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| Tina Picotes at Royal Naval Military Chapel |
Moreover, Tina Picotes, Claire Fontaine and The Grandma want to visit Għajn Tuffieħa, Ġnejna and the Golden Bay because they want to spend a day in the beach.
Il-Manikata is a small village in the limits of Mellieħa in the northwestern. It oversees the farming areas in the valley between Il-Ballut and Il-Manikata with a population of 539 inhabitants and forty families.
The main industry of Manikata is farming. The valleys around this village are rich in produce. All year round the fields are tended and the produce is enjoyed by many. Grapes, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, melons -bettiegħ-, water melons -dulliegħ-, apples, oranges, pomegranates -rummien-, strawberries and many other crops are commonly seen in the fields. Also there are many beekeepers in this area.
More information: Manikata Farmers
A lot of cart ruts are found around Manikata. These probably date to a period between the Bronze Age and the Roman Era. One particular line of cart ruts surfaces from under the trees in the Miżieb area, proceeds towards the parish church and goes towards the cliffs hanging above Mejjiesa Bay.
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| The Grandma walks across Għajn Tuffieħa Bay |
Nearer to Manikata there are several Roman tombs. Some of them have been obliterated when people cut across the cliff side to level the ground and make space for their fields.
Other tombs are found in caves and have been modified by subsequent cave inhabitants to be used as storage space. Some tombs were used as air-raid shelters during WWII.
During the Middle Ages, the lands at Għajn Tuffieħa and Manikata were used for the cultivation of crops and fruit trees. Fields belonged to land owners from the capital city, Mdina, and its suburb, Rabat.
More information: Malta Uncovered
The farmers usually inhabited the caves in the vicinity. The caves also housed sheep, goats and oxen. People also used to come here to collect fire wood. A night watch was kept over the sea cliffs of Għajn Tuffieħa by men from Mosta forming part of the civil corps called Dejma.
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| Enjoying the views in Għajn Tuffieħa Bay |
In 1637, Grand Master Lascaris came to Għajn Tuffieħa to lay the foundation stone of Għajn Tuffieħa Tower. Grand Master Lascaris also built other watch towers at Ġnejna, Qawra and Binġemma. He also built Saint Agatha's Tower, the red tower dominating Mellieħa Bay.
Towards the end of the Order’s reign, coastal entrenchments were built over Mixquqa Bay (Golden Bay). These were meant to prevent enemy troops from landing on the sandy beach below.
More information: Malta Info Guide
From 1902 onwards, a number of farmers in Manikata and Għajn Tuffieħa lost a vast amount of agricultural land which was taken over by the Admiralty for the construction of a Royal Marines Training Centre.
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| Joseph contemplates Għajn Tuffieħa |
During WWI (1914-1917) the camp was covered in tents and used as a military hospital to cure wounded soldiers that were brought here from the war front.
In 1935 Benito Mussolini, the Fascist ruler of Italy, invaded Abbisinia, modern Ethiopia, in Africa. The British suspected that Mussolini would attempt to invade Malta. So, they built a number of coastal defences called beach posts. These were built of concrete and camouflaged with rubble walls. Two such beach posts were built in Manikata in 1935, one near Għajn Tuffieħa Tower and one near the Razzett tal-Qasam.
More information: Malta in 360
When the WWII eventually broke out, more beach posts were built along the coast. These were provided with a search light in order to spot enemy aircraft. Over Għajn Tuffieħa Gardens, an anti-aircraft battery was also built. Due to the presence of the Admiralty camp, Manikata was often a target during air-raids. The residents used to take shelter in rock-cut air-raid shelters, in caves or in Roman tombs.
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| Claire Fontaine contemplates Ġnejna Bay |
Many local villagers are full-time or part-time farmers. Their fields are found in the surrounding areas known as il-Ġnien ta’ Għajn Tuffieħa, il-Wilġa ta’ Għajn Tuffieħa, il-Miżieb, and ix-Xagħra l-Ħamra. Every last Sunday in August the parish celebrates the feast of St. Joseph. On the eve of the parish feast, the local community celebrates Lejla Sajfija għaż-Żiffa, a Summer Breeze Night, where the villagers put their best talents and products on show, including songs, drama, paintings, hand crafts, vegetables, fruits, honey, wine, olive oil...
