What Marsaskala is
Marsaskala is a fishing village on Malta’s southeast coast, with a long inlet that runs deep inland and a working fishing fleet using the inner part of the bay. The village has grown around the bay over the last 50 years and is now a substantial residential and waterfront town with restaurants, hotels and a strong local following.
Anchoring
Sand and weed bottom in 4 to 8 metres in the outer bay. Holding is reasonable. The bay opens to the east so easterly weather brings swell in. Westerly and northwesterly winds are well sheltered, making this a useful southern anchorage in summer when the dominant Majjistral makes north-coast bays choppy.
Practical notes
The waterfront is lined with restaurants, many of them serving locally caught fish and worth a stop. Tender ashore at the small pier in the inner harbour. Combine with St Thomas Bay just south for a swim, and Pretty Bay further south for a longer day. Marsaskala has a different rhythm from the resort coasts. Dinner here on a calm summer evening is one of the better waterfront meals on the island.