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Paola
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Paola, Malta combines the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, parish churches and southern island culture with easy access to Valletta and historic harbour towns.

Urban History and Sacred Places

Paola is a compact town in Malta’s south-eastern urban belt, positioned between the historic harbour districts and the island’s older village communities. Known locally as Raħal Ġdid, meaning “New Town”, it grew around the parish and civic development initiated in the seventeenth century by Grand Master Antoine de Paule, whose name the town retains. Its streets combine dense residential architecture, small businesses and busy squares with churches that remain central to community life, particularly the large parish church of Christ the King.
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The Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum

Paola’s international importance rests chiefly on the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, an extraordinary underground complex cut into the living limestone between approximately 4000 and 2500 BC. Its chambers, painted details and carefully shaped architectural features reveal the ritual sophistication of Malta’s Temple Period communities. The site is highly sensitive and access is limited, so advance planning is important. Above ground, Paola is an everyday Maltese town rather than a museum district: cafés, grocers, bakeries and parish streets offer a more ordinary view of island life.

Between Harbour and Countryside

The town’s location makes it a useful base for exploring southern Malta. Valletta and the Three Cities lie close by across the harbour area, while Tarxien’s megalithic temples are nearby but in a separate locality. Paola itself rewards slower exploration around Pjazza Antoine de Paule, its churches and the streets leading towards the Kordin area. The atmosphere is practical and lived-in, with religious tradition, post-war urban growth and prehistoric heritage occupying the same small stretch of limestone landscape.

When is the best time to visit Paola?

Best: May–June, October · 24–30°C
Average daytime high and rainfall by month
MonthHigh (°C)Rainfall (mm)
January1585
February1672
March1659
April1948
May (best)2436
June (best)3018
July3310
August349
September3117
October (best)2746
November2259
December1872

Getting to and around Paola

How to get there

Paola is served by Malta International Airport, located near Luqa and Gudja, from which travellers can continue by public bus or taxi. There is no railway connection in Malta, and long-distance travel around the island is mainly by road. Malta Public Transport routes connect Paola with Valletta, the harbour area and several southern communities, although services and journey times vary with traffic. The town is also close to the main roads serving the south-east. Travellers arriving by sea generally use the Valletta cruise terminal or the Gozo Channel ferry terminal at Ċirkewwa; neither is in Paola, so onward road transport is required.

Transportation

Paola is linked to Malta’s bus network and is close enough to parts of the harbour conurbation for some journeys to be made on foot, though busy roads and summer heat can make walking less comfortable. There is no metro, tram or local rail system. Taxis and app-based private-hire services are available, while hire cars can be useful for wider island exploration but require attention to left-hand traffic, narrow streets and limited parking. The Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum is within the town, whereas the Tarxien Temples are in neighbouring Tarxien; local buses or a short taxi journey can connect the two areas.

Best attractions in Paola

Paola’s defining attraction is the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, an underground Neolithic complex whose chambers and ritual spaces were carved into the limestone thousands of years ago; visits are carefully controlled and should be planned in advance. Above ground, the town centre offers a more contemporary view of Malta, with Pjazza Antoine de Paule, parish streets and everyday cafés shaping its local rhythm. The Church of Christ the King is central to Paola’s identity, while the nearby Kordin area reflects the wider harbour region’s industrial and commercial history. The Tarxien Temples are close enough to combine with a Paola visit, but they stand in neighbouring Tarxien rather than within the town. Paola also works as a practical starting point for exploring Valletta, the Three Cities and the southern villages, although its own appeal lies in the contrast between an active residential community and one of Malta’s most important prehistoric sites.

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Best landmarks in Paola

The Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum is Paola’s principal landmark, not because it rises above the streets but because its subterranean architecture preserves an exceptional prehistoric ceremonial and burial complex. Above ground, the Parish Church of Christ the King forms the town’s most prominent religious focus, with its scale and position reflecting the importance of parish institutions in Maltese communities. The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes adds another layer to Paola’s ecclesiastical landscape and to the devotional traditions of the harbour region. Pjazza Antoine de Paule provides the civic centre associated with the town’s seventeenth-century foundation and its continuing public life. Together these places reveal Paola’s unusual historical range: Neolithic builders, Hospitaller-era town planning, Catholic parish culture and modern urban expansion are all represented within a compact limestone settlement.

