About Exiles
Exiles is the rocky swimming spot on Tower Road where Sliema turns into St Julian's, below St Julian's Tower, a 17th-century watchtower that gave Tower Road its name. It is one of the busiest places to swim on the Sliema front, built up into a lido with concrete platforms, steps and ladders rather than left as natural shore.
People come here because the water is deep and clear only a few metres from the promenade, and because they can swim, eat and dive in the same place. It is also one of Malta's best-known shore dive entries, with a reef just off the platforms and the Tug 2 wreck further out. The origin of the name is unclear: one story links it to Russian émigrés who settled in Sliema after 1917, another to a customs and excise office that once stood on the bay.
What Exiles is like
The shore is flat limestone that has been levelled and partly concreted into terraces and platforms, with stairs and steel ladders down into the sea. There is no sand worth counting, so most people lie on the rock or rent a sunbed from the lido. The seabed drops off quickly from the edge: within a few strokes you are out of your depth, over rock, gullies and patches of Posidonia seagrass.
The site is shared between the Exiles sports club, which has been based here since 1967 and runs the beach lido, a café-bar and the dive centre on the rocks. The club's water polo team plays at Exiles, so in summer you may find part of the water in front of the platforms in use for matches and training. The watchtower above, completed in 1658 as one of the De Redin towers, now houses a restaurant.
When to go to Exiles
Exiles faces north-east, out towards open sea. It is at its best in south-easterly, southerly, south-westerly or westerly winds, which leave the water flat and very clear. Avoid it in northerly or north-easterly winds, when waves break onto the platforms and climbing out on the ladders becomes hard work. Easterly and north-westerly winds can make it choppy, though the platforms are high enough that you can usually still sit out on the rocks.
On summer weekends the platforms fill up by late morning, and the lido area gets crowded around lunchtime. Weekday mornings are much quieter, and early in the day the water is at its clearest. In winter a hardy group of regulars keeps swimming here, but the facilities are reduced and some ladders may be taken out.
Swimming and safety at Exiles
This is a spot for confident swimmers. The water is deep straight away, there is no shallow paddling area for children, and the rock near the waterline is slippery, so use the steps and ladders rather than jumping in from the edge. On choppy days, watch the swell before you get in and plan which ladder you will use to climb out.
Boat traffic is the main hazard. Yellow buoys mark the reef and the wreck area, but not every boat keeps outside them, especially on busy summer weekends. If you swim or snorkel away from the platforms, a brightly coloured swim buoy makes you much easier to see. Divers should use a surface marker buoy at all times here.
Diving and snorkelling at Exiles
The reef directly off Exiles is shallow, averaging about 5 m, with narrow gullies, overhangs and plenty of fish sheltering in the seagrass. It is a good first shore dive and a decent snorkel on a calm day, entering from the concrete stairs and the platform ladder.
Further out lies Tug 2, a former Maltese harbour tugboat about 30 m long that was scuttled in June 2013 as an artificial reef. It sits upright at about 22 m. A storm in October 2016 shifted it so that it now rests bow-first against the reef. Divers can swim through the open wheelhouse, and the sand around it is a known spot for torpedo rays. Between Exiles and Spinola Bay, a fireworks barge that sank in 2009 lies at about 10 m. The dive centre on site can arrange guided dives and equipment.
Food and facilities at Exiles
You can spend a whole day here without leaving the rocks. The lido rents sunbeds and umbrellas in summer, and there is a café-bar on the platforms and a restaurant in the tower. A kiosk on the promenade sells drinks and snacks, and Sliema's cafés and shops are a short walk in either direction.
There are no showers on the rocks, and there is little shade apart from rented umbrellas. Spinola Bay and Balluta Bay are both about 500 m away along the promenade if you want dinner by the water afterwards.
Frequently asked questions
Is Exiles a sandy beach?
No. It is a rocky platform with ladders and slipways into deep water.
Is there diving at Exiles?
Yes. There is a dive shack on site, and divers enter here to explore the reefs and the Tug 2 wreck, scuttled in 2013.
How do I get to Exiles by bus?
Buses 13, 13A and 14 run along the Sliema seafront on Tower Road, close to Exiles.
Is Exiles good for snorkelling?
Yes, on calm days. The reef just off the platforms is shallow and full of fish, but stay close to the shore and use a swim buoy, as boats pass nearby.
Is Exiles suitable for children?
Not really for small children. The water is deep straight off the rocks and there is no shallow area. Balluta Bay or St George's Bay are easier with young children.
How deep is the Tug 2 wreck?
It sits at about 22 m off Exiles, so it is a dive rather than a snorkel. The shallower reef nearer the shore averages about 5 m.
Are there sunbeds at Exiles?
Yes. The Exiles rents sunbeds in summer.
Is there somewhere to eat at Exiles?
Yes, on the beach: Paradise Exiles and The Exiles.
