Good to know
Good to Know
- Ghallis Rock is the only named wind/kite spot genuinely close to St. Julian's, but it's an experienced-only reef break with dangerous rocks and shore break — not a place to learn.
- If you're a beginner, expect to travel 25-30 minutes to Mellieħa Bay, which has flat, sheltered water and is Malta's standard learn-to-windsurf location.
- Malta's small, rocky beaches genuinely constrain kitesurfing space compared to windsurfing — some sources describe kiting as restricted at crowded beaches, so check current local rules and crowd levels before rigging a kite, especially in high season.
- November-March brings the strongest, most reliable wind for windsurfing but also the coldest water — bring or rent a thicker (4mm+) wetsuit.
- If you're set on windsurfing, St Julian's itself (Corinthia Beach Resort/St. George's Bay) is a genuine, walkable option with a long-running beginner-focused school — you don't need to leave the area.
- If you're set on kitesurfing, St Julian's is not really the place — the real scene is at Mellieħa Bay, a separate trip from St Julian's, and even there you're expected to bring your own kite gear rather than rent locally.
- Kitesurfing is reportedly restricted at most Maltese beaches during peak summer months, so realistic kite windows tend to fall outside July–August.
- No local option was found for storing your own windsurf/kite gear between sessions in St Julian's — if you own gear, budget for either transporting it back to your accommodation or asking directly whether a rental operator will informally store it for you.
Spots And Conditions
- Overview
- St. Julian's itself has no dedicated wind/kite spot right on its shoreline — the nearest named spot, Ghallis Rock, sits just up the coast road and is genuinely walkable/short-drive distance. Malta's other well-known windsurfing bays (Mellieħa, Golden Bay, St. Thomas Bay) and its handful of kitesurf-friendly bays (Selmun, Xemxija) are a 20-40 minute drive from St. Julian's — included here because they are the only real options on the island, similar to how beach options are sometimes only available further out.
Spots
Ghallis Rock (Also Spelled Challis Rock)
- Skill Level
- Experienced/advanced only — dangerous rocks and shore break make this unsuitable for beginners.
- Water Conditions
- Choppy/wave — an exposed outer reef with a shallow reef break and rocky shore break; not flat water.
- Distance From St Julians
- On the coast road immediately adjacent to St. Julian's — the closest named spot to the city center
- Notes
- Described as the most popular windsurfing spot in Malta, especially when the wind blows from W/NW/N.
Sport
- windsurfing
- kitesurfing (limited)
Mellieħa Bay (Il-Għadira)
- Skill Level
- Beginner-friendly for windsurfing.
- Water Conditions
- Flat/sheltered — Malta's largest bay, described as offering flat waters good for speed and a sheltered, safe learning environment.
- Distance From St Julians
- Roughly 25-30 minutes' drive north — outside immediate St. Julian's proximity but Malta's primary beginner windsurf/kite location
- Notes
- One source notes the beach is narrow with a wall behind part of it, and can become dangerous in strong onshore wind; it gets crowded with tourists in high season, which limits kiting space.
Sport
- windsurfing
- kitesurfing (winter, less crowded)
Golden Bay
- Skill Level
- Mixed — used for lessons and freestyle.
- Water Conditions
- Sandy bay, generally moderate/choppy depending on the day's wind direction.
- Distance From St Julians
- Roughly 25-30 minutes' drive northwest
- Notes
- Catches the steady northern summer wind locally called the Majjistral/Maestro.
Sport
- windsurfing
St. Thomas Bay
- Skill Level
- Mixed — described as a quieter, less crowded alternative to Ghallis Rock and Mellieħa.
- Water Conditions
- Generally calmer and less exposed than Ghallis Rock, though specific wave data was not found.
- Distance From St Julians
- On the south coast, roughly 20-25 minutes' drive
Sport
- windsurfing
Selmun Bay / Xemxija
- Skill Level
- Not specified — lessons and gear rental are available locally.
- Water Conditions
- Not independently confirmed in detail; described only as a location where riders can be seen when wind is up.
- Distance From St Julians
- Roughly 20-25 minutes' drive north, near St. Paul's Bay
- Notes
- Named as an active spot when wind picks up, especially April-October.
