Bugibba Malta with kids makes a great starting point for any holiday in Malta.
Bugibba is on the north-east side of the island on St Paul’s Bay. If you are planning a holiday to Malta with kids, we highly recommend that you look into making Bugibba your base.
Bugibba has great transport links. It’s in a great location and has some great accommodation options. Here are our 10 top things to do in Bugibba Malta with kids
National Aquarium – Bugibba Malta with kids
Malta’s National Aquarium is a great attraction to go along to in Bugibba with kids! Especially if you are looking for something to do that is a little more indoorsy.
There is a lovely restaurant in the aquarium called La Nave Bistro and a cafe on the side that sells the most amazing selection of cakes! It’s a little pricer than other places in Bugibba, but you can enjoy a great view out over St Paul’s Bay.
There are also cafes outside the aquarium with ample tables and chairs available to enjoy the gorgeous Maltese sunshine. It’s also a great place to watch your kids play on the underwater themed playground.
Inside the aquarium your kids can explore all the different creatures from the deep. On special occasions, such as Easter, they put on extra activities such as free face painting and an underwater egg hunt!
When paying for your ticket you can also ask for a blue wristband. This gives you gives you re-entry into the aquarium!
This is great if you need to go back to your hotel for lunch if you are booked onto an all-inclusive package. It also gives you options if you just want to break the day up a bit.
You can also find vouchers with a €3 discount for any adult ticket in hotels and excursion shops.
Beaches – Bugibba Malta with kids
There are a couple of beach options in when staying in Bugibba with Kids:
Bugibba Perched Beach
This stretch of beach uses artificial sand to transform this rocky shoreline into a more comfortable place to access the sea. Because of this, it isn’t the most beautiful beach on the island. However, it does mean you can have a beach day without going very far.
Qawra Point Beach – Bugibba Malta with kids
Qawra Point Beach is on the other side of the peninsular and has no sand. However, it is absolutely gorgeous!
Our hotel was right across the road from Qawra Point Beach and we took lovely family walks there quite often – usually as part of our daily lizard safaris!
It is very rocky and really isn’t suitable for toddlers. Our four year old was fine with her water shoes on and quite comfortably negotiated the terrain. However, I had to be very vigilant with our one year old!
We mostly spent time there while the baby was asleep. This made it so much easier and so much more enjoyable for me.
Coastal Walk in Bugibba with Kids
From the aquarium there is a lovely coastal walk along to the centre of Bugibba. You can walk around the top on the designated path or you can go off-terrain onto the cliffs and be a little more adventurous!
If you have a buggy the more adventurous option may become the more annoying option as it is very rocky. However, if you have little ones that can go exploring with you it’s a little bit of fun – just make sure you hold onto their hand.
Walk to Bugibba Square
Bugibba Square is surrounded by some great bars and restaurants serving some amazing looking cocktails and food. We enjoyed stopping here for a bit of people watching while the kids played in the central area surrounded by park benches. There is also a MacDonald’s for those that crave a cheeky Happy Meal!
Malta Chocolate Factory
Malta’s Chocolate Factory is a great place to stop and spend some time in Bugibba Malta with kids.
You can buy a little chocolate goodie to take home with you, sample the different variations of chocolate made on site and even watch it being made! This was by far the best bit for the kids!
It is also another great pick for a coffee and a cake!
If you are really into your chocolate you can also book yourself into one of the classes they have on offer and make your own!
Coffee and a Cake in Bugibba with Kids
There are lots of places that offer the good ole staple of a coffee and a cake in Bugibba. We find it’s a great excuse to slow down for a few minutes. Plus, while your having your well deserved coffee and cake, your kids can have a scoop of ice cream, giving you at least 5 minutes of peace and quiet.
Our favourite place to indulge was Bayside. Bayside offered a coffee and a cake for €3.25! The restaurant has great views out on to the water and a bus stop right outside!
Salt Pans – Bugibba Malta with kids
You can find some particularly old and historic salt pans in Bugibba and some impressively massive ones on the other side of the peninsula in Qwara. Not much fuss is made about either of them, but both are walkable and pretty cool to see.
Boat Ride
If you arrange a day trip to Gozo or Camino the chances are that you will catch the boat from the quay in Bugibba.
The company you arrange the excursion with will always arrange a bus to collect you from your hotel and pick you up again. However, we were more than happy to walk back to our hotel after the day trip – mainly so we didn’t have to collapse the buggy down again! This means staying in or near Bugibba gives you this option.
Check out these Boutique Hotels and B&Bs in Malta
Visit a Dolmen in Bugibba with Kids
There are several places you can go to see some of the best examples of Malta’s ancient temples. One of them is right in the middle of Bugibba!
The Bugibba Temple, which has been preserved in the grounds of the Dolmen Hotel, is easy to access and brilliant to show the kids! And because it’s local you don’t have to spend a whole day on this relatively kid unfriendly excursion. One temple is probably enough for them.
Transport Links in Bugibba with Kids
Bugibba is also home to the northern bus terminal. This is great news if you are travelling with children and with buggies.
By getting on the bus at the bus terminal, you can pretty much guarantee a spot on the bus as you are one of the first ones on.
If you are travelling with a buggy you can also make sure you grab one of the spaces at the front designated for wheelchairs and buggies. If you can’t squeeze into one of these spots you will need to collapse your buggy down.
The buses get VERY busy, so I would always recommend catching the bus from the bus terminal. More often than not the buses leave the terminal full. This means it doesn’t stop at other bus stops on the way.
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We would love the beaches and the boat ride! Sounds like a great places to take kids!
Somehow we have yet to visit Europe and I am wondering if Malta should be our first place to visit!!!
How have I never heard of Bugibba, it sounds fantastic! Those beaches look heavenly.