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Best restaurants in Paola

Paola’s dining scene is rooted in ordinary Maltese food rather than destination gastronomy, with bakeries, cafés, snack bars and family-run eateries supplying the rhythms of a residential town. Look for pastizzi, flaky pastry filled with ricotta or seasoned pea mixture, and other savoury pastries associated with Malta’s street-food culture. Maltese cooking commonly combines Mediterranean ingredients with influences shaped by the island’s long maritime history: rabbit, fish, octopus, tomatoes, olives, capers and ġbejna, the small local cheese, appear in traditional meals. Local cafés are useful for coffee, light lunches and sweets, while restaurants across the wider harbour area offer more substantial Maltese menus. Paola’s proximity to Tarxien, Fgura and the Three Cities broadens the choice, but the town itself is best understood through modest neighbourhood establishments rather than a concentrated restaurant quarter.

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Best bars in Paola

Paola has a modest, local evening scene rather than a major club district. Bars connected to parish and neighbourhood life provide places for an unhurried drink, conversation and televised sport, while cafés remain useful for an early evening pause. The town’s most distinctive social atmosphere appears during religious feast celebrations, when streets and squares can host processions, band music, decorations and communal gatherings; dates and programmes vary by parish and year. For larger nightlife choices, visitors generally travel towards Valletta, the Three Cities or the entertainment areas farther north, where the range of late venues is greater. Evening walks should account for traffic and the uneven relationship between busy commercial streets and quieter residential roads. Cultural performances and harbour-area events can offer a more suitable alternative to clubbing, especially for visitors interested in Malta’s music and festival traditions.

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Best nightclubs in Paola

Paola has a modest, local evening scene rather than a major club district. Bars connected to parish and neighbourhood life provide places for an unhurried drink, conversation and televised sport, while cafés remain useful for an early evening pause. The town’s most distinctive social atmosphere appears during religious feast celebrations, when streets and squares can host processions, band music, decorations and communal gatherings; dates and programmes vary by parish and year. For larger nightlife choices, visitors generally travel towards Valletta, the Three Cities or the entertainment areas farther north, where the range of late venues is greater. Evening walks should account for traffic and the uneven relationship between busy commercial streets and quieter residential roads. Cultural performances and harbour-area events can offer a more suitable alternative to clubbing, especially for visitors interested in Malta’s music and festival traditions.

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Best shops in Paola

Shopping in Paola is practical and local, centred on small food shops, bakeries, pharmacies, cafés and everyday retailers rather than a large luxury or department-store district. The town’s shops are useful for Maltese bakery items, packaged regional foods and modest gifts, while nearby market activity in the wider harbour conurbation offers a more varied look at daily commerce. Visitors interested in traditional products can seek out ġbejna, olive oil, honey, preserves and confectionery, although provenance and packaging should be checked when buying food to take home. Malta’s limestone craft, lace, filigree jewellery and colourful ceramics are more commonly encountered in dedicated craft outlets and tourist areas elsewhere on the island than in Paola itself. The most characteristic shopping experience here is therefore the ordinary rhythm of a southern Maltese town, where independent neighbourhood businesses serve residents first.

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Paola essentials

Currency and Payment
Malta uses the euro, with the international code EUR. Cards and contactless payments are commonly accepted in hotels, larger shops, restaurants and many cafés, but smaller businesses, kiosks and market traders may still prefer cash. ATMs are available in Paola and other nearby urban centres; visitors should check their bank’s foreign transaction and withdrawal fees before travelling. Keeping a modest supply of euros is sensible for small purchases and local transport. When paying by card, choose euros rather than a home-currency conversion if the terminal offers a choice, as the card issuer may provide a more favourable exchange rate.
Safety
Paola is a busy residential town, and ordinary urban precautions are appropriate. Keep wallets and phones secure in crowded buses, around transport interchanges and in busy commercial streets, and avoid leaving valuables visible in parked cars. Pavements can be uneven or narrow, while traffic is often the principal practical hazard for pedestrians. Take care when crossing wider roads and walking after dark, particularly in quiet industrial or edge-of-town areas. Malta’s sun and heat can also create risks during summer sightseeing, so water, shade and sensible footwear are useful. Follow all conservation guidance at the Hypogeum, where the archaeological environment is especially delicate.
Emergency Situations
For police, fire or ambulance services in Malta, call 112, the national emergency number. State that you are in Paola and provide a street, landmark or clearly identifiable location; operators can coordinate the appropriate service. Travellers should carry travel insurance details and information about regular medication, and should ask their accommodation or a local pharmacy for guidance on non-urgent medical care. The nearest suitable hospital or clinic depends on the precise need and current service arrangements, so emergency cases should be directed through 112 rather than self-referral. European visitors should carry a valid European Health Insurance Card where applicable, alongside travel insurance.
Do's and Don'ts
Dress modestly when entering Paola’s churches, covering shoulders and avoiding beachwear, and keep voices low during services. Ask before photographing religious ceremonies or people, and follow signs protecting the Hypogeum’s archaeological surfaces. Malta drives on the left, so look carefully in both directions when crossing and do not assume that a narrow street is traffic-free. Tipping is not compulsory, although rounding up or leaving a modest amount for good service is generally appreciated. Avoid treating parish feasts as staged performances: temporary decorations, processions and public celebrations are part of local religious and community life, and visitors should remain considerate around worshippers and residents.
Local Tips
The most effective way to understand Paola is to combine the scheduled Hypogeum visit with a walk through the central streets and a look at the parish church from the outside when services restrict access. Pairing the town with the Tarxien Temples creates a focused prehistoric itinerary, but allow separate time because the temples lie in another locality. Valletta and the Three Cities are close geographically yet can take longer to reach by bus than expected because the harbour area is heavily trafficked. Local bakeries and cafés provide useful pauses between visits, while early morning or late afternoon is generally more comfortable for walking in the warmer months.
Eve, your Evendo local guide

