Travel Guides Outdoor Adventures Water Adventures
Margherita Marullo
Given that nearly 3/4 of this beautiful home we call Earth is made up of water, with approximately 97% of the water surrounding the globe from vast oceans and seas — as reported by USGS — it’s not surprising that there are an estimated 372,000 miles of coastline framing these mass bodies of water around the world, according to NASA Science. And, just like captivating paintings reveal diverse elements, hidden beauty, and secrets across their canvas planes, so too, do the varying coastlines that take shape forming unique shapes, spaces, and textures, bordering land and water.
The stunning coastlines and rustic beaches across Europe have to be some of the most spectacular visions of natural landscape artwork one can set their eyes upon. Ranging from the most serene to extremely rugged, and everything in between, they epitomize extreme beauty in the shape of both living and nonliving elements, much like a painting. And, the archipelago of Malta — situated between Sicily and Northern Africa — is home to a section of coastline that has such a unique and fascinating shape, it resembles an oversized, natural, swimming pool.
Ancient Malta in the 21st Century
Bernhard Richter/Shutterstock
Once joined to Italy’s hip, or should we say Italy’s toe-tip before the Ice Age, as told by Local Histories, the 122-square-mile, petite island formation of Malta — now known as the tenth-smallest country in the world, as reported by USA Today Travel — is home to prehistoric temples, ancient monuments, vast acoustic burial chambers, a host of incredibly beautiful beaches, and stunning, dramatic coastlines.
Just off the southeast coast of Malta — between the picturesque fishing village of Marsaxlokk and the Delimara Peninsula — where the breathtaking, azure-colored Mediterranean Sea converges into a small inlet known as Delimara Point, lies a magical, and natural pool formation that experienced adventure seekers and sunbathers can’t get enough of, St. Peter’s Pool. The juxtaposition of its jagged, eroded cliffs and smooth, flat surfaces made of cream-colored limestone, against the turquoise-blue enticing waters of the Mediterranean, makes this captivating area where land meets the sea a haven for cliff divers, snorkelers, divers, and swimmers.
From sunrise to sunset, St. Peter’s Pool is breathtaking
Make your way to the dramatic landscape of St. Peter’s Pool before the golden hour, and sit in awe upon its smooth platforms as the sun ascends slowly above the horizon: The sky and sea its canvas, painted in deep blue, golden oranges, and brilliant pinks. Spend the day taking in the peaceful and tranquil beauty of the area soaking in the Mediterranean sun, as recommended by We Seek Travel.
For those with danger in their blood, join the many novice and experienced cliff divers as they hold their breaths before propelling off the limestone cliffs into the warm waters below, as filmed by Unusual Places. And surely, if you’ve chosen to experience this natural formation of exquisite beauty at sunrise, spending your day either sunbathing or cliff-diving, then staying to watch the hot Mediterranean sun set slowly between the cooling, dark blue sky and sea, slipping under the horizon mysteriously, is a must when visiting St. Peter’s Pool in Malta.
