Following our quest to find all the best-hidden gems of Malta this spring, we made our way to this secret location on the southern side of Malta: The Fisherman’s Cave (Ghar ir-Rih). Like most Maltese hidden spots, we discovered this one on social media and couldn’t help but try to find it ourselves!
Also see: Top 10 Instagram Accounts to inspire your next trip to Malta
How to get there
By car: You can either stop at the Public Car Park in front of the Freeport in Birzebugga or go all the way to the beginning of the trail and park there (this is not recommended as there’s only a small area where you could potentially park).
By Bus: The X4 bus is the easiest way to reach the cave. You can stop at the Hasan stop and walk for 12 minutes to the beginning of the trail. Another option is the 82 bus which stops at the Freeport, but you have to walk all the way up to the cave for about 23 minutes.
Both buses depart from Valletta’s bus terminal and they take roughly 40 minutes to get to the aforementioned stops.
Tip: Buses in Malta cost 1.50 euros during winter and 2-3 euros during the summer season. If you’re staying for a few days and intend on relying exclusively on public transport to get around, we recommend getting a Tallinja Explore Flex Card for discounted rates on every type of public transport.
If you’re walking from the Freeport, you’ll walk for about 3 km through an asphalted road passing through fields on one side and farmhouses on the other.
Walk past the Benghajsa Fort and a derelict fireworks factory before seeing a huge solar panel farm. When you find it, cross the road to the rocky area, here’s where the trail starts. Use Ghar ir-Rih as your final destination on Google Maps to make your life easier.
By Electric Scooters: This is our preferred way of transport in Malta! They’re super cheap and easy to use. Currently, Whizascoot is the leading app to rent electric scooters in the country and you can download their app here. If you’re going by scooter, you can use Ghar ir-Rih as your final destination on Google Maps and park close by.
The Trail
The trail on the cliff is a short and easy one, but the entrance to the cave is not that easy to find and it took us about 40 minutes to locate it. At the same time, once you know where the entrance is, it feels so obvious! After making it through the path on the cliff, just turn left instead of right and you should find it easily.
The Fisherman’s Cave
The entrance to the cave is also pretty straightforward. The first part is quite dark and it takes a minute for the eye to get used to it, so a torch or even your phone’s flashlight might come in handy.
As soon as you make it through the dark area, this magnificent cave opens in the middle of a cliff, 80 meters above sea level, facing the Mediterranean Sea. It is such a breathtaking location!
Fun fact: the cave is commonly known as the Fisherman’s Cave, yet its real name is Ghar ir-Rih.
We love to share these secret places online, but if you ever decide on visiting such locations, make sure to follow the Leave No Trace principles.
Unfortunately, when we visited it, there was some rubbish and even a pair of shoes left in the cave. It’s such a shame that such awesome places like this are treated so poorly by their visitors.
After spending some time in the cave, make sure to walk a bit around the area. You can spot the island of Filfla on the right and the cliffs of Il-Mara on the left, both amazing views from up the cliff.
