Marsaxlokk Fish Market, the Sunday catch on the quayside

The Sunday market is why most people make the trip to Marsaxlokk, and I understand why. Rarely in Malta do visitors and locals share a pavement so naturally. Here’s what’s there, what I couldn’t confirm and how I’d go about it.

What the market actually is

Malta Public Transport calls it the Sunday Fish Market and sets it in the country’s best-known fishing village. Visit Malta’s page on the market says it draws both tourists and locals who come for fish and seafood caught that same morning, as well as everyday goods. What began as an open-air fish sale has grown, so these days, between the fish stalls, you’ll find local honey and jams, wine, vegetables, souvenirs and clothes.

That mix cuts both ways. The upside is there’s something for those of us who won’t be cooking. The downside is that the souvenir and clothing side looks much like any other street market, and that’s not what I’d come for. The real interest is in the trays of fish and in watching who buys what.

It isn’t just my impression that the village pulls in Maltese and visitors alike. The FAO, in a document as unglamorous as a fisheries profile, notes that the major fishing villages, and Marsaxlokk in particular, attract both locals and tourists.

What time does Marsaxlokk market open?

I’m not going to invent a time. Visit Malta, Malta Public Transport and the Malta Tourism Authority all leave out opening and closing times, at least on the pages I’ve checked. What they all agree on is that it’s a morning affair, and Visit Malta stresses the fish is that dawn’s catch. That’s enough for me to suggest arriving early, while the stalls are full.

I also have no official source for a big market on weekdays. Come on a Tuesday and you’ll see the harbour and the luzzu just the same, and you can still eat fish on the promenade, but don’t expect the Sunday stalls.

The catch through the seasons

This is where a curious traveller gets real value. According to the FAO’s profile of Maltese fisheries, April to July belongs to bluefin tuna and then swordfish, while lampuki are landed mainly from August to December, a season that can stretch into January if the weather is kind. Pilot fish, amberjack and small bluefin come in alongside them. Visit Malta has its own seasonal list, with autumn as the turn of swordfish and tuna.

In practice, September and October are the months to look for lampuki on the trays. For Maltese cooking more generally, see my page on Maltese food.

Getting there on a Sunday without the stress

Sunday is the only day with three direct options from Valletta. The 81 and 85 run as normal, although Malta Public Transport warns that on market Sundays the 81 enters the village via Qajjenza, following the route of the 85. The third is the TD10, a limited-stop service that runs only on Sundays and carries a supplement. For fares and passes, see Malta’s buses.

If you’re heading to the airport afterwards, route 119 leaves from Marsaxlokk itself. It’s a plan I like for the last day of a trip with an afternoon flight home to the UK.

One practical point. Malta uses the euro, and Visit Malta says international bank cards are accepted and cash machines are found all over the islands, but at a street stall I’d still carry some coins for small buys like a jar of honey.

If you’re self-catering, this is also the place to buy fish for dinner. Just bear in mind the Sunday bus back to Valletta, and pack something to keep it cool on a hot day.

How I’d do it

I’d get there early, walk the whole run of fish stalls before the main crowd builds and leave the souvenirs for the end, if I still felt like it. Then a wander along the quay to look at the boats, and lunch. For that I’ve a separate page on restaurants in Marsaxlokk, because 21 of the 27 licensed ones are on this same promenade and it pays to choose with some care.

If the weather plays along, the afternoon can be a swim at St Peter’s Pool on the Delimara headland. That’s a full, unhurried Sunday in the south.