Gzira Area Guide: Malta's Best-Connected Seafront Town

Gzira rarely makes the postcard racks, and that is precisely its charm. Wedged between Sliema and Msida on Marsamxett Harbour, facing the fortified green of Manoel Island, it is a working seafront town that has quietly become one of the most interesting places to stay in Malta — a place with rhythm, history and appetite. Here is our local's guide to the town we call home.

In short: Gzira is the seafront town between Sliema and Msida on Marsamxett Harbour, facing Manoel Island. It pairs a genuinely local feel with one of Malta's best emerging food scenes, walkable connections in every direction, and better value than its famous neighbours, which is why remote workers and longer-stay guests increasingly choose it.

Where it is and getting around

Gzira occupies the middle of Malta's most connected coastal strip. Valletta glitters directly across the harbour, the Sliema ferry to the capital is a ten-minute walk along the promenade, and buses run constantly along The Strand in every direction. The University of Malta is next door in Msida, and the restaurants and nightlife of St Julian's are twenty minutes on foot. You can live here comfortably without ever needing a car.

A short history of The Strand

Gzira's seafront has lived several lives. For much of the twentieth century, Manoel Island was a Royal Navy base, HMS Talbot, later known as HMS Phoenicia, and The Strand served the fleet: a famous row of bars and music halls that kept sailors entertained until the last British forces left in 1979. The Second World War hit hard here; air-raid shelters still run beneath many of Gzira's streets, and Fort Manoel, the star-shaped fortress built by the Knights of St John in 1726, was badly bombed in 1942 before its painstaking restoration. The music on The Strand has changed since; the town's ear for a good evening has not.

Manoel Island's next chapter

The island facing Gzira's promenade is at the centre of one of Malta's biggest stories in years. In spring 2026, following a parliamentary vote and a settlement of 47.3 million euros that ended the long-standing development concession, Manoel Island was set on the path to becoming a national park. For Gzira, it means the town's front garden, its fort, foreshore and open green space, is being returned to the public. Watching that transformation unfold is a genuine reason to stay on this side of the harbour.

Food and daily life

Gzira has become one of Malta's most talked-about food towns, with a cluster of ambitious restaurants earning Michelin Guide recognition alongside the everyday pleasures: neighbourhood bakeries, pastizzi shops, and cafes that fill with a mix of students, office workers and residents. Mornings belong to runners and swimmers on the promenade; evenings to the passeggiata crowd watching the yachts and the Valletta skyline turn gold.

Who Gzira suits

Gzira is ideal if you want to be central without living inside the party. Remote workers get cafes, connectivity and calm; couples get harbour views and one of the island's best dining scenes; mid-term guests get a real town with real neighbours rather than a resort. It is Malta at street level.

Staying in Gzira

Frequently asked questions

Where is Gzira in Malta?

Gzira sits on Malta's east coast, on Marsamxett Harbour between Sliema and Msida, directly facing Manoel Island and the Valletta skyline. The Sliema ferry to the capital is a ten-minute walk along the promenade, and buses run constantly along The Strand.

Is Gzira a good place to stay in Malta?

Yes, especially for remote workers, couples and mid-term guests. It is central and walkable without the noise of the resort strips, has a strong and growing restaurant scene, and typically offers better value than equivalent Sliema seafront addresses.

What is happening to Manoel Island?

Following a parliamentary vote in spring 2026 and a settlement of 47.3 million euros that ended the long-standing development concession, Manoel Island is set to become a national park, returning the fort, foreshore and green space opposite Gzira's promenade to the public.

Morrison Court sits in the heart of it all, with short term and monthly rental apartments in Gzira designed for one or two guests, each with a dedicated workspace. If you're weighing up a longer stay, our guide to working remotely from Malta covers visas, internet and daily life, and our day trips from Gzira show how much is within reach. Check availability and book direct at morrisoncourt.com.