Popeye Village

On the northwest coast of Malta, in a sheltered cove called Anchor Bay near Mellieħa, stands a village that looks like nothing else on the island. Sweethaven, the fictional home of Popeye the sailor, was built in 1980 as a set for the Robert Altman musical film Popeye, starring Robin Williams. The crew built around twenty ramshackle wooden buildings along the cliffs and shoreline, each one tilted and weathered so that it seemed to have stood for a century. When filming ended, the set was left in place, and over the years it has become a theme-park-style attraction, still instantly recognisable to anyone who knows the film, though it works just as well as a colourful curiosity for those who do not. Visitors wander through the village on foot, popping into the crooked houses, the little church and the old-fashioned shops, many of them set up with props and displays about the making of the film. There are costumed characters, a small museum, live shows and activities for younger children, with a play area, a mini-ferry ride around the bay, and a small beach and sea platform where you can swim in the clear water in summer. The setting is lovely: wooden jetties and boats against steep limestone cliffs, with the sea a deep blue beyond. It is playful and photogenic, and a nice contrast with the island’s serious historical sights.

Popeye Village is above all a family attraction, and young children are its natural audience, though adults who like film history and quirky places enjoy it too. Allow two to three hours, longer if you want to swim or enjoy the shows. In high summer it gets hot and busy, so go early or late in the day, bring sun protection and water, and wear sturdy shoes because the paths are steep and uneven. Swimming is on rocky platforms rather than sand, so water shoes help.

The village is on the northwest coast, a drive of around forty minutes from Valletta or Sliema, and public buses run to the area, although the stop is a walk from the entrance. Many visitors reach it by tour, hire car or taxi, and some tours combine it with Mellieħa’s beaches or a boat trip. If you are driving, there is parking nearby, and the village is close to the ferry to Gozo at Ċirkewwa, making it an easy stop on the way to or from the islands.

Do not expect a heritage site or a polished theme park: part of the charm is the slightly faded, handmade quality of the place, and the sense that the set was never meant to last. Treat it as a relaxed outing, an hour or two of play and photographs with a swim at the end. It is also a useful rainy-day backup in the shoulder seasons, since much of the activity happens under cover, though some of the best parts depend on the weather.

For families, it is one of the most reliable crowd-pleasers on the island, and a good way to balance a trip heavy on churches and fortresses. If you are travelling with teenagers, they may prefer the Blue Lagoon or a boat trip, but younger children tend to love it, and it makes a fun and affordable half-day.