Pembroke, the quiet coast just north of St Julian's

Pembroke is what lies just north of St Julian’s once the hotels run out. It’s a small, very Maltese council with a protected stretch of coast and a couple of practical fixtures that, used well, save you time and money. And no, it has nothing to do with the Pembroke in Wales or the Cambridge college.

A Maltese town beside the bustle

At the end of 2025 Pembroke had 3,739 residents according to the NSO, and 3,122 of them were Maltese. That’s the reverse of its neighbours to the south, where foreign residents outnumber locals. The photo on this page, a clock tower beside a quiet street lined with cypresses, sets the tone, calm and residential.

Coast protected under Natura 2000

What makes Pembroke interesting to me is its coastline. The EU’s Natura 2000 register, kept by the European Environment Agency, includes L-Inħawi ta’ Pembroke as a site of community importance covering 96.8 hectares. I don’t have an official source for a waymarked path or a beach, so I won’t promise either, but it’s a protected area hard up against St Julian’s, which says a lot about what was saved here.

Military history peeps through as well. UNESCO’s entry for the Victoria Lines, the British defensive line across Malta, mentions Fort Pembroke on the coast. I haven’t found a visitor listing, so it stays on the map; the rest of the line has its own page, the Victoria Lines in Malta.

Water and parking

Pembroke hosts two bits of infrastructure visitors use without realising. The Water Services Corporation runs one of its three reverse osmosis plants here, which between them produce about 20 million cubic metres of drinking water a year. That’s much of what comes out of the tap, so if you’re wondering can you drink tap water in Malta, this is where the answer starts. And Pembroke Park and Ride is a car park with a tallinja Bike station. Malta Public Transport sells it as a way to leave the car and avoid traffic and parking headaches, which is exactly the use I’d make of it if you’ve hired a car and are staying in St Julian’s. A bike is €3 for the first thirty minutes without a card; more in cycling in Malta.

Staying in Pembroke

Pembroke had no licensed hotel on 28 September 2026, but the MTA does list a hostel, Sprachcaffe, which at 479 beds is the largest in the country. That’s worth knowing if you’re coming with a language school; see English courses in Malta. For everything else, the rooms are in St Julian’s, Malta, a short walk away.

Getting there

The Airport Direct TD2 stops at Pembroke Park and Ride every 30 minutes for €3, as part of its loop through San Ġwann, St Julian’s and Paceville. The TD13 on its Valletta to Buġibba run calls there too, though its timetable names the stop Swieqi (Pembroke Park and Ride 2). At Valletta terminal, buses for Pembroke Park and Ride leave from Zone A.