From Sunsets To Stargazing, Here’s Why This Wied Iż-Żurrieq Tower Is Becoming A Weekend Hotspot
Malta’s fortifications have watched over our coast for centuries. They were used as a means of communication to alert the mainland (specifically Mdina – where the majority of them were visible from) of incoming threats.
Now, they serve as gorgeous reminders of our rich history, even though many have fallen into disrepair. Thankfully, the Malta Airport Foundation undertook the restoration project of one such tower, Torri Xutu in Wied iż-Żurrieq. And after a €250,000 investment, it’s ready for your enjoyment.
Overlooking the site of the Um-El Faroud wreck-turned-reef, the plot of land that Torri Xutu sits on is well on the way to becoming on Malta’s top hotspots.
With the summer holidays flying by, we wanted to give you some fresh ideas of how to spend your time in one Malta’s most beautiful but under-appreciated spots.
1. Enjoy the beautifully restored tower as your view to accompany a great meal
View this post on Instagram
The tower was the last of eight commissioned during the reign of Grand Master Lascaris, and was funded by the people’s taxes. So why not feast on some typical Mediterranean seafood at one of the various eateries in the area, while you feast your eyes on Torri Xutu?
After your meal you can take a stroll around the newly restored tower, with the help of the Malta Airport Foundation, it’s sure to be a staple shot for your Instagram whenever you’re in the area.
2. Take your bae for a quiet getaway day
Torri Xutu’s surrounding area is one of the few to have escaped the hustle and bustle of modern Malta. The air is clear and the grass is green. This place is perfect for you to bring your boo for a quiet stroll and a silent sit on a bench while the sun sets (or rises – we don’t judge).
https://www.instagram.com/p/BrxB2hPF-tP/
You can even a play a game of island-spotting with Filfla just around the corner.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BsK3bIyHH0q/
Last one to get the perfect snap of Malta’s smallest island has to buy the ice cream.
3. Gaze at the skies
The area is also one of the few places not to be affected by light pollution. It’s one of Malta’s many Natura 2000 sites, and that protects it from certain developments in the interest of the wildlife living there.
Just look at that sunset view. It’s enough to make you want to wait until the sun begins lowering before you head down just so you can see this magnificent site for yourself.
And once the sun is down you’ll even be able to glimpse the stars of our galaxy as they twinkle through the sky.
4. Take a hike down to Malta’s favourite diving spot Um El-Faroud
View this post on Instagram
If you’re in the mood for adventure, get to Torri Xutu and hike down the valley to the renowned diving spot where a world of underwater wonders await you. You’ll also find some amazing green-specked views and the bluest seas, all watched over by the glorious tower that helped Malta fend off attackers in the past. And once you’re done, head back to the tower for a historic lay-down imagining yourself to be an exhausted knight.
View this post on Instagram
5. Pay the Bird Man of Blue Grotto a visit
View this post on Instagram
Quando há uma tormenta, os pássaros escondem-se, as águias, porém, voam mais alto?.
Lawrence Formosa has been rearing birds of prey for a very long time. He dresses in Medieval falconry attire and encourages visitors to see these magnificent animals soar through the skies of Wied iz-Żurrieq. Who knows, the next time you’re nearby you might catch a glimpse of some birds gliding over the tower.
6. Give yourself a history lesson and get back to your roots
Torri Xutu is located just a short drive away from a couple of other historical sites such as Mnajdra and the Haġar Qim temples. Why not make a day of it all and spend one of your days this weekend on a tour of Malta’s history? Start at Haġar Qim and work downwards until you get to Torri Xutu.
The magnificent vaulted ceiling was a prototype, originally built to withstand the backfire of cannons. The design went on to be a staple feature of 13 further towers that Lascaris’s successor, Grand Master De Redin, built during his reign.
The Malta Airport Foundation had a bespoke metal staircase fitted to the interior as well, so visitors can safely climb the tower and bask in the view from above.
The restoration works began five years ago…
The Malta Airport Foundation and Din l-Art Helwa teamed up back in 2014 to commence restoration works on the iconic Torri Xutu in Żurrieq, and recently reopened the area to the public. During World War II, the tower was manned by the Coast Police and served as a lookout post. It also served as a police station until 2002, after which it was abandoned. The tower sits on garigue land (a soft-leaved biome that hugs the majority of our coastline) and was ruined by layers of cement during the British occupation of Malta. But thanks to the MAF and their team, the place has found new life as a great place to hang out, and we can’t wait for the weekends to start so we can head right over.