosk may be shut, so bring your own water and snacks. Leave the pushchair behind; the path down is too slippery for one.

Know before you goVisitors report no lifeguards, showers or marked swimming zones at San Blas, so you swim here at your own risk.