- San Giljan – San George’s Bay
Pocket beach code: MT96MT01
The Pocket Beach (PB) of San George’s Bay is located in the North-Central area of the Island of Malta, specifically in the village of San Giljan.
It is bordered by two promontories, and the whole bay is highly populated. There is no cliff at the back and the promontories have an altitude ranging from 3 to 10 m above sea level.
Both the promontories and the area behind the PB consist exclusively of stratified limestone with abundant coralline algae.
The beach is small and artificial. From a granulometric point of view, the sediments fall into the class of well-classified gravels, and from a compositional point of view the clasts are carbonate.
- San Pawl il-Bahar – Xemxija Bay
Pocket beach code: MT97MT02
The Pocket Beach (PB) of Xemxija bay is located in the north-eastern part of the Island of Malta, specifically in the village of San Pawl il-Bahar.
It is delimited by two very accentuated promontories that reach a height of 40m above sea level in the apex parts. The whole surrounding area of the PB is completely urbanized. In the eastern area there is a small marina while in the area behind it there is a small marsh.
From a lithological point of view, the PB’s promontories consist of coarse-grained wackestone and coarse-grained packstone with crystalline algae, molluscs and echinoderms, blue clays and gray pelagic marls with bands rich in planktonic foraminifers, mudstones and wackestones from thick-layered massifs and limestone to fine-grained foraminifera.
The sediments fall into the grain size classes ranging from coarse sands to fine pebbles, and have a predominantly carbonate composition. There is a significant amount of Posidonia deposits.
- Mellieha – Mistra Bay
Pocket beach code: MT98MT03
The Pocket Beach (PB) of Mistra bay is located in the north-eastern part of the Island of Malta, specifically in the village of Mellieha.
The PB is located in a small inlet in Xemxija Bay and to reach the beach you have to take a secondary road that crosses the countryside.
The northern promontory is called Ras il-Mignuna, while the southern one Rdum Xhawn; both are quite pronounced, with a height that reaches 40m above sea level. There is no real cliff behind the PB. At the center of the beach there is a small pier, while all along the beach there is a small surfaced road.
The geology of the area near the beach consists of white and locally light grey mudstone outcrops, which pass to limestone with fine-grained planktonic foraminifers.
Both the hinterland and the promontories consist of coarse-grained wackestones and packstones with coralline algae, molluscs and echinoderms, as well as blue clays and pelagic marls with bands rich in planktonic foraminifers.
The sediments of the PB fall into the granulometric classes ranging from large sands to boulders, which have a predominantly carbonate composition. The beach is characterised by deposits of Posidonia.
- Mellieha – Imgiebah Bay
Pocket beach code: MT99MT04
The Pocket Beach (PB) of Imgiebah bay is located in the north-eastern part of the Island of Malta, specifically in the village of Mellieha.
The PB is delimited to the west by the promontory called Ras il-Griebeg and to the east by the promontory on which the Ghajn Hadid Tower stands. Both promontories are about 70m above sea level.
The beach is located at the base of a small valley where a stream flows. There is also a cliff behind the beach, sometimes exceeding the altitude of 30m above sea level, and shows striking signs of gravitational processes.
The cliff and the promontories are characterised by limestone outcrops with fine-grained planktonic foraminifers. In the western promontory, on the most projecting area, wackestone and coarse-grained packstone with coralline algae, molluscs and echinoderms are very prominent. In the surrounding areas, blue clays and grey pelagic marls emerge with bands rich in planktonic foraminifers and mudstones and massive wackestones with thick layers.
The sediments that make up the PB fall granulometrically in the classes ranging from fine sands to boulders, and compositionally the clasts are mainly carbonate.
The beach is one of the most natural on the whole island, with crystal clear waters and numerous panoramic points.
- Mellieha – Mellieha Bay
Pocket beach code: MT100MT05
The Pocket Beach (PB) of Mellieha Bay is located in the north-eastern part of the Island of Malta, specifically in the village of Mellieha.
It is the largest PB of the Maltese Islands, delimited by two very pronounced headlands. The PB does not have a cliff behind it, although a series of structures completely surround it. In addition, there is a marsh in the area behind the PB.
The dominant lithology in the area behind the PB and on the eastern promontory consists of coarse-grained wackestone and packstone, with coralline algae, molluscs and grye echinoderms. The northwestern promontory is made up of mudstone and wackestone.
The north-western side has outcrops of light grey rigid limestones with scattered faunas, blue clays and grey pelagic marls with bands rich in planktonic foraminifers.
