Most bay guides cover the north winds. This one covers the two winds from the south: the xlokk (the south-east wind) and the lbiċ (the south-west wind).
Each of our 69 bay pages records how much open sea the bay faces in each direction. 42 bays face no open sea in either southern direction.
How we counted
A bay counts as sheltered from the xlokk if it faces no open sea between east-south-east and south-south-east. For the lbiċ the range is south-south-west to west-south-west.
52 bays are sheltered from the xlokk and 56 from the lbiċ. 42 are on both lists: 30 in Malta, 10 in Gozo and 2 in Comino.
Sandy bays sheltered from both
In Malta:
- Għajn Tuffieħa
- Paradise Bay
- Għadira Bay
- Armier Bay and Little Armier
- Imġiebaħ Bay
- St George’s Bay
- Ġnejna Bay
- Pretty Bay in Birżebbuġa
- Buġibba Perched Beach
In Gozo and Comino:
The list also includes Mġarr ix-Xini in Gozo, a narrow inlet with a pebble beach, and many rocky bays with no sand.
Bays open to the xlokk
14 bays are sheltered from the lbiċ but face open sea to the south-east. They include St Peter’s Pool, Żonqor Point and Qawra Point.
Bays open to the lbiċ
10 bays are sheltered from the xlokk but face open sea to the south-west. They include Golden Bay, Xlendi Bay in Gozo and the Blue Lagoon in Comino.
Bays open to both
Three bays face open sea in both directions: Wied iż-Żurrieq, Għar Lapsi and Ħondoq ir-Rummien. Choose another bay when either southern wind is strong.
Check the wind before you leave. The sea conditions page shows today’s wind, and the beach picker helps you choose a bay. The north winds are covered in twelve bays sheltered from both, and the four winds explains each direction.
