Your Summer Weekend Guide to Sliema, Malta (2026)
The Sliema seafront is one of the best places to start your weekend in Malta.
Sliema is not a beach resort or a capital city. It sits between both: a compact, walkable strip of waterfront on the northeast coast of Malta, with Valletta directly across the harbour and St Julian’s a short walk to the north. A weekend in Sliema Malta in summer gives you access to the historic capital, a seafront promenade, village festas, and some of the island’s best restaurants, all without a hire car or a complicated itinerary. This guide covers two days here, done well.
Why Sliema Works for a Weekend
The Sliema promenade runs for several kilometres between Ta’ Xbiex and Balluta Bay, and the whole stretch is walkable. The Valletta ferry terminal sits at the southern end of the Strand, and the crossing takes eight minutes each way. From the Valletta bus terminus on the other side, you can reach virtually every attraction on the island by bus or taxi. For a weekend in Sliema Malta, this central position is the whole point. You do not need to choose between the historic capital, the beaches, and the restaurant scene. All three are a short journey away, and the Novotel Malta Sliema location puts you exactly on the right stretch of the seafront to reach all of them.
Where to Stay
The Executive Room at Novotel Malta faces the harbour and sits directly on the promenade. The ferry terminal, the town centre, and the main seafront restaurants are all within a few minutes on foot. For planning your stay, the beyond-your-stay team is the right contact for anything beyond the room itself.
Saturday Morning: Valletta
Take the ferry first thing. The eight-minute crossing from Sliema is one of the best ways to arrive in Valletta, coming in low across the Grand Harbour with the bastions rising ahead of you. Give the capital a full morning. The Upper Barrakka Gardens, St John’s Co-Cathedral, and the Grand Master’s Palace are all walkable from the ferry landing. The views from the gardens across the harbour are worth the trip alone. Back in Sliema by early afternoon, the rest of Saturday opens up.
Sliema’s rooftop bars offer some of the best sunset views in Malta.
Saturday Afternoon and Evening
Head up to the Soleil Skydeck Pool for the afternoon. The rooftop looks out across the Sliema coastline, and Isola Bar handles drinks and light food on the deck. For dinner, Tria Restaurant covers Mediterranean and international dishes at ground level. After dinner, the Strand fills up. Seafront cafes and bars stay busy well into the night, and the walk from central Sliema into Paceville covers the full range of nightlife in St Julian’s if you want it. A weekend in Sliema Malta in summer means the whole evening unfolds on foot, with no logistics and no taxis at midnight.
Sunday: Day Trip or Slow Morning
The second day of a weekend in Sliema Malta splits into two options. If you want to cover ground, the Blue Grotto is around 40 minutes south by bus and worth it on a clear morning. The cliffside views and clear water make it one of the better half-days available from Sliema. Mdina, the fortified medieval city at the island’s centre, is similarly accessible from the Valletta terminus and takes under an hour each way. If you prefer to stay put, the Carisma Spa and Wellness at Novotel offers treatments and a quiet pool well removed from the summer heat outside. The Novotel restaurants and bars take care of the rest of the day from there.
Getting Around
Malta’s public bus network runs from the main terminus in Valletta and covers the whole island. Most towns and beaches are reachable within an hour. The Sliema ferry cuts the Valletta leg to eight minutes each way and is almost always faster than the road. Taxis and ride-share apps are reliable and widely available across the island. For a weekend in Sliema Malta, you rarely need more than this combination.
World Cup 2026 in Sliema
The 2026 FIFA World Cup runs from June to July. If your weekend in Sliema Malta falls during the tournament, read our full guide on watching the World Cup 2026 in Sliema for match schedules, screening venues, and how to fit the football into the rest of what the town has going on over summer.