Is Sliema a good area to stay in Malta?

Yes — it is the most convenient base on the island. You get seafront walks, a wide choice of restaurants, direct buses across Malta and a short ferry to Valletta, all without needing a car.

Can I swim in Sliema?

Sliema has rocky, flat swimming platforms rather than sand, with ladders into deep clear water. Sandy beaches such as Golden Bay and Mellieħa are 30–45 minutes away by bus or taxi.

How do I book a CiaoStay apartment in Sliema?

Check live availability and rates in our booking system and reserve directly. You are booking with the team that manages the apartment, so any question before or during your stay comes straight to us.

Sliema, Malta

Holiday apartments in Sliema

Sliema is the easiest base in Malta for a first visit. The seafront promenade runs for kilometres, the ferry to Valletta takes under ten minutes, and everything a longer stay needs — supermarkets, pharmacies, laundry, cafés — is within a few streets. Our Sliema apartments are managed in person by our local team, cleaned to hotel standard between stays and equipped for both short breaks and month-long remote-work stays.

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Who stays here: Couples and families who want to walk to dinner, swim before breakfast and reach Valletta, St Julian's and the airport without renting a car.

What you get in Sliema

The promenade and rocky beaches

From Tigné Point to St Julian's you can walk the whole coast. The flat limestone shelves below the promenade are where locals swim; ladders make getting in and out easy.

Ten minutes to Valletta

The Sliema–Valletta ferry crosses Marsamxett Harbour every half hour and drops you at the foot of the capital — far quicker and prettier than the bus.

Eating and shopping

Tigné Point and the Ferries area cover everything from pastizzi at a kiosk to seafood on the water, plus the largest concentration of shops outside Valletta.

Day trips from the door

Direct buses to Mdina, Marsaxlokk and the Blue Grotto, and the Gozo ferry via Ċirkewwa, all leave from Sliema or a single connection away.

Getting around

· Malta International Airport is roughly 25–30 minutes by taxi or ride-hailing.
· Buses along the Sliema front connect Valletta, St Julian's, Bugibba and Mdina.
· Valletta ferry from the Sliema Ferries terminal, every 30 minutes for most of the day.
· Everything within Sliema itself is walkable; a car is genuinely unnecessary.

When to come

April to June and September to early November give warm sea, long evenings and calmer streets. July and August are hottest and busiest — book early. Winter stays are mild, quiet and the best value of the year.

Read our season guide

Sliema questions, answered

Other areas we cover

Malta