Ta' Xbiex, a small waterfront of yachts and quiet streets

Ta’ Xbiex is a short stretch of shoreline between Gżira and Msida, with yachts tied up along the front and few reasons for a visitor to detour. I’ve given it a page anyway, because the island is small and every town on this harbour ends up on your bus route.

A tiny council by the water

At the end of 2025 Ta’ Xbiex had 2,522 residents according to the NSO, making it one of the least populated councils in the country, split almost evenly between Maltese (1,311) and foreign nationals (1,211). Visit Malta, describing neighbouring Gżira, mentions the marinas of Ta’ Xbiex and Msida and the yacht trade around them. That’s what you see as you pass, masts, moorings and a quiet promenade.

It’s also a diplomatic address. Spain’s foreign ministry places its embassy at Whitehall Mansions on Ta’ Xbiex Seafront. I haven’t got an official list of other missions on the same stretch, so I won’t guess which ones are here.

Worth the walk?

On its own, no. As part of a longer walk around the harbour, yes. I’d start at Gżira and Manoel Island, with its view across to Valletta, follow the water through Ta’ Xbiex and finish at Msida and its yacht marina, where Mater Dei Hospital is too. Keep 112 in your phone for ambulance, fire and police, which is what GOV.UK lists for Malta.

It’s flat all the way and right by the water, so it works in the early evening, when the heat drops. To head back, route 15 picks up in Msida towards both Sliema and Valletta, and a ticket costs €2 in the cooler months and €2.50 in the warmer ones.

I have no official listing for any sight you could pay to enter here, so I’m not inventing one. Nor do I have festa dates for the parish, which is something I’d check locally if you want to time a visit.

Staying and getting there

Ta’ Xbiex has no licensed hotels; on 28 September 2026 the MTA counted only 33 holiday lets. The real choice is in Gżira and Sliema, a stroll along the shore, and I compare it in hotels in Sliema. If you do book one of those flats, make sure it holds an MTA licence. In July 2026 the authority reminded operators that a short let caught trading without one can’t apply for a licence for three years, which is a good sign it takes the rules seriously.

To get here, catch the 15 in Valletta; it follows the shore through Msida, Ta’ Xbiex and Gżira to Sliema. From the airport, the TD3 drops you in Msida or Gżira, a few minutes’ walk away. Your UK phone charger will fit the wall wherever you stay, because Maltese sockets take British three-pin plugs.