Xemxija Bay
mooring field · Saint Paul's Bay · Malta
Xemxija Bay is a mooring field on the coast of Malta.
The nearest town is Saint Paul's Bay.
Malta is part of the Maltese Islands.
Also known as Ix-Xemxija.
The bay opens towards the north-east (56°).
Shelter by wind direction
Good shelter in south-east (sirocco), south, south-west, west and north-west wind.
Partial shelter in north (tramontana) wind.
No shelter in north-east and east wind.
In the most open sector, up to 30 NM of open water towards the north-east.
Swell can come in from north-east to east-north-east (44°–72°).
- sheltered
- partly
- exposed
Shelter is estimated from open water and swell, not from wind strength: a strong wind can still gust over the land.
Here, shelter depends on tonight's wind. Seadromy reads the forecast and tells you before you leave.
Seabed, depth and room
Satellite imagery shows light, sandy patches around the anchoring spot.
Depth near the anchoring spot: about 4 m (EMODnet bathymetry, indicative).
Room to anchor: large (about 9.4 ha).
Approach
Direct approach from open water; the routing point lies 0.4 NM from the anchoring spot.
Marked on the nautical chart as: moorings.
Protected area and seagrass
Posidonia seagrass is present: drop the anchor on sand only.
Ashore and services
Road within 400 m: busy in the afternoon.
A few houses ashore (71 buildings within 600 m).
A good gateway to visit the island.
A remarkable site can be reached from here.
A village is a quarter of an hour away without a vehicle.
Within reach:
- Xemxija: 8 restaurants, bars or cafés, 14 min by dinghy
- Simar Nature Reserve: 17 min by dinghy
- Mellieħa: 20 min by road
- Pwales: 22 min on foot
- St. Paul's Bay: 9 restaurants, bars or cafés, 24 min by dinghy
- Mġarr: 13 restaurants, bars or cafés, 24 min by road
Where to go when the wind turns
When the wind makes this place exposed, the nearest places rated as well sheltered are:
- In north wind: L-Għar ta' Żamżam, 3.8 NM by sea.
- In north-east wind: Il-Bajja tal-Armier, 5.1 NM by sea.
- In east wind: Qalet Marku, 3.4 NM by sea.
Nearby anchorages and ports
- Bajja tal-Għażżelin cove · 0.2 NM by sea
- Il-Menqa marina · 0.7 NM by sea
- Rdum il-Bież cove · 0.8 NM by sea
- Blata il-Bajda cove · 2.1 NM by sea
- Imgiebah Bay cove · 2.9 NM by sea
- Qalet Marku cove · 3.4 NM by sea
Sheltered anchorages of Malta by wind
More places – Saint Paul's Bay
- Il-Menqa marina
- Ramlet il-Qortin cove
- Ġnejna Bay cove
- Blata il-Bajda cove
Questions
Is Xemxija Bay sheltered from the tramontana?
Partly. Shelter is rated fair in north wind. The nearest well-sheltered place is L-Għar ta' Żamżam, 3.8 NM by sea.
Is Xemxija Bay sheltered from the sirocco?
Yes. Shelter is rated good in south-east wind.
How deep is the water at Xemxija Bay?
Depth near the anchoring spot: about 4 m (EMODnet bathymetry, indicative).
What is the seabed at Xemxija Bay?
Satellite imagery shows light, sandy patches around the anchoring spot. Room to anchor: large (about 9.4 ha).
Can you spend the night at Xemxija Bay?
It depends on the wind of the night: Seadromy picks the evening anchorage with the forecast of the day.