Paradise Bay Holidays

Paradise Bay is nestled on a clifftop on Malta’s northern tip, overlooking an inlet of the same name. The town is surrounded by rolling countryside, so it’s a popular base for hikers. It’s also home to one of the island’s best beaches, which you can reach via a staircase built into the rock face. The soda-white sands melt into really clear waves, and a PADI dive centre has been built close by.

Away from the beach, most of the action takes place in the area’s luxury hotels. That said, there are a couple of restaurants and bars serving cocktails and Maltese cuisine. For more choice, make the 10-minute drive to Mellieha, where there’s a clutch of romantic tavernas, karaoke bars and souvenir shops.

Paradise Bay is an easy 45-minute drive from Valetta, Malta’s historic capital. The UNESCO-protected city was built in the 16th century by the Knights Hospitallers, and it’s crammed with Baroque churches and stone Medieval streets. Make time for the island of Gozo, too – ferries run regularly from the neighbouring town of Cirkewwa. Malta’s miniature sister island packs in ancient ruins that rival those in Greece and Italy.