Mellieha sits on a ridge at the northern tip of Malta, the town climbing steeply up a limestone hill with views out over the sea in almost every direction. It is the most northerly town of any size on the island, and it matters for one reason above all others: Mellieha Bay, the longest and widest sandy beach in Malta, stretches out below the ridge in a shallow curve facing Gozo. By Maltese standards — where most beaches are rocky coves — it is exceptional.
The town itself is quiet and genuine, with the parish church of the Nativity perched dramatically at the top of the hill that has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries. The sanctuary of Our Lady of Mellieha, built into the rock below the church, draws Maltese visitors year-round, and the network of Second World War shelters tunnelled beneath them is one of the most affecting WW2 sites on the island. The narrow streets around the church have a village character that the coastal resorts lack.
To the west, the road drops down to Ghadira Bay, where the beach is backed by a natural lagoon and bird reserve — one of the few wetland habitats left in Malta, and worth a short walk even if you are not a birder. A few kilometres further along the coast sits Popeye Village, the film set built for the 1980 Robert Altman musical; it has survived as a low-key family attraction and the bay around it, Anchor Bay, is pretty and sheltered. Up on the cliffs to the north, the bright Red Tower still guards the strait to Comino, and the cliff walks of Majjistral Park reach south to Golden Bay.
Mellieha is a practical base for exploring the north. The Gozo ferry departs from Cirkewwa, ten minutes along the coast road, and Comino trips leave from the same jetty. Day visitors tend to pour in during the summer beach season and thin out by late afternoon, which makes the town itself pleasanter in the evenings than most of coastal Malta.