Car hire in Qawra

Getting to Qawra from the airport

Qawra sits at the tip of the St Paul's Bay peninsula in the north of the island, roughly 18 km from Malta International Airport. With light traffic the drive takes around 25 minutes, though it can stretch closer to 40 in the summer rush, so allow a little extra in season. The route is mostly main road and easy to follow, but remember that Malta drives on the left, which takes a few junctions to get used to if you are not accustomed to it. We meet you at Malta International Airport, Park East with the keys, so there is no off-site depot shuttle to wait for before you set off north.

What is near you in Qawra

Qawra is a modern resort on a flat, walkable promenade, and a car opens up the parts that are harder to reach on foot. At Qawra Point you have the Malta National Aquarium, with its own multi-storey car park that doubles as handy paid parking for the headland, and the small 17th-century Fra Ben tower nearby, now home to a restaurant. A short drive round to Salina Bay brings you to the historic salt pans cut by the Knights, now a nature reserve where flamingos sometimes appear on migration, plus the quiet green of Kennedy Grove for a picnic. Worth knowing before you arrive: Qawra Point has no sandy beach. The coast here is flat rock with ladder access and natural pools, so for proper sand you will want to drive on to Mellieha and Golden Bay further north.

Parking and driving around Qawra

The Qawra seafront is largely flat and the promenade is easy to walk, so you may not need the car for everyday strolls. For driving, there is a mix of free street parking and public bays around the resort, but these fill up quickly on summer days and evenings, so you may need to circle a little or set off early. The Aquarium's multi-storey car park near Qawra Point is the more reliable paid option when the streets are full, with a charge shown at the entrance. The back streets behind the hotels are narrow, so a compact automatic is easier to thread through and park. If you are travelling as a group, an SUV or 7-seater gives you more room for beach days and trips out of town.