The landscape of the beehives
Stone apiaries in the surrounding countryside preserve Selmun's long beekeeping tradition and inspired the area's name.
Malta · Beaches & Bays
Imġiebaħ Bay
A remote sandy cove beneath the Selmun countryside, where blue-clay slopes, limestone, old apiaries and clear water meet on one of Malta's least developed stretches of coast.
A beach you have to work for
Imġiebaħ feels deliberately hidden, with no promenade, no rows of sunbeds and no easy urban approach.
Imġiebaħ Bay lies below the Selmun countryside on Malta's north-eastern coast, within the limits of Mellieħa. A rough rural approach leads towards a small sandy beach framed by clay slopes, limestone and low Mediterranean vegetation.
The lack of development is the point. There are no permanent beach facilities, and the surrounding landscape remains part of the experience rather than a backdrop to it.
Beach profile
- Site
- Imġiebaħ Bay
- Type
- Remote sandy cove
- Coast
- North-east Malta
- Setting
- Selmun coastal countryside
- Facilities
- None on the beach
- Access
- Rough rural track & footpath
- Best for
- Quiet swims, snorkelling & walking
The bay
Bees, watchtowers and a protected coast
The beach is small, but the landscape around it carries an unusually rich mix of natural and human history.
Għajn Ħadid keeps watch
The Order of St John built the De Redin tower above the bay in 1658. Its upper floor collapsed after the 1856 earthquake.
A pillbox above the coast
A surviving pillbox recalls the field defences built around Mellieħa to protect likely coastal approaches during the Second World War.
A landscape under protection
Imġiebaħ lies within the L-Inħawi tal-Imġiebaħ u tal-Miġnuna SAC, protecting clay slopes, garrigue, cliffs and boulder scree.
Etymology
The name is tied to beekeeping. BirdLife Malta records migħba as an old Maltese word for a beehive, with mġiebaħ as its plural. The old apiaries in the Selmun countryside preserve that connection in stone.
The landscape
A sandy pocket below clay and limestone
Imġiebaħ is best understood as part of the Selmun landscape rather than as an isolated strip of sand.
The bigger picture
A coast shaped by softer clay beneath harder rock
The Selmun promontory combines harder limestone plateaux with softer clay-rich slopes below. That geology helps produce the stepped, unstable-looking coastal profile around the bay, with boulder scree and exposed slopes dropping towards the sand.
The Natura 2000 site also contains garrigue, clay-steppe vegetation, cliff communities and remnants of older woodland, making the walk to the water as ecologically interesting as the shoreline itself.
Rural Selmun
Rubble walls, fields, garrigue and old rural structures give the approach a distinctly agricultural character before the sea comes into view.
A small sandy beach
Sand gathers at the head of the bay, backed by rough ground and vegetation rather than a promenade or built waterfront.
Rock, scree and open sea
The rocky sides of the bay lead into a more exposed coast, where cliff edges and boulder fields frame the water.
What shapes the scene
The bay brings together geology, old agriculture and coastal ecology in a landscape that still feels largely undeveloped.
Sea & swimming
Clear water without the beach-club feel
The bay rewards a simple swim or snorkel, but its remoteness means you need to be more self-sufficient than at Malta's serviced beaches.
Sand in the centre, rock at the edges
The sandy shoreline gives an easy place to enter the water when conditions are calm. For snorkelling, the rocky margins are more interesting, with ledges, boulders and changes in seabed structure away from the central sand.
There is no permanent lifeguard setup here, so check the sea state yourself and keep enough energy for the walk back out.
The beach is only part of the habitat
Imġiebaħ sits inside a Natura 2000 Special Area of Conservation. The clay slopes and garrigue above the bay are not empty ground, and trampling or cutting informal shortcuts adds to erosion on an already fragile coast.
Stay on established routes where possible and carry all litter back out with you.
Come prepared
There are no permanent beach facilities. Bring drinking water, sun protection and suitable footwear for the approach rather than planning around a kiosk or easy roadside access.
Visit planner
A simple Imġiebaħ Bay visit
Allow time for the approach and the climb back out. This is a better half-day beach than a quick roadside stop.
Choose a stage
Leave the easy roads behind
The final approach runs through rural Selmun and becomes rough and narrow.
- Approach through the Selmun area rather than expecting a conventional beach road.
- Take the final track slowly and do not block gates, field access or narrow passing points.
- If the road looks unsuitable for your vehicle, stop earlier and continue on foot.
The awkward approach is part of why the bay remains relatively undeveloped. Do not force a low-clearance vehicle down a track you are uncomfortable driving.
Finish on foot
The last section is rougher underfoot than a managed beach entrance.
- Wear footwear with enough grip for loose stone and uneven ground.
- Carry water and anything else you need before descending because there are no permanent facilities below.
- Use existing paths rather than cutting across clay slopes or vegetation.
Keep the water session uncomplicated
The cove is best when the sea is calm and visibility is good.
- Check wind, swell and jellyfish before entering.
- Use the sandy centre for a straightforward swim and follow the rocky edges for snorkelling.
- Remember that there is no permanent lifeguard presence or quick access to services.
Remote does not mean risk-free. Turn back before tiredness becomes an issue, especially if you still have a hot uphill walk ahead.
Notice the landscape on the return
The old apiaries and Selmun countryside explain the bay's name and character.
- Retrace the established route rather than scrambling directly up fragile slopes.
- Look for the old apiary landscape and traditional rubble walls as you cross Selmun.
- Keep away from unstable cliff edges and the damaged Għajn Ħadid Tower ruins.
Gallery
Around Imġiebaħ Bay
A reverse journey from the water back through the secluded Selmun landscape and the trail above the bay.
Video log
Imġiebaħ Bay in motion
From the approach above the bay to the clear water below.
From above
Imġiebaħ from above
The bay
Imġiebaħ up close
From the water
The bay from the sea
Snorkelling
Snorkelling at Imġiebaħ
Personal notes
My Experience
I stumbled upon Imġiebaħ Bay by sheer coincidence while trekking, and it has since become my favourite beach in Malta. Part of what makes it so special is how secluded and relatively little-known it still feels. Even on an island where beautiful bays are hardly rare, Imġiebaħ has that gloriously pristine quality that makes arriving here feel like discovering somewhere hidden.
Unfortunately, the beach changed noticeably after Storm Harry in 2026, with much of its sand blown away in the aftermath. It was sad to see such a beautiful stretch of shoreline altered so dramatically, but even with less sand than before, Imġiebaħ remains a gorgeous bay and one of the places I return to most fondly.
Further reading & official information
ERA documents the L-Inħawi tal-Imġiebaħ u tal-Miġnuna Natura 2000 site and its habitats, BirdLife Malta explains the area's old apiaries and placename, and historical research on Mellieħa records the dense network of pillboxes and field defences built before and during the Second World War.