Beaches in Sliema are mainly rocky swimming areas along the town’s waterfront, rather than long stretches of sand. Fond Għadir, Exiles and Qui-Si-Sana are among the named bathing areas, and official profiles describe their locations and publish bathing-water information.
- Shore type: predominantly rocky, with small sandy patches at Font Għadir.
- Named areas: Fond Għadir and Qui-Si-Sana are included in the Sliema bathing-water profile; Exiles is covered by the St Julian’s and Sliema profile.
- Official season: traditionally opens in the third week of May and closes in the third week of October.
- Monitoring: official bathing-water monitoring runs weekly during the season.
Sliema Tigne Suites is a base in Sliema, close to the town’s named rocky shoreline swimming areas. For more context on the waterfront, see this Sliema neighbourhood and promenade guide.
What to expect from a Sliema beach
Sliema’s bathing shore is predominantly rocky, so the local beach experience is shaped by the coastline rather than broad sandy beaches. Small sandy patches occur at Font Għadir; the named bathing areas otherwise sit along rocky stretches of shore.
Two official bathing-water profiles cover the area. Profile 10 covers Sliema, including Fond Għadir, the site next to the Sliema pitch and Qui-Si-Sana. Profile 9 covers St Julian’s and Sliema, including Exiles Bay. The profiles give you a useful way to distinguish the named areas and their monitoring points.
The Environmental Health Directorate’s Bathing Water Programme provides bathing-water profiles and monitoring results. Water quality is classified as Excellent, Good, Sufficient or Poor.
The official season traditionally runs from the third week of May to the third week of October, while weekly monitoring runs from the third week of May until the fourth week of October. Monitoring becomes daily when a site is temporarily closed for bathing.
Fond Għadir and the central waterfront
Fond Għadir is an official bathing-water monitoring point beside the Tower Road promenade, making it a clearly identified stop along Sliema’s waterfront.
The Sliema bathing-water profile also includes the site next to the Sliema pitch, at Għar id-Dud promenade beneath Tower Road. These named points help distinguish parts of the shore that can otherwise seem like one continuous waterfront. If you are planning a longer day around town, this one-day Sliema itinerary covers combining time on foot with a ferry.
Font Għadir has small sandy patches, but the broader description of the shore remains predominantly rocky. Check the official bathing-water information for the site you have in mind rather than assuming conditions are the same along the whole coast.
Exiles and Qui-Si-Sana shore access
Exiles and Qui-Si-Sana are separate named bathing areas, each with official monitoring points along the waterfront.
Exiles
The St Julian’s and Sliema profile identifies two Exiles points: B10, Exiles Bay at Sandy Beach, and B11, Exiles below Children’s Playground. Both are adjacent to Tower Road. Use these names when checking information for the Exiles stretch.
Qui-Si-Sana
The Sliema profile identifies B14 as Qui-Si-Sana Sliema Beach and B15 as Qui-Si-Sana playground garden. Both monitoring points are along the Qui-Si-Sana Road corner with Tower Road. If you are comparing nearby bathing areas, use the specific site name in the official information to match the results to your intended spot.
Choosing a spot and checking sea conditions
Choose between Fond Għadir, Exiles and Qui-Si-Sana by matching the named bathing area to the stretch of shore you plan to use, then check the official information for that site.
Official bathing-water profiles and monitoring results are available through the Environmental Health Directorate, and results are also published on its social-media portal. Monitoring is weekly from the third week of May until the fourth week of October, and daily when a site is temporarily closed for bathing. Check the official site before you go.
Pets and other domestic animals may be taken only onto rocky shores of official bathing sites that are not Blue Flag sites, must be kept on a leash, and are not allowed on sandy beaches or in official bathing water.
Report suspected sewage contamination at an official bathing site immediately to the Directorate by telephone at 20954000 or by email.
FAQs
Are Sliema’s beaches sandy?
The shore is predominantly rocky. Small sandy patches occur at Font Għadir.
Which Sliema bathing areas have official monitoring points?
Fond Għadir, the site next to the Sliema pitch, Qui-Si-Sana and Exiles have named points in the official profiles.
When does the official bathing season traditionally run?
It traditionally opens in the third week of May and closes in the third week of October. Official monitoring runs weekly through the fourth week of October.
Can you take a pet to a Sliema bathing site?
Pets and other domestic animals are allowed only on rocky shores of official bathing sites that are not Blue Flag sites, and must be kept on a leash. They are not allowed on sandy beaches or in official bathing water.