Living in Xemxija
The hillside at the top of St Paul’s Bay, looking back down over the water. Xemxija is quieter and greener than the bay towns below it, and the views are the reason people choose it — most of the housing is arranged to face them.
Xemxija at a glance
- Lifestyle
- Coastal, quiet, elevated
- Best for
- Families, retirees, remote workers, expats who want space
- Atmosphere
- Calm year-round, busier along the bay in summer
- Property market
- Apartments and maisonettes, many with sea views
- Typical property types
- Apartments, penthouses, maisonettes, some villas
Counted from our own listings at this moment, not a market average.
Why live in Xemxija?
The view
The hill means a great many flats look out over St Paul’s Bay, and a sea view here costs less than the equivalent further south.
Space for the money
Larger flats and maisonettes than the central towns, and more of them with terraces.
The north
Close to the beaches at Mellieha and Golden Bay, and to the Gozo ferry at Cirkewwa.
Quiet
Residential and calm, including in summer once you are off the bay road.
The lifestyle
Life here runs at a different pace from the harbour towns and that is the point. The bay road carries holiday traffic in summer and is noticeably busier then; the streets climbing the hill stay quiet throughout. The hill itself is real — some addresses involve a serious walk up, which is worth checking rather than assuming, particularly with shopping. This is a car area. Buses run along the coast road and are usable, but the routes are long and getting to Valletta or Sliema takes a while at peak times. Amenities are adequate rather than plentiful; the larger shops are down in St Paul’s Bay or Bugibba.
Property in Xemxija
Mostly apartments and maisonettes, a good share of them built to take advantage of the slope and the outlook. Sea-view units are common enough that they are not the premium rarity they are elsewhere, though the best of them still move quickly. There are villas on the upper slopes. Older stock can be dated inside while having the better views; newer blocks have lifts and parking. Both furnished and unfurnished occur.
Who is this area best for?
Families
Space, quiet streets, and outdoor areas more often than in the central towns.
Remote workers
A view to work in front of and a calm street outside it.
Retirees
Quiet, coastal, and away from the nightlife entirely.
Less suited to
Anyone without a car, and anyone who wants to walk to an office or a night out.
What's nearby?
- St Julian's25 min
- Sliema30 min
- Valletta35 min
- Malta International Airport35 min
Approximate driving times, outside peak hours.
Properties in Xemxija
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