The saw
Munxar is an old Maltese word for a saw. Recorded here by the sixteenth century, it probably reflects the headland's sharp, saw-like form.
Malta · Hiking
The Southern Trail:
The Southern Trail:
From Munxar to Ħofriet
A compact coastal hike along Malta's south-east edge, linking St Thomas Bay, Munxar Window, Munxar Point, St Peter's Pool and the Ħofriet.
A coast carved open
Munxar to Ħofriet is less about distance than what the sea has done to the limestone.
Malta's south-east coast sits lower than the high western cliffs. Softer, paler rock has been cut into ledges, arches, platforms and rounded coves.
From St Thomas Bay, follow the coast past Munxar Window and Munxar Point to St Peter's Pool, then through Ħofra ż-Żgħira and Ras il-Fenek to Ħofra l-Kbira.
The appeal is the progression: an isolated arch becomes a pale cliff line, open sea gives way to sheltered inlets, and the trail ends at two coves scooped into the coast.
Etymology
The landscape is written into the names
Saw-like headlands, rabbit points, natural pools and holes - the names echo the shape of the coast.
Literally, 'the holes'
Ħofriet, the plural of ħofra - a hole or pit - names the two rounded coves: Il-Ħofra l-Kbira, the big cove, and Il-Ħofra ż-Żgħira, the small cove.
Rabbit Point
Ras il-Fenek literally means 'Rabbit Point' - the narrow headland separating the two Ħofriet.
A natural pool in the limestone
Officially Peter's Pool, or Il-Bajja ta' Pietru, its rounded sheltered basin and flat limestone shelves explain the “Pool”. The origin of “Peter” is less certain.
Hike profile
- Distance
- Approx. 3-4 km
- Time
- 1.5-2 hours with stops
- Difficulty
- Moderate · exposed in places
- Terrain
- Limestone · dirt trail · garigue · loose rock
- Elevation
- Low rolling coast · modest cumulative gain
- Best season
- Autumn to spring · calm, dry days
The route
From one window to two coves
The coast is easy to read, but the path is informal. Follow the landmarks and stay back from unstable edges.
Recorded trail context
Munxar → Ħofriet
The embedded Wikiloc track follows this same coastal line from St Thomas Bay through Munxar and St Peter's Pool to the Ħofriet.
Broader GPS route
START St Thomas Bay
FINISH Ħofra l-Kbira
St Thomas Bay → Munxar Window → St Peter's Pool → Ħofra ż-Żgħira → Ras il-Fenek → Ħofra l-Kbira
A schematic sequence, not turn-by-turn navigation.
South-east coast · southbound
01
StartSt Thomas Bay
02
WindowMunxar Window
03
CoastSt Peter's Pool
04
CoveĦofra ż-Żgħira
05
HeadlandRas il-Fenek
06
FinishĦofra l-Kbira
Navigation note: erosion is active here. Use a current offline map or GPX, avoid fresh breaks and stay well back from the cliff edge.
Ease into the coast
From St Thomas Bay, follow the shoreline to Il-Munxar. The window is the first major landmark as the coast becomes more exposed.
Follow the pale headland
Continue around Munxar Point over low garigue, using the cliff line as your guide.
The coast starts folding inward
St Peter's Pool breaks the open shoreline before rounded bays lead into Ħofra ż-Żgħira.
Finish between the two coves
Cross Ras il-Fenek between the Ħofriet and finish at Ħofra l-Kbira, where the coast feels more enclosed than at the start.
Once you reach Ħofra l-Kbira
Retrace the coast, or keep the hike linear and arrange your return from Delimara.
Why the coast looks like this
Softer limestone, stranger shapes
Globigerina Limestone dominates this coast; its relative softness helps create the windows, platforms and rounded coves.
Pale rock with a softer edge
Upper and Middle Globigerina Limestone weather more readily than Malta's harder coralline cliffs, producing a lower, smoother coast.
The sea finds the weaker layer
Waves exploit fractures and softer beds, creating undercut cliffs, shore platforms, caves and arches like those around Munxar and the Ħofriet.
Coves enlarged into the coast
Research links the two rounded bays to marine erosion of the Globigerina sequence, aided by structural weaknesses and older drainage lines.
Practical guide
Plan for exposure, not elevation
The route stays low, but shade is scarce and some sections pass actively eroding cliff edges.
Choose a topic
Getting there
Plan your return.
Linear route
- Start at St Thomas Bay and head towards Munxar Window.
- Finish at Ħofra l-Kbira near Delimara.
- Arrange a lift or taxi, or retrace the route.
Trail conditions
The edge matters more than the gradient.
Check wind
- Expect loose limestone, rough ground and informal paths.
- Stay well back from fresh cracks, undercut edges and cliff lips.
- Avoid exposed sections in strong onshore winds or low visibility.
- Do not follow faint tracks down steep coastal faces.
This coast is actively eroding - stay off freshly fractured edges.
When to go
Cool, clear and calm is best.
Autumn → spring
- October to April is most comfortable.
- In warmer months, start early or go late - there is almost no shade.
- Choose a calm day for cliff-top viewpoints.
- Leave enough daylight if you plan to extend around Delimara.
What to bring
Simple kit, but little shade.
Travel light
- Grippy trail or hiking shoes.
- Water, hat and sun protection.
- Offline map or downloaded GPX.
- Swimwear if conditions are suitable and you plan a cove stop.
Photos
Windows, white cliffs and the Ħofriet
From open Munxar to the enclosed Ħofriet, the coast keeps changing character.
My experience
The window gets the photo. The coves make the hike.
I like how quickly the coast changes while keeping the same geological story. Munxar Window is the obvious landmark, but only the first example of erosion here.
Then come pale cliffs, Munxar Point and St Peter's Pool before the coast folds into the more enclosed Ħofriet.
That sequence is why I would walk southbound: St Thomas Bay eases you in, Munxar Window provides the first landmark, and Ħofra l-Kbira feels like a proper finish.
Final take
Malta's south, carved open.
Munxar to Ħofriet is a compact lesson in Malta's softer coastline: a natural window, pale Globigerina Limestone and two coves cut into the island. It is short, but the geology gives it a clear beginning, progression and finish.
Route context & further reading
Malta's geological survey explains the limestone and erosion, while Wikiloc provides route orientation and the Munxar Window reference adds landmark context.