St Paul's Islands, where tradition says Paul was shipwrecked

St Paul’s Islands are low humps of rock off Malta’s north coast, and at first glance there’s nothing remarkable about them. What’s remarkable is the story attached to them. Tradition says the ship carrying Paul to Rome as a prisoner ran aground on this coast, and that shipwreck runs right through the way Malta tells its own history. I’d treat them as somewhere to look at slowly rather than a box to tick.

Islets with a saint’s name

In Maltese they’re Il-Gżejjer ta’ San Pawl, also known as Selmunett. The European Environment Agency lists them in the Natura 2000 network as a Site of Community Importance covering 10.75 hectares. They lie off St Paul’s Bay, across the water from Qawra and Buġibba.

Being a protected site matters. Natura 2000 is the EU network of places kept for their natural value, and in Malta it also covers Comino, Filfla and the southern cliffs, among others.

The shipwreck behind half the country

The Acts of the Apostles tell of the ship taking Paul to Rome being wrecked on an island called Melite, and Maltese tradition places that wreck off these islets around AD 60. From that come the name of the bay, the name of the islands and one of Malta’s national holidays, on 10 February, devoted to the saint’s shipwreck.

The tradition carries on inland. At Burmarrad, a short way from the shore, Heritage Malta looks after San Pawl Milqi, the Roman farm where Publius, the Protos of the island, is said to have put the Apostle up. Heritage Malta itself admits that the origins of that tradition are unclear, and that candour makes me trust the rest of what it says all the more.

The statue of 1845

On the islands stands a statue of St Paul you can pick out from the shore. According to The Malta Independent, it’s by Sigismondo Dimech of Valletta and Salvatore Dimech of Lija, about four metres tall on an 8.3-metre base, and it was blessed on 21 September 1845. The same paper reports restorations in 1996 and again in 2007. Another good spot to see them from is the seafront at Xemxija, at the head of the bay. That’s a newspaper source rather than an official one, and I’m giving it to you as such.

Can you land on them?

Honestly, I don’t know, and I’d rather say so. None of the official bodies I’ve checked makes clear whether landing is allowed, from which point or on which boats, and I won’t give you a jetty or a price I can’t back up. What Malta Public Transport does say is that Buġibba and St Paul’s Bay are known for water sports and boat tours. If you want to see them from the sea, ask before you pay whether the trip goes round the islands, and have a look at my guide to boat trips in Malta.

Until a clear rule is published, my advice is to respect the protected site and enjoy the islands from the water or the shore.

The Christ beneath the waves

Near the islands there’s also a submerged statue of Christ. The Malta National Aquarium recreates it in its Roman Times zone, alongside a replica of the anchor linked to the shipwreck. Neither its depth nor how to dive it is given by the aquarium or any other body I’ve checked, so if it appeals, ask an MTA-licensed dive centre first.

How to see them well

My plan would be simple. An evening stroll along the Qawra shore when the statue stands out against the sky and, if the history grabs you, an appointment at San Pawl Milqi to complete the story. If you’re in Malta on 10 February, the feast of the shipwreck, it makes every sense to come up here. And with children in tow, the aquarium’s replica is the easiest way to tell them the story without anyone getting wet.