Royal Beach Club Santorini
Plan your visit
Take the Valletta ferry to Cospicua or Senglea, or a dgħajsa water taxi. Allow half a day and wear comfortable shoes for the steep lanes.
About this place
Before Valletta was built, the Knights of St John ran Malta from Birgu, and the three towns facing the capital across the Grand Harbour still carry that history in their walls. Birgu, Senglea and Cospicua bore the brunt of the Ottoman Great Siege of 1565, after which Birgu was renamed Città Vittoriosa, the victorious city.
Today they are noticeably calmer than Valletta. Birgu's waterfront, lined with yachts, leads to Fort St Angelo, the Knights' old headquarters, now open to visitors through Heritage Malta. Across the creek in Senglea, the small Gardjola Gardens look out over the harbour mouth from a stone watchtower carved with an eye and an ear.
Getting there is half the fun. The ferry from Valletta takes about ten minutes, or you can cross in a dgħajsa, the traditional wooden water taxi with its high, painted prow.
A quieter, more lived-in side of the harbour, and very photogenic. Agree the fare before you step into a water taxi.
Location
Find The Three Cities
The Three Cities face Valletta from the south-east side of the Grand Harbour, on the peninsulas between its creeks.
Coordinates: 35.8881° N · 14.5221° E
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