Malta's finest beach — a wide crescent of rare amber sand flanked by Roman ruins and the legendary cave of Calypso — is best experienced on a private half-day with a knowledgeable local driver before the summer crowds arrive.
What to expect
Ramla Bay's burnt-orange sand is unlike anything elsewhere in the Maltese archipelago, framed by low valley hills and lapped by startlingly clear water. From the clifftop, Calypso's Cave offers a legendary vista: Homer's Odyssey, some scholars argue, placed the nymph's grotto here above this exact bay. Fragments of Roman baths survive at the beach's edge. Your driver can time a stop in the hilltop village of Nadur for Gozitan ftira sandwiches and local honey before the return.
Good to know
Ramla is about 20 minutes from Mgarr. Water shoes are useful as sea-grass beds are present. Avoid peak summer midday; a morning departure from the ship (09:00) delivers you to the beach at its golden best.
Sail there
Luxury cruises that call at Mgarr (Victoria) — book through us, the fare is identical and your concierge stays on your side.