A day at the beach is, all in all, a good treat

Sunday in Malta usually means a day relaxing on the beach. But are Maltese beaches the safe, clean and welcoming places they are made out to be in souvenir postcards?

Soaring temperatures have sent people rushing to the beach to cool down but nowadays they heed the health warning, seeking cover from the scorching midday sun under a bevy of colourful umbrellas.

Some went a step further and set up little tents on the beach. This was not welcomed by others who felt the tents were "an eyesore" and obscured their vision of their children at play.

About 20 tents are often to be found on the beach at Pretty Bay, Birżebbuġa, complained Ivan Ciangura, from Tarxien, who felt these should be situated at the back of the beach and not close the edge of the sea.

All the beaches visited by The Times yesterday were very clean. The sand, although piping hot, was devoid of rubbish and even the bins were virtually empty - both indications that sandy beaches in Malta are finally being looked after.

There were also no traces of barbeques or beach parties. The only leftovers were firework debris at Pretty Bay, a consequence of last weekend's feast.

Golden Bay was unexpectedly quiet and, from the car park, only faint and seemingly distant sounds could be heard. Few Maltese families could be seen and, when questioned, sisters Marita Vella and Marlene Pace confessed they would much rather spend the day at Riviera or Paradise Bay. The only reason they chose Golden Bay was because of the lack of stairs.

Armier seems to be more popular with the Maltese. The umbrellas were positioned so close to one another that the edges were practically touching.

The umbrellas and sunbeds on the beach are the property of the lidos surrounding the bay and some bathers said they felt obliged to use them, even though Robert Abela, Armier Lido manager, assured The Times that visitors had no obligation to use their "property".

A similar problem was recently faced at Mellieħa Bay. Many beachgoers often found the beach lined up with empty sunbeds from as early as 7.30 or 8 a.m., taking up the best spots on the beach.

Despite this, Mellieħa Bay still seems to be the most popular beach in Malta, with the central part of the bay being especially crowded. In a bid to instill some semblance of order, the Malta Tourism Authority last year invested over €69,800 and introduced new rules to bring the beach to Blue Flag standards.

Two lifeguards could be seen constantly patrolling the beach, carrying green first-aid pouches. When asked about the safety measures at the beach, one said: "Sorry, I can't speak to you, I'm on duty." The other would only say: "I'm sorry, I don't speak English."

Parking always seems to constitute a problem near the major sandy beaches in Malta: Pretty Bay and Golden Sands were the worst-case scenarios. Even public conveniences seem to be scarce. Many confessed to using the facilities of nearby bars and restaurants, which occasionally asked for a small fee in exchange for the "service rendered".