Salina Nature Reserve

Salt heritage

Salina Nature Reserve is an area of former salt pans in Salina Bay on northern Malta, between Bugibba and St. Paul's Bay. The salt pans operated from the time of the Knights of Malta (16th-18th centuries), and the bay's name comes from salt production. Today the pans are no longer used commercially but still fill with seawater.

A bird crossroads

The shallow, saline pools attract migratory birds. In winter, flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus), herons, and waders appear. BirdLife Malta manages the reserve and runs an observation point with binoculars. It is Malta's second most important birdwatching site after Ghadira.

Educational trail

An educational trail with information boards about salt production history, wetland ecology, and bird species runs around the pans. The walk takes about 30 minutes. The site is little known to tourists, visited mainly by local walkers and birdwatchers.

Practical tip: Free entry, open year-round. BirdLife observation point open weekends (October-May). Bus to Bugibba or Salina Bay. Flamingos most likely December-February. Combine with a walk to Kennedy Grove.