Sport
- kitesurfing
Wind Reliability By Season
- Spring
- Transitional and variable — Gregale (NE), Tramontane (N) and westerly winds pass through; front passages can bring powerful sessions, but consistency is lower than winter.
- Summer
- Consistent afternoon sea breezes of roughly 15-22 knots from the NW/NE are reported to develop reliably in the warmer months, plus a steady northern thermal wind locally called the Maestro/Majjistral that favors Golden Bay and Mellieħa Bay. Kitesurfing activity is most visible April-October at spots like Selmun Bay and Xemxija.
- Winter Nov To Mar
- Widely cited as the best windsurfing season in Malta: cold fronts crossing the Mediterranean NW to SE bring strong NW winds, usually force 5-6, typically lasting 2-3 days per front. A 4mm+ wetsuit is recommended in this period.
- Data Confidence Note For Users
- No official meteorological agency publishes a simple 'wind on X% of days' figure for Malta; the seasonal pattern above is a qualitative synthesis of multiple wind-sport sources rather than a single statistical dataset.
Schools And Equipment
Kitesurfing
- Why
- Multiple sources describe Malta as lacking dedicated kitesurfing schools or rental operations island-wide, and note that St Julian's-area beaches are small and rocky with insufficient space to launch a kite. The main kitesurfing activity on the island is concentrated at Mellieħa Bay, which is well outside comfortable proximity to St Julian's, and even there kiters are told to bring their own equipment rather than rent locally. Kitesurfing is also reported to be prohibited at most beaches during the summer tourist season, with the small local kitesurfing community mainly active from October to May when stronger northwest winds occur.
- Availability
- not genuinely available as a named school within or near St Julian's
- One Language School Addon Noted
- An English-language school in the wider Sliema/Gżira/St Julian's area (Alpha School of English) advertises a 4-day kitesurfing course as a student add-on activity, but the actual on-water location isn't specified and courses are described as weather-dependent and unavailable in July and August due to swimming-zone restrictions; because the on-water location couldn't be confirmed as within the St Julian's area, it is not counted as a local kitesurf school for proximity purposes.
Windsurfing
- Availability
- genuinely available directly in St Julian's
- Other Notes
- A nearby windsurfing spot, Ghallis Rock, is also described as close to St. Julian's and popular with windsurfers, though it is a launch spot rather than a school location.
Schools
Windsurfing Malta (Surfing Malta)
- Location
- Corinthia Beach Resort, St. George's Bay, St. Julian's, Malta
- Contact Channel
- Phone and Facebook page listed as 'surfingmalta'; website surfingmalta.com
- Description
- Family-run windsurfing and SUP school operating for over ten years, positioned by its own materials as specialising in teaching beginners, with a dedicated beginner-friendly teaching method; also offers SUP and wakeboarding.
Beginner Lessons
- Offered
- Yes
- Equipment Included
- Yes
- Pricing Note
- Pricing below comes from an older direct quote from the operator (via a 2018 customer exchange) and should be reconfirmed directly with the school before booking, as it may have changed.
Formats
- Single 2-hour lesson
- Full course: 6 hours split into two 3-hour sessions
- 3-day beginner package
Sample Prices
Single 2-hour Lesson
- Single 2 Hour Lesson
- €65
Full 6-hour Course (2 X 3-hour Sessions)
- Full 6 Hour Course (2 X 3 Hour Sessions)
- €160
Gear Storage
- Detail
- No dedicated storage service (locker, gear-shed, or similar) for travelers/nomads to store their own personal windsurf or kite equipment between sessions was found for the St Julian's area. Rental schools store their own fleet of boards/sails on-site at their beach location, but this is for their own rental stock, not a public storage service for a visitor's personally-owned gear.
- Available For Own Gear
- No
Equipment Rental
- Kitesurfing
- No dedicated kite equipment rental outlet was found in or near St Julian's; kiters heading to the island's main kite spot (Mellieħa Bay) are advised to bring their own gear.
- Windsurfing And Sup
- Genuinely available on-site through Windsurfing Malta/Surfing Malta at Corinthia Beach Resort, St. George's Bay — equipment (board, sail, wetsuit) is rented out as part of lessons and can reportedly be rented standalone based on direct customer inquiries to the operator.
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
This section has no cited sources.
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Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.