The Dingli Cliffs, the highest coastline on the island of Malta

If I could only pick one sunset on the island of Malta, it would be this one. The Dingli Cliffs are a wall of rock dropping into the Mediterranean on the west coast, with nothing between you and the horizon, and late in the afternoon the light does the rest. They cost nothing and there’s a bus from Valletta.

What the cliffs are like

The Spanish Foreign Ministry’s country profile says they reach 230 metres above sea level. Dingli’s local council gives a bigger number, but I’ll stick with the most recent official one. This is the high coast of a farming village that never lived off the sea, precisely because it sat too far above the water to make a living from fishing.

Malta Public Transport describes the area as a quiet rural retreat, good for nature lovers and walkers. On top stands St Mary Magdalene Chapel, small and simple, which the same website singles out for its views. It’s the landmark I’d use to plan the walk.

This coastline is protected. It’s part of a 2,315.1-hectare Natura 2000 site covering the cliffs of southern and western Malta, from Ċirkewwa to Bengħisa, and since 1998 the islands’ coastal cliffs have been among Malta’s candidates for World Heritage status.

A coastline with a history

The cliffs are more than scenery. Dingli’s local council notes that rock-cut graves from the Phoenician and Carthaginian period, almost 2,800 years old, have turned up in the area, later reused by the Romans. It also explains that this coast served for centuries as a natural defence. When corsairs raided the islands, after taking Gozo in 1551 and turning towards Malta, they found it very hard to land here and warned one another to avoid it.

I like to think about that as the sun goes down. The same rock face we photograph today is the reason a village of farmers could live on the edge of the sea without walls.

When should you go to the Dingli Cliffs?

At sunset, clearly. It’s a west-facing coast, and as the sun drops the rock turns gold. I’d arrive an hour before sunset to walk along the top in daylight and stay until the sun touches the water. They’re pleasant in the morning too, but they lose what makes them special.

In spring and autumn, bear the hunting season in mind. According to GOV.UK, hunters with guns can be about near country paths between two hours before sunrise and two hours after sunset. There’s no need to be alarmed, but I’d keep to the marked paths and away from the fields.

How do you get there?

Routes 52 and 56 leave Valletta bus terminus and run via Rabat to Dingli. You pay €2.50 for a single in the summer season, or €2 in winter, and it covers two hours of travel including changes; contactless works on board. From the airport, route 201 serves Dingli and Rabat. Coming from Buġibba, Malta Public Transport suggests the 186 to Rabat and then the 52 or 56. Cards and fares are explained in buses in Malta.

By car this is one of the areas where hiring really pays off, as you can link the cliffs, Buskett and Mdina in an afternoon. I couldn’t find official information on parking along the cliff top, so I won’t promise you a space.

More than a sunset

Right next door are Buskett Gardens, the woodland the Knights planted, served by the same 52 and 56 buses. I’d take a shady walk through the woods mid-afternoon and head up to the cliffs afterwards. The village of Dingli is a step away, and Mdina and Rabat a short bus ride, so all three fit into one day.

If coastal scenery is your thing, my guide to the most beautiful places in Malta compares this sunset with the one at Dwejra on Gozo, the only one I’d put in the same league.

What I’d avoid

The classic mistake is the photo. There’s no need to stand on the lip, since a few steps back you see exactly the same, and at that height it isn’t worth the risk. Nor would I try to get down to the sea, because I’m not aware of any official access. For a swim on the west coast, the beaches at Għajn Tuffieħa and Ġnejna are a different story.