I really enjoyed Malta when I visited several years ago but I missed out back then on this little gem. For such a small Island, there sure is plenty to do!
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| The view that greeted me. |
Popeye village, located on the North of the Island in Anchor Bay was built in 1979 as the set of the film Popeye filmed in 1980. Largely built of wood, the film set consisted of 20 buildings and materials for the set came from as far away as Canada. By the end of construction, no less than eight tonnes of nails and two thousand gallons of paint were consumed.
These days it is one of Malta's most fun attractions and there is plenty to do no matter what your age. As I alighted the bus and make my way over to the kiosk I am greeted by a friendly lady who proceeded to give me all the information I needed, directions and even a map of the village. Walking down the path towards the set, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, as I slowly meandered round the winding path. Suddenly, all became apparent. What appeared was magical, life size cartoon like buildings all brightly coloured in red, yellow and blue hues. It was wonderful, and suddenly, in an instant, I was transported back to a childlike state.
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| A view from the fire station |
Everything a village could want was there, a fire station, a bakery, a silversmith, a shoemaker and a post office. There is also Santa's toy town, a winery (which offers us adults some free wine tasting!) a cafe, a museum and a cinema amongst others, not forgetting Popeye's cabin of course! This is definitely a full day out as there is so much to explore. Weather permitting there is a free boat ride around anchor bay so you can see the set from a sailors point of view! Should you want to sunbathe and make the most of it, there is a lido, complete with sunbeds for you to relax in. Once finished, I had some light refreshment in the cafe, with an outdoor terrace where I could also take in the breathtaking views.
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| Anchor Bay |
Should you want to organise a corporate or team building event, you will also be fully catered for here in the large 'rough house', a multi purpose building that was used as the on set cafe during filming months. Additionally, they have added a terrace overlooking anchor bay to make the most of those views once again.
For children there are a variety of extra packages you can take advantage of. You can choose packages that include use of a large indoor play area known as the 'jump around', puppet shows and even starring in your own scene that once filmed you can watch over in the cinema! Birthday parties are also welcomed.
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| Fooling around! |
In all, I had an amazing time. There's not many places I can say had me so excited I was tearing through it like a 5 year old on red bull, but this was definitely one of them! Of course, the time to go inevitably came around, and my last stop was the souvenir shop. The kind lady behind the counter also handed me a free postcard with my entrance ticket. High on the joys of the magical village, I almost skipped back to the bus stop, post card in hand with some lovely memories to take with me. Sat on the bus, head against the glass watching the sun set on my way back to the hotel, I was truly knackered!