From Eve

Local phrases worth knowing

You don't need to get them perfect. A few words go a long way, and locals appreciate the effort.

6 phrase groups · English, local and pronunciation

Basics
EnglishLocalSay it
HelloMerħba[mer-h-ba]
GoodbyeSaħħa[sa-ha]
YesIva[ee-va]
NoLe[leh]
Please/You're welcomeJekk jogħġbok[yek-joh-guh-bok]
Thank youGrazzi[grat-see]
Excuse me/SorrySkuzi[skoo-zee]
How are you?Kif int?[keef int]
Fine. And you?Tajjeb. U int?[ta-yeb. oo int]
Do you speak English?Titkellem bl-Ingliż?[tit-ke-lem bling-lees]
I don't understandMa nifhimx[ma neef-heemsh]
Eating & Drinking
EnglishLocalSay it
I'd like to see the menu, pleaseNixtieq inara l-menu, jekk jogħġbok[nishtek in-ara l-may-noo, yek-joh-guh-bok]
I don't eat meatMa niekolx laħam[ma nee-e-kolsh la-ham]
Cheers!Saħħa![sa-ha]
I would like to pay, pleaseNixtieq nippruvajt, jekk jogħġbok[nishtek nip-proo-vait, yek-joh-guh-bok]
Emergencies
EnglishLocalSay it
Help!Għajni![ay-nee]
Go away!Mur![moor]
Call the Police!Ibgħat il-Pulizija![ib-gat il-poo-lee-zee-ya]
Call a doctor!Ibqajja' tabib![ib-ai-ya tah-beeb]
I'm lostNinsab f'gwerra[nins-ab f-gwer-ra]
I'm illNixtieq tabib[nishtek ta-beeb]
Shopping
EnglishLocalSay it
I'd like to buy...Nixtieq inixtri...[nishtek in-ishtree]
I'm just lookingQed nara biss[kwed nara biss]
How much is it?Kemm huwa?[kem hoo-wa]
That's too expensiveDan huwa wisq sħiħ[dan hoo-wa wees-sh sh-hee]
Can you lower the price?Tista' tniżżel il-prezz?[tis-ta tnee-zzel il-prez]
Time & Numbers
EnglishLocalSay it
What time is it?Xi ħin hu?[she heen hoo]
It's one o'clockHuwa l-ewwel siegħa[hoo-wa l-ew-wel see-eha]
Half past (10)Noqsan (10)[noksan]
MorningFilgħodu[fil-oh-doo]
AfternoonWaranofsinhar[wa-ra-no-sin-har]
EveningFlimkien[flim-kee-en]
YesterdayIlbieraħ[il-bee-rah]
TodayIllum[ill-um]
TomorrowGħada[a-da]
1Wieħed[wee-hed]
2Tnejn[t-neyn]
3Tlieta[t-liet-a]
4Erba'[er-ba]
5Ħamsa[ham-sa]
6Sitta[sit-ta]
7Sebgħa[seb-a]
8Tmienja[t-mien-ya]
9Disgħa[dis-a]
10Għaxra[a-shra]
Transport & Directions
EnglishLocalSay it
Where's a/the...?Fejn hemm...[feyn hemm]
What's the address?X'inhu l-indirizz?[sheen-hoo l-in-dee-reetz]
Can you show me (on the map)?Tista' tgħanni (fuq il-mappa)?[tis-ta tan-nee fooq il-mappa]
When's the next (bus)?Meta jmiss?[me-ta y-miss]
A ticket (to ....)Biljett (għal ....)[bil-yet tal]

History of Paola

The Prehistoric Ħal Saflieni Complex

Long before Paola existed as a town, communities of Malta’s Temple Period created the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum in the limestone plateau now occupied by the locality. Used between roughly 4000 and 2500 BC, the complex developed from an underground cemetery into an elaborate series of chambers, passages and ritual spaces. Its interior imitates features of above-ground megalithic architecture, including rounded doorways and carefully finished surfaces, while surviving ochre decoration offers rare evidence of prehistoric artistic practice in Malta. The site was discovered accidentally in 1902 during building works and excavated in the early twentieth century. Its survival beneath a modern neighbourhood provides an unusually direct link between Paola’s contemporary streets and the island’s distant Neolithic past.

