Safi, the small southern village growing fastest

Safi is a small village that hardly anyone puts on their itinerary, and I’m not going to pretend it deserves half a day. What it does have is a name with a story, a baroque church with a fine altarpiece and one very practical use if you’re flying in or out.

An old village called ‘pure’

Visit Malta describes it as a small, ancient parish tucked among larger neighbours close to the airport. It explains that the name means ‘pure’ and says that, as if by design rather than coincidence, the villagers managed to avoid the epidemics that swept the island from medieval times to the late 19th century. I take that for what it is, a tradition the official page passes on, but it’s a nice way into the place.

Its origins, according to the same page, go back to antiquity. Within the village limits are remains of what may have been a Roman villa and, easier to make out, the Roman watchtower of Ta’ Gawhar. The village also has a few examples of Moorish-style architecture that the page calls fascinating.

St Paul’s and the Erardi altarpiece

Small as it is, Safi got its own parish in 1598. Its church, dedicated to St Paul, was built in 1744, and the titular painting is by Stefano Erardi, a well-known Maltese artist working at the time. I haven’t found visiting hours, so I’d plan to see it around services.

Before it had its own parish, its churches answered to someone else. In the Middle Ages, says Mqabba council, they were looked after by the priest of Bir Miftuħ, within Gudja’s limits, who also served Mqabba, Kirkop and Luqa.

A village that keeps on growing

The NSO counted 2,965 residents at the end of 2024 and 3,081 a year later. By my sums from its table, that 3.9% rise is the fifth fastest of the 68 localities, behind only St Paul’s Bay, Msida, Marsa and Pietà. About one resident in four is foreign, a far higher share than in Kirkop or Mqabba next door. Its council calls itself part of the Western Region, while the NSO files it under the South Eastern district. Luqa council names it among its southern neighbours.

In 2011 Visit Malta included it, alongside Kirkop, in its second set of walking itineraries through villages away from the usual tourist trail.

Safi for air travellers

This is where it earns its keep. The airport says routes 71, 72 and 73 connect the terminal with Żurrieq, Safi and Qrendi, stopping at Ċintra, so from Safi you can reach your flight without going through Valletta. There’s more on this in my guide to Malta airport. The 72 carries on to Qrendi, home to Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra.

The catch is accommodation. As of 28 September 2026, the MTA has just seven holiday lets registered in Safi, with no hotels or guesthouses. If you’re here to sightsee, I’d stay in Valletta and use this corner for a day of temples and Żurrieq.