Mġiebaħ Bay (also spelled Imġiebaħ Bay; also known as Selmun Bay) is a located on the north-eastern coast of Malta, within the limits of Mellieħa. It is sheltered by rugged limestone cliffs and accessible via a narrow rural road through Selmun area. The bay forms part of an EU Natura 2000 Special Area of Conservation and is overlooked by the ruins of Għajn Ħadid Tower, the oldest of the De Redin towers built by the Knights of St John in 1658.
Geography
editMġiebaħ Bay is situated on the north-eastern fringe of Malta, approximately 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) from the capital Valletta and about 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) from the centre of Mellieħa village.[1] The bay lies at the foot of the Selmun peninsula, a promontory bounded by the Mġiebaħ Valley to the north-west and by steeper terrain to the east and south.[2] St Paul's Islands are visible from the bay, lying just off the north-eastern coast in the direction of St. Paul's Bay, which is situated approximately 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) to the south-east.
The beach itself extends for approximately 200 metres (660 ft) and features a mix of sand and pebbles, with coarser sediment concentrated on the eastern flank and dark yellow sandy deposits accumulating at the base of the coastal scarp in the backshore area.[3] The bay's northern headland is known as Ras il-Griebeġ.[2] The surrounding landscape is characterised by terraced farmland, rubble walls, and the dramatic contrast between limestone plateaux and clay-rich valley slopes.
References
edit- ↑ "Imgiebah Bay 🏖️ Malta island, Malta - detailed features, map, photos". beaches-searcher.com. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
- 1 2 Sammut, Sephora; Gauci, Ritienne; Inkpen, Robert; Lewis, Jessica Jade; Gibson, Andy (2019), Gauci, Ritienne; Schembri, John A. (eds.), "Selmun: A Coastal Limestone Landscape Enriched by Scenic Landforms, Conservation Status and Religious Significance", Landscapes and Landforms of the Maltese Islands, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 325–341, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-15456-1_26, ISBN 978-3-030-15456-1, retrieved 26 April 2026
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link) - ↑ Marić, Mara; Jasprica, Nenad; Maslek, Jasenka (2026). "The contribution of amateur botanists to the advancement of botanical science in the first half of the 19th century: The case of Joseph Martin Neumayer (1791–1840)". Italian Botanist (21): 109–138. doi:10.3897/italianbotanist.21.183349.figure3.