After arriving in Malta, for a week’s vacation in early March, it was soon time to enjoy what the island had to offer. As I was traveling alone with our 3-year-old Little A, it turned out to be a trip where we explored both new places and new playgrounds. Luckily there were a lot of both around where we stayed in Marsaskala. There were three specific playgrounds that we really enjoyed – the ones at St. Tomas Bay, Marsaskala Bay, and the large Sant’Antnin Family Park. Considering how sparse the playgrounds were in other parts of the island, Marsaskala was a great choice for our stay.
Read more about Marsaskala:
St. Thomas Bay’s Playground
The smaller of the three playgrounds we visited was at St. Thomas Bay. This one is right next to a small cafe and with the beach close by. It might have been a bit worn by time, but still sufficient for play. The limited number of other kids, there was only one other family there during our visit, also made it easier to relax and let Little A play.
There were a slide, a swing, and a few other small attractions for the small ones. It would probably be considered boring by older kids, but perfect for a three-year-old.
Marsaskala Bay’s Playground
This is in the center of Marsaskala and the playground is right in the middle of it. This one is large and consists of several areas, for kids of different ages. Little A enjoyed the one for a bit bigger kids the most, as the one for the small kids was quite simple. There were always a lot of kids here and a lot without their parents. My guess is that the parents probably sat at a cafe or restaurant close by. Slides, swings, and several other attractions await the kids and it will be hard for us parents to keep track of them as they switch between the areas. The area is gated, but keep an eye open as there is a major road right outside the gate.
Sant’Antnin Family Park
Just a short walk outside of Marsaskala is the Sant’Antnin Family Park. This is a large area dedicated to kids. Several playfields, for soccer and other sports, and multiple playgrounds are just a small part. There is also a small petting zoo and one of the greener areas I have seen in Malta.
We even made sure to get a small football for running around and playing together. The park was almost empty during all of our visits. It might have been due to a normal working week for most and quite low temperatures for being Malta. Running around and having the whole place for ourselves was fun for both of us. The small football was used mostly for basketball in a small field at the larger playground. I was shooting and Little A ran after the ball.
Non-Playground Sights in Marsaskala
There aren’t really any major sights in Marsaskala, the two most significant are probably the Salt Pans and St. Thomas Tower. None of these was really accessible but had to be viewed from the distance. Other than that it was the beach promenade between Marsakala Bay and St. Thomas Bay that was the one that both Little A and I enjoyed the most. For Little A this meant a long run along the promenade, where she could be free and enjoy the weather. Something that was harder along other paths with cars driving too close by.
In general, except for its narrow small streets, Marsaskala was a great place when traveling with kids. It’s easy to find playgrounds and areas to run around and play. It is always advisable to check the playground prior to letting your kids run around freely. It is not too uncommon with damaged pieces at the playgrounds, that might not be considered safe.