The sediments that make up the PB fall granulometrically in the classes ranging from very large sands to medium pebbles, with a predominantly carbonate composition.
- Mellieha – Armier bay – White Tower beach
Pocket beach code: MT101MT06
The Pocket Beach (PB) of Armier bay – White Tower beach is located in the northern part of the Island of Malta, specifically in the village of Mellieha.
The PB is delimited by two promontories, with the north-western one being the most pronounced and having the White Tower on top of it. The altitude of the promontories varies, reaching 10m above sea level in the south-east and 20m above sea level in the north-west. There is no cliff behind the PB and no water courses flow.
The whole area behind the PB is quite urbanized, even though it is a peripheral area of the island.
From a geological point of view, the area has almost exclusively mudstone and wackestone outcrops from thick layered massifs that are yellow in color.
The sediments of PB fall granulometrically in the classes of fine and medium sands, with a very white color. The mineralogical composition is mostly carbonate.
- Mellieha – Armier bay – Armier bay – Little Armier beach
Pocket beach code: MT102MT07
The Pocket Beach (PB) of Armier bay – Little Armier beach is located in the northern part of the Island of Malta, specifically in the village of Mellieha.
The PB is delimited by two promontories that reach a maximum altitude of 10 m above sea level, and in the center there is a concrete accommodation facility that further divides it into two PBs.
The whole surrounding area of the PB is quite urbanized, even though it is a peripheral area of the island; in fact there are two parking lots (one on each promontory), a coastal road and numerous houses.
From a geological point of view, the area is characterised by mudstones and wackestones that emerge from thick layered massifs, which are yellow in color.
The sediments of the PB fall granulometrically in the classes of fine and coarse sands, of a very white color. The predominant mineralogical composition is carbonate.
- Mellieha – Golden Bay
Pocket beach code: MT103MT08
The Golden Bay Pocket Beach (PB) is located in the western part of the Island of Malta, precisely in the village of Mellieha and is part of the historical and natural park Il-Majjistral, established in 2007.
The PB is delimited to the north by a promontory of Ras il-Wahx and to the south by a promontroy on which there is the Ghajn Tuffieha tower. The Ras il-Wahx promontory reaches an altitude of 70m above sea level, while the cliff behind and the southern promontory have an altitude that is around 20-25m above sea level. The dunes located between the cliff and the beach are quite impressive.
The northern promontory, the cliff and much of the southern area are characterised by blue clays and pelagic marls with strips rich in planktonic foraminifers, while the entire central and northern hinterland consist of wackestone and coarse-grained packstone with coralline algae, molluscs and echinoderms.
This PB is made up of sediments that fall exclusively in the medium sands class, with a predominantly carbonate composition.
- Mgarr – Riviera Bay
Pocket beach code: MT104MT09
The Pocket Beach (PB) of Riviera Bay is located in the western part of the Island of Malta, specifically in the village of Mgarr.
It is bounded to the south by the promontory called Il-Qarraba, while on the northern promontory stands the Ghajn Tuffieha tower. The southern promontory is about 30m above sea level, while the northern one is 20m above sea level. The cliff behind the PB has an altitude ranging from 15m to 25m above sea level.
The predominant geological outcrops on both promontories are made up of blue clays and gray pelagic marls with bands rich in planktonic foraminifers. North of the PB, wackestone and coarse-grained packstone with coralline algae, molluscs and echinoderms emerge. The centre is made up of thick layers of mudstone and wackestone and massive beds of limestone ranging from dark to light brown, with the presence of glauconite.
The sediments that make up the PB fall into the particle size class of medium sands, with a predominantly carbonate composition.
- Mgarr – Gnejna Bay
Pocket beach code: MT105MT10
The Pocket Beach (PB) of Gnejna bay is located in the western part of the Island of Malta, specifically in the municipality of Mgarr.
It is bounded to the south by the promontory of Ras il-Pellegrin and to the north by the Il-Qarraba promontory. There are numerous historical watchtowers located on the heights which have an altitude ranging from 20 to 60 m above sea level. The cliffs present in many places show signs of gravitational processes, especially collapses and overturns.
The two promontories consist mainly of blue clays and grey pelagic marls with bands rich in planktonic foraminifers, while the cliff consists of limestone with fine-grained planktonic foraminifers and massive mudstone, white or light grey. At the back of the beach, packstone and wackestone with glauconite appear, as well as coarse-grained wackestone and packstone with coralline algae, molluscs and echinoderms.
The PB sediments fall in medium and large sands category, and mainly carbonate mineralogical composition.
