Grand Harbour

Grand Harbour

Grand Harbour is a natural harbour located between Malta’s capital, Valletta, and the three ancient cities of Senglea and Cospicua. It extends from St Elmo's Point in the north to Ricasoli Point in the south, covering a total area of approximately 2.2 square kilometres, making it the largest natural harbour in Malta. The harbour contains seven docks, the largest of which is a 300,000-tonne dry dock built with Chinese assistance in the 1970s and still affectionately referred to by locals as the “Red China Dock.”

The Grand Harbour features multiple deep-water berths along with facilities for cargo handling, fuelling, and grain storage, capable of accommodating 10,000-tonne ships with an annual cargo throughput of over 1.6 million tonnes. As early as the Phoenician Times, the Grand Harbour served as a seaport. The Knights of St John used it as a naval base for 268 years, and later the British included it in their strategic bases for 170 years. After the departure of British forces, the harbour’s military significance declined, but it remains a vital pillar of Malta’s economic prosperity and development, as well as an important platform for its external connections. Often described as a shining pearl in the Mediterranean, the island of Malta owes much of its lustre to the distinctive brilliance contributed by the Grand Harbour.

Grand Harbour

Must-visit reason: Malta’s largest natural harbour

Continent where the attraction is located: Europe【Europe】

Country/Region where the attraction is located: Malta[Malta]

Province/State where the attraction is located: Malta Island [Malta Island]

City where the attraction is located: Valletta [Valletta]