St Julian's

The resort of St Julian's is the biggest and liveliest holiday area in Malta. St Julian's Bay includes the smaller bays of Balluta Bay and Spinola Bay, the new marina of Portomaso and the quieter district of St George's Bay. While the bays are very picturesque, the area is heavily developed with several large four- and five-star high-rise hotels alongside residential and business blocks. In season the main roads are choked by traffic. St Julian's is also home to the island's principal nightlife district of Paceville (‘par-chay-ville').

Young families, couples and the 18-25 crowd, usually on package holidays and mostly from the UK. A large number of Italians also holiday here. Paceville is one of Europe's youth holiday hotspots and by night, the area draws in huge numbers of local teenagers from all over the island.

St Julian's is spread around the bay of the same name on the north coast of Malta. Its neighbour to the south is Sliema.

At Balluta Bay a very small but pretty man-made sandy beach is created in summer. It can disappear overnight however, washed away by storms. There are two summer lidos at Dragonara Point owned by the Westin Dragonara Resort hotel. One of these, the Reef Club, is open to non-hotel guests for a small fee and includes a small sandy cove and access to watersports. There is another summer lido open to the public at the Corinthia San Gorg hotel in St George's Bay. Both lidos get very crowded.

There are no visitor attractions as such in St Julian's. However there is an IMAX Cinema which also shows 3-D films and the Eden Superbowl (St George's Bay) is a state-of-the-art 10-pin bowling centre in. In neighbouring Sliema several boat trips depart from Sliema Ferries (3 km/2 miles south east). The Grand Harbour cruise is highly recommended, as is a cruise to the island of Comino, preferably on a weekday out of season. A 10-minute ferry ride links Sliema to Valletta. The tiny capital, built in the mid 16th century, is one of the architectural gems of the Mediterranean and a walk though its golden-sandstone streets and around its fortifications is time very well spent. Valletta is also home to numerous visitor attractions, most connected with the fascinating history of the island. Must-see attractions are St John's Co-Cathedral and the Grand Master's Palace.

Watersports can be enjoyed from the Portomaso Marina, next to the Hilton hotel and at the public lidos (see Beach).

There are no visitor attractions as such in St Julian's. Bay Street (see Retail Therapy) has a lively programme of events, many of which are aimed at families.

Mediterraneo Marine Park and Splash & Fun Water Park share a site on the coast road at White Rocks, 6.5 km (4 miles) northwest of St Julian's. Both parks are very small though the Marine Park, which features dolphins and seals, does offer the chance to swim with dolphins at a very reasonable price.

While visiting Valletta, The Great Siege of Malta (Republic Square) is a lively special effects-laden audio-visual exhibition of Malta's romantic history that is designed to appeal to all the family.

By mainland European standards Malta is a poor shopping destination with relatively few indigenous shops and wares, and imported goods that are often more expensive than back home. Bay Street (St George's Bay) is a modern shopping mall, aimed mainly at young shoppers, which includes various places to eat.

Malta's most characteristic shopping is to be found just across the water, at Valletta, in the many independent shops along Merchant's Street and St Paul's Street, most selling shoes and leather and silver and gold filigree. The Valletta Sunday market (St James Ditch, outside City Gate), a mix of flea market and regular goods, is a major event in its own right, attracting holidaymakers and locals from all over the island. Many of the same items reappear at Valletta's daily market on Merchant's Street though it lacks the atmosphere and crowds of the Sunday meeting.

If you're between 18 and 25, Paceville (‘par-chay ville') will probably be your holiday paradise. In just a few blocks there are dozens of music bars warming up for the main late-night action which is the clubs and discotheques. Sophisticated it isn't and beware that traffic gridlock at 0200 is common here. Older revellers might enjoy BJs (Ball Street) which offers live jazz every night. Outside of Paceville, around Spinola Bay are several more music bars catering for a mature clientele.

The Dragonara Palace Casino (Westin Dragonara Resort) is another option though the setting is nothing special and there is no floor show.

You can eat just about any cuisine you like in St Julian's though restaurants which offers authentic Maltese dishes, such as La Maltija (1 Church Street, Paceville), are very much the exception. The restaurants around Spinola Bay have a beautiful bayside setting and there are also some good places to eat around Balluta Bay. Several of the area's hotels also offer a good range of dining options. Those in the Juliani (Spinola Bay) and The Hilton (Portomaso Marina) are particularly good.

St Julian's is a compact resort and wherever you are located you are probably only a short walk away from the centre. Otherwise frequent buses service the waterfront. In fact catching one of Malta's famous antique buses is a holiday experience in itself!

Malta is a very small island and it's possible to visit anywhere quite comfortably within a day from St Julian's. Once you have ticked Valletta off your list visit Mdina, the ancient capital; the Hypogeum, a fascinating prehistoric underground temple; the neighbouring island of Gozo.

With so many five-star hotels in the immediate area it's not hard to choose a place for a blow-out meal or a state-of-the-art spa treatment. The Blue Elephant in the Hilton (Portomaso Marina) is a romantic treat while the newest five-star hotel in town, Le Meridien St Julian's, offers a Champagne Lounge and a Michelin-starred chef serving contemporary Mediterranean cuisine in its stylish Villa Brasserie. If hotel bars and lounges are not your thing head a few doors down to The Bar @ Balluta, another classy drinking joint in beautiful old Classical-style buildings. Le Meridien is also home to Malta's newest spa, the state-of-the-art Lotus, open to non-residents.

Malta Airport (MLA)