Antoine de Paule’s New Town

Paola’s modern identity began in the seventeenth century, when Grand Master Antoine de Paule of the Order of St John encouraged the development of a settlement in the area. The locality became known as Casal Nuovo, or New Town, and later took the name Paola in his honour. Its establishment reflected the Order’s broader interest in organising Malta’s rural and urban communities around parish structures, roads and agricultural land. Unlike the fortified capital founded at Valletta after the Great Siege, Paola grew as a settlement beyond the main defensive city. The town’s name, parish traditions and central public spaces preserve the memory of this period of planned expansion under Hospitaller rule.

Parish Life and Urban Growth

As the settlement expanded, religious institutions became important markers of local identity. The parish church dedicated to Christ the King eventually emerged as Paola’s principal ecclesiastical landmark, while other chapels and churches served neighbourhood communities. Malta’s characteristic village feast culture, centred on parish patronage, helped shape the calendar and social life of the town. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries Paola became increasingly connected to the densely populated harbour region, with homes, workshops, shops and civic services filling the spaces between older village cores. Its development was therefore tied not only to local agriculture but also to the growing economic importance of the Grand Harbour and the industrial and commercial districts around it.

War, Reconstruction and the Harbour Region

Paola’s position close to Malta’s Grand Harbour placed it within a region heavily affected by the strategic pressures of the Second World War. The surrounding harbour towns and infrastructure were targets of aerial bombardment, while civilian life was shaped by sheltering, disruption and the wider island’s wartime mobilisation. The post-war decades brought reconstruction and substantial housing growth, transforming Paola into part of Malta’s continuous south-eastern urban area. Roads, public services and commercial streets expanded as residents moved between Paola, Ħamrun, Tarxien, Fgura and the harbour districts. This period explains much of the town’s present-day built character: a mixture of older limestone buildings, post-war homes and practical urban development.

Archaeology and Modern Conservation

The discovery and preservation of the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum gave Paola a lasting place in the study of prehistoric Mediterranean societies. Conservation has required careful control of humidity, visitor numbers and environmental conditions, since the underground painted surfaces and limestone architecture are vulnerable to change. The site’s protection also illustrates the tension between living urban development and fragile archaeological remains: modern neighbourhoods surround a monument created thousands of years earlier. Today Paola’s identity rests on both dimensions. It is a functioning Maltese town with active parish life and everyday commerce, yet it also safeguards one of the most significant surviving prehistoric ritual complexes in the central Mediterranean.

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Evendo - Your Ultimate Travel Guide to Paola, Malta

100% free app-based travel guide covering attractions, landmarks, shops, bars, restaurants, hotels, tours, and more in Paola. Discover Paola like a local.

  • Detailed information on attractions, landmarks, shops, bars, nightclubs, restaurants, hotels, tours, experiences, and activities
  • Rich content including images, descriptions, local tips, maps, and contact details
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More about the Evendo app

Discover the best of Paola, Malta with Evendo - your comprehensive, free travel guide app. Plan your trip effortlessly with detailed info on attractions, restaurants, tours, and more!

  • Historical insights and travel essentials for Paola
  • Curated local tips to experience Paola like a local
  • 'Near Me' feature for discovering nearby attractions
  • Simple navigation within the app and the city
  • 100% free with no in-app purchases or hidden costs
  • Global coverage with information on over 7,000 destinations

Welcome to Paola, Malta! With Evendo, your ultimate travel guide app, you’ll unlock the hidden gems and must-see attractions of this beautiful city. Whether you’re exploring the historical sites like the Hypogeum of Ħal-Saflieni, enjoying a relaxing day at the Paola Garden, or savoring a delicious meal at renowned restaurants like La Krepree and Il-Forn Ta' L-Għawdxi, Evendo has you covered.

Our app offers detailed information on all the best attractions, landmarks, shops, bars, nightclubs, restaurants, hotels, tours, experiences, and activities in Paola. Each location comes with rich content including images, descriptions, local tips, maps, and contact details, making it easy for you to plan and organize your trip. No more endless searching; Evendo brings everything to one place.

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And the best part? Evendo is 100% free. No in-app purchases, no hidden costs—just pure travel joy. Plus, Evendo doesn’t just stop at Paola. With coverage of over 7,000 destinations worldwide, your next adventure is always within reach. Download Evendo today and make the most of your trip to Paola, Malta!

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