St. Peter's Pool, Malta

Among my favorite spots in Malta, a trip to this rocky gem includes a market and small hike with every visit. When you arrive at the marketplace (this is where the bus drops you off) you first cannot help but gape at the long lines of vendors spread out along the waterline. If you come on a Sunday morning, this market magnified tenfold and includes fish! In fact I believe it is the most notorious fish market in Malta, containing a wide array of scaly beasts from the sea. Aside from fish, you can find shoes, knock off bags, clothing, every array of spice and small foods, even animals like turtles or cats. If you somehow manage to maneuver your way to the end of the market, you find a small beach and docks for small colorful fishing boats. Don't worry, this isn't St. Peter's Pool. This is, however, a favorite spot of young boys who bring their noisy remote control boats out to play, delighting in the splash and wave created by their racing machines. A short walk up the road soon reveals a watery landscape to your right, and a small path to your left leading up a hill. While you look out to the water on your right, there are large structures I can only figure to be oil drills, though I can't be sure. As you begin the leisurely hike to St. Peter's Pool, you are given an expansive panoramic view of the harbor and market you've just left behind. The path often goes from large to narrow and again wide, passing by old crumbling structures, long wooden fences protecting fresh fields and poppy flowers, a mysterious stone wall bursting with overgrown flowers and greenery, a few mangey dogs and one large out of place metal tower. Eventually you come to a stone wall with a small blue sign directing your path towards St. Peter's Pool. As you trek down the winding stone path, careful not to trip, St. Peter's magnificent pool is revealed. The water is an amazingly rich shade of blue and green that quite nearly takes your breath away. Contrasted with the sandy beige color of the surrounding rocks, you can only marvel at the secret slice of beauty you've stumbled upon. The water is refreshingly chill early in the season, but clear and deep. To slip into those waters, and then lay baking on the rocks gives you the distinct illusion of being a mermaid, with no thought aside from the heavenly heat of the mediterranean sun beating down on you; warming your body and heart to the point of utter contentedness. This is what I love most about St. Peter's Pool, the quiet serenity of this massive set of stones in the water. It is so peaceful and hidden, with such brilliant beauty, you cannot help but fall in love. It isn't just a glorified sunbathing spot, either. If you wander around the cliff, you find a long strip of salt pans between sheer rock and deep aqua blue waters. You may laugh, but I tasted the salt once- it's quite good! As good as eating raw salt plain can be I suppose. There's also interesting boulders and holes through to the water to play around, and a large cliff jutting out over the water for only the most daring to jump from. This is the best single place to spend a day in Malta to fully appreciate not only Malta's true beauty, but also the nature of the maltese people selling their wares, or the fisherman tending to their boats and catch. As a side note to tourists who tend to stand out (like myself, with light skin and hair) there are enough tourists intermingled in this area to allow you to feel fully immersed in the atmosphere of this stunningly real place.