Fishing Trip from Valletta Cruise Port: A Malta Shore Day Guide

Yes, you can fit a fishing trip into a cruise day in Malta. Ships berth at the Valletta Waterfront in the Grand Harbour, and several Reelzy boats fish out of Ta’ Xbiex, Gzira and Floriana, a short taxi ride away around the Valletta peninsula. Pick a three to five hour trip that starts in the morning, book it for a private group or a seat on a shared reef trip, and agree a firm return time with the skipper so you are back well before your all aboard time.

The short answer

A cruise call in Malta is usually a single day, so the trip that works is a short one close to the terminal. A three or four hour reef or inshore trip is the safe choice: you see the coast from the water, you catch something for the photo, and you are back in Valletta with time for lunch on the waterfront. A full day offshore is a better fit for a holiday on the island than for a port call.

Where the ships berth and where the boats are

Cruise ships in Malta come alongside at the Valletta Waterfront, at Pinto Wharf below the bastions of Floriana, inside the Grand Harbour. Most fishing boats around the capital do not leave from the Grand Harbour itself but from Marsamxett Harbour on the other side of the Valletta peninsula, where the marinas of Ta’ Xbiex, Gzira and Msida sit. By road it is a few kilometres around the head of the harbour, which a taxi or a ride hailing car covers quickly outside rush hour.

Three things to know before you book:

• Confirm your berth. Most ships use the Valletta Waterfront, but the berth depends on the ship and the day. Your cruise line’s daily programme or app says where you are.
• Check the meeting point on the listing. Each boat names its marina. Send the skipper your ship’s name and arrival time and ask where exactly to meet on the pontoon.
• Leave margin. Your cruise line sets an all aboard time before sailing. Plan to be back at the marina at least an hour before you need to be on the ship, and tell the skipper that time up front.

Which trips fit a port day

These are boats on Reelzy that run short trips from the harbours around Valletta or within reach of them. Durations and departure times below are what each listing offers today; check the listing before you book.

• Fishingmalta in Ta’ Xbiex is the easiest fit. Skippers Chris and Daryl run a four hour Fun Reef Fishing Tour from midday and a five hour Deluxe Combo Tour from early morning, on a 33 foot Targa with a toilet, GPS and a fishfinder. Both can be booked as a seat on a shared trip, for up to ten people, which suits a couple or a solo traveller, or as a private boat. Fuel, permit, tackle, bait and drinks are included.
• Hooked Malta in Gzira is Captain Nigel’s 25 foot Ranieri Evo for up to five, set up for big game: outriggers, downriggers and heavy tackle. The listed trip is four hours from the morning. Bluefin tuna and little tunny are its speciality, so ask what is realistic in the month you arrive; tuna is a late spring to autumn fishery, and some fish have seasons and size rules the captain follows.
• Adele II is an Axopar 37 in Floriana, a short walk up from the waterfront, but it offers a full day. That is too long for most port calls, so keep it for a stay before or after the cruise.

A little further out, Mister Fish Charters in Marsascala on the south-east coast runs a three hour inshore trip and a four hour offshore trip from the morning, for up to four, and Aquaholic in St Paul’s Bay offers trips from four hours. Both mean a longer drive from Valletta, so they work best when your ship is in port from early morning to evening. You can see every boat on the island on our Malta fishing charters page.

A sample port day

Every ship’s schedule is different, but a typical day with a morning arrival looks like this:

1. Off the ship as soon as you are cleared. The first tender or gangway queue is the slowest, so have your cruise card and ID ready.
2. Taxi to the marina. Show the driver the marina name from the listing (Ta’ Xbiex Marina, Gzira, Msida). Give yourself time to find the boat.
3. Fish for three to five hours. On a reef trip you drop baits over rocky ground for bream, comber, rainbow wrasse and, with luck, a dentex or grouper. On a trolling trip the skipper runs lures for whatever pelagic fish are around that season.
4. Back on the pontoon with time to spare. Lunch on the Valletta Waterfront or a walk up into the city, then back on board.

If your ship arrives at midday, the Fishingmalta afternoon reef trip from 12:00 is the obvious match, as long as your all aboard time leaves that hour of margin after it ends.

What you can catch, by season

The Maltese fishing calendar decides what a short trip targets. Our Malta fishing seasons guide has the full year; for a cruise day the short version is:

• Spring and early summer: reef fishing is steady, and bluefin tuna arrive offshore, though a four hour trip rarely reaches the far grounds.
• Late summer and autumn: the lampuki (dolphinfish, mahi mahi) season from mid August is the classic Maltese fishery, and amberjack and little tunny are about. This is the busiest cruise season too, so book early.
• Winter: the reefs are at their best for dentex and amberjack, squid fishing is good, but the gregale can stop boats going out. Our winter fishing guide explains what changes.

Licence, tackle and what to bring

You do not need to buy a fishing licence for a charter trip: the boat’s permit covers its guests, and Hooked Malta and Fishingmalta both say so on their listings. Rods, reels, bait and tackle are on board.

Bring what you would for a day ashore plus a little more: non slip shoes with rubber soles, a light jacket even in summer (it is cooler on the water), sunglasses, a hat, sunscreen and water. Take your cruise card, passport or ID and phone, and leave anything bulky on the ship. If you get seasick, take a tablet before you leave the ship; our first timer’s guide has more on the first trip.

Can you keep the fish?

On a charter in Malta you can usually keep legal fish within the rules, and some boats will clean them for you. On a cruise you have nowhere to store or cook them, so tell the skipper at the start that you will release what you catch or leave it with the crew. Our guide to keeping your catch in Malta covers the rules.

If the weather turns

Malta’s harbours are sheltered, but the open sea outside is not, and on a port day you cannot move the trip to tomorrow. The skipper decides on the morning. If a strong wind is forecast, ask the skipper the day before whether they can fish the sheltered side of the island, and read how cancellations for bad weather work. Each listing shows its cancellation policy before you pay.

Before you book: questions to ask the skipper

• My ship arrives at this time and all aboard is at this time. Can we fix a return time that leaves an hour of margin?
• Exactly where on the marina do we meet, and how long does the taxi from the cruise terminal take at that hour?
• What is realistic to catch this month on a trip of this length?
• Is this a shared trip or private, and how many people will be on board?
• If the sea is too rough, what happens?

A boat that answers these clearly by message is a good sign. Book with a few days’ notice where you can: the best morning slots go first in the busy cruise months.

FAQ

How far is the cruise terminal from the fishing boats? The boats in Ta’ Xbiex, Gzira and Msida are on Marsamxett Harbour, a few kilometres by road from the Valletta Waterfront where ships berth. A taxi covers it quickly outside rush hour. Floriana boats are closer still.

How long should a fishing trip be on a cruise day? Three to five hours. Fishingmalta, Hooked Malta and Mister Fish Charters all list trips in that range. A full day is too tight for most port calls.

Do I need a fishing licence in Malta for a charter? No. The charter’s permit covers its guests and the skipper provides the tackle.

Can I join a shared trip on my own? Yes. Fishingmalta’s reef and combo tours can be booked as a seat on a shared boat for up to ten people, which suits a solo traveller or a couple.

Cover: "Grand Harbour, Malta" by M McBey, CC BY 2.0, edited (colour, retouching).