Armier Bay

Armier Bay is one of Malta's best-kept secrets — a pair of sandy coves on the island's remote northern coast that remains largely undiscovered by tourists. Split into Armier Bay and Little Armier Bay, these twin beaches are the weekend destination of choice for many Maltese families, who set up camp early with umbrellas, BBQs, and cooler boxes for a full day of seaside relaxation. The atmosphere is authentically local and refreshingly unpretentious.

The larger Armier Bay features a crescent of golden sand with clear, shallow water that warms quickly in the summer sun. A cluster of beach shacks and informal boathouses gives the area a charmingly rustic character, quite different from Malta's more developed tourist beaches. Little Armier, separated by a low rocky headland, is smaller and even more sheltered, with a sandy seabed that's perfect for paddling toddlers.

A casual beach bar serves cold drinks, simple food, and music through the summer months, but facilities are otherwise basic. The surrounding landscape is open and scrubby, with views across to Comino and Gozo on clear days. Armier is at its liveliest on summer weekends, but visit on a weekday and you may have a stretch of sand almost entirely to yourself — a rare luxury on an island as small and popular as Malta.