Popeye Village, Mellieħa: film set with shows and swims

Popeye Village is the original 1980 Popeye film set turned fun park on a turquoise cove. It is best seen as a bright, slightly kitschy half day of simple shows, a short cinema session and, in summer, swims off floating decks and a water inflatables course.

Who will enjoy it most and when depends on what you are after. Families and anyone with a soft spot for Robin Williams’ Popeye get the most out of the character meet‑and‑greets and the staged sketches. If your Malta plan is all beaches and open sea, treat this as a change of pace, not a headline act. Summer is about the water features and deck time, while May, early October and winter lean into shows, games and the film‑set museum rooms.

It sits on Anchor Bay. It is 3 km from Mellieħa. You are in northwestern Malta, in a steep little cove with the village curling along one side. The village curves around Anchor Bay. There is a viewpoint on the opposite cliff worth a stop for the classic photo, and the same side is popular for a picnic or a quick swim if you want the postcard view without going into the park.

Getting there is simplest by car. Parking is in a large parking lot. Final approach roads are narrow but easy to reach. By bus you ride to Mellieħa Bay first, then make the final 3 km by local connection or taxi. From Valletta take route 42, from St Paul’s Bay take 221, from Sliema or St Julian’s take 222 and from the airport take X1, all to Mellieħa Bay. Boat rides circle Anchor Bay every 15 minutes in good weather, a short loop that gives the best angles back on the painted facades.

High season runs 1 Jun–30 Sep 2026. In high season the hours are 09:30–18:00. Mid season covers 1–31 May and 1 Oct–5 Nov 2026 and runs 09:30–17:30. Low season is 6 Nov 2026–30 Apr 2027 and runs 09:30–17:00. It is open seven days a week. Shows and activities run throughout the day.

Crowds thicken in summer, especially around the decks. Sunbeds are limited in summer and work on a first come basis. If you want photos from the cliffside viewpoint with softer light, arrive early or towards late afternoon. In early April, visitors in late morning; no real crowds.

Tickets change with the season and are inclusive of what is running. High season tickets cost €25.00 for adults and teens, €16.00 for children 3–12 and €16.00 for pensioners. Mid season tickets cost €18.00 for adults and teens, €14.00 for children 3–12 and €14.00 for pensioners. Low season tickets cost €15.00 for adults and teens, €12.50 for children 3–12 and €12.50 for pensioners. Child tickets cover ages 3–12. You can book online to skip the queue.

What you actually do here depends on the month. In summer your ticket includes the film set, live animation shows, mini‑golf, the cinema, splash pools, a floating sun deck and a water inflatables assault course, with sunbeds and umbrellas on the deck. In May and in October to early November, the focus is on the film set, live shows, mini‑golf and the cinema, with traditional games and silversmith demonstrations adding a local touch. In winter you still get the film set, live shows and cinema, plus a Comic Museum and a scavenger hunt that keeps kids moving between houses.

The look is half movie set, half seaside resort. The buildings are rustic, dilapidated wooden buildings. There are 19 of them, some dressed with props from the shoot, and the effect is deliberately off‑kilter, just like Sweethaven in the film. The logs and planks came from the Netherlands and the wood shingles came from Canada. Inside the Lower Complex you can duck into a small theatre for the site’s history film. The cinema show runs every hour and lasts 15 minutes.

For children, this is easy fun. You can meet Popeye, Olive Oyl, Bluto and Wimpy. Children can climb playhouses, try mini‑golf and simple skill and puzzle games, and join scavenger hunts or casual workshops when scheduled. The performers keep up a rotation of interactive family shows, so there is usually something to watch between photo stops.

Accessibility is mixed. Much of the site is outdoors on wooden walkways that step down towards the water, and the cinema is in the centre of the Lower Complex. If mobility is a concern, plan extra time, stick to the upper paths for the viewpoint over the bay, and ask staff for the easiest route between levels.

If you are based in the north, combine your visit with a swim at Mellieħa Bay or a snorkel at Cirkewwa diving. On another day from this side of the island, take the ferry for a Gozo day trip or a boat to the Blue Lagoon Comino. If you are staying further south, make Popeye Village a morning before an afternoon in Mdina Rabat or a circuit through Mosta Rotunda and back to Valletta for the evening.

Common questions

Last checked: 15 September 2026. Prices, opening hours and timetables change, verify anything time-sensitive before you travel. Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0.