Car Hire Sliema
Mini guide to Sliema
At the centre of the Mediterranean, southern Malta’s Sliema is a popular coastal resort. A place rich in folklore and culture, this modern town offers the visitor first class beaches as well as shopping, cafés and entertainment.
Sliema’s beaches attract a variety of water sport enthusiasts. Visitors can scuba dive and water ski as well as explore the coastline by sailboat. Amongst the town’s historical attractions are its two tower fortifications, the 17th century De Redin watchtower and the neo-Gothic Fort Tigne, built by the British in the 1880s.
The city centre brings together old and modern Malta. Sliema’s promenade, Tower Road, is a hive of activity whilst the quieter back streets are lined with elegant villas and feature picturesque cobbled paths. Highly recommended are the local council’s walking tours which take in the town’s main cultural and church sites, including St Julian’s Tower, Fort Slieme and the Church of St Gregory the Great.
As well as great shopping, Sliema’s five-kilometre promenade bustles with numerous restaurants and cafes, and on summer evenings is a sociable meeting place for locals. Sliema is well known for its vibrant nightlife, offering everything from clubs and cinemas to seaside bars and evening pleasure cruises.
Sliema is ideally located for a number of interesting excursions by car or boat. Picturesque St Julian’s Bay retains many of its old boathouses and the streets are lined with bougainvillea-clad cafés. Alternatively, the fishing villages of Marsaxlokk and Birzebugia are renowned for their typical Maltese open markets. Island cruises around Malta are available all year and also visit the nearby island of Gozo.
Malta’s International Airport is just a few hours flying time from most mainland European cities. It is located in Luqa, mainland southern Malta, and regular buses (outside the Check-in Hall) run to the nearby capital of Valletta. An efficient bus service connects Sliema with Valletta as well as other main towns in the area, although ferry crossings (twice daily) across the bay are a faster route.