More information: Shutter Stock
In the north-east of the Manikata church there is a medium barren land called Tal-Qargħa. This land contains a number of archaeological remains mainly cart-ruts, old quarry and walls built of large stones. In the land there is a girna and in the west of the structure there is a wall some 8 metres long and in it there are five large stones. Parallel to this wall there is another wall, which has six large stones.
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| The Grandma & Claire at Għajn Tuffieħa Tower |
It seems that during the Bronze Age period in this area there was a prehistoric village and it was defended by several walls against their enemies. The idea of building a village on a hill and surround it by a defensive wall is a typical characteristic of the Bronze Age Period, Borġ in-Nadur. This site has evidence of hut foundations and has the longest defensive wall of the Bronze Age Period. Borġ in-Nadur wall is the best preserved prehistoric fortification in Malta.
A pillbox can be found built in Manikata at the rear of Għajn Tuffieħa Camp. Pillboxes were the last type of fortification to be built in Mellieħa and Malta. These types of military structures were constructed in nearly every part of the Island. It seems that the largest number of pillboxes was built in Mellieħa and fortunately the largest number of them survived to this day. The first building programme of pillboxes occurred in 1935.
More information: The Travel Tester
Għajn Tuffieħa Tower was built in 1637, on the top of the cliffs at the western edge of Għajn Tuffieħa Bay. During the Middle Ages il-Mahras maintained a watch-post in Għajn Tuffieħa, probably in the same site where the tower was built. This is one of the seven towers built by Grand Master Lascaris, during the times of the Knights of Malta. This tower has a longish shape and the ground floor room is larger than the second floor one. It was armed with ½-pdr cannon and was manned by four men, a captain and three men.
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| Joseph at The Old Chapel of St. Joseph |
The Old Chapel of St. Joseph was built in 1920, when there were only twelve families living in Manikata. A number of people from this tiny village helped to build this chapel. Locals recall how the soft, honey-coloured stone was brought from Qasam Barrani quarry, while stronger stone, for the arches was brought from quarries in the north of Mosta. But with the growth of Manikata to over five hundred people the chapel of St. Joseph, which seated only 100, became too small for the religious needs of the locals.
More information: Malta Uncovered
Għajn Tuffieħa forms part of the Manikata village in Malta which is part of Mellieħa. Literally translates into Apple’s Spring. It is located just east of Golden Bay, one of three bays: Gnejna Bay, Għajn Tuffieħa & Golden Bay carved out of the cliffs. It is situated at the bottom of Wied tal-Pwales. The sea is deep blue and aquamarine water interspersed with emerald and white stretches of sand.
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| Joseph at The Old Chapel of St. Joseph |
Golden Bay, in Maltese Il-Mixquqa, is one of the few sand beaches on the north-west. It was previously known as Military Bay. The white beach slopes gently allowing swimmers to easily walk into the sea. The sand at the edge of the water at this bay is peppered with small pebbles and reaching the water can be tricky. The water here can be quite rough at times. As you swim away from the beach, the currents can be quite strong. This is one of the best places for sunsets on the Maltese islands. The water shimmers as the sun hits the horizon.
More information: Times of Malta
Għajn Tuffieħa Bay is a red beach a short distance south of Golden Bay. It is quieter than Golden Bay and often visited by the Maltese themselves, as well as tourist visitors. In order to reach this beach one needs to descend a hill on a staircase of 200 steps.
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| Claire Fontaine & The Grandma at Ġnejna Bay |
To the south of Għajn Tuffieħa Bay is the first part of Ġnejna Bay. This beach can only be reached by first going through Għajn Tuffieħa Bay, then climbing up a hill and finally making a descend along some rather steep paths between the rocks.
The beach and especially the small stone promontory of this part of Ġnejna Bay is used as a clothing optional beach as well as a long-time gay-friendly area. This part of the bay is hidden from the main part of Ġnejna Bay.
More information: Times of Malta
Further south, the main part of Ġnejna Bay is easily reached by road via Mgarr. It offers a mixture of rocks, sand and pebbles. Boathouses are carved into the rocks on the south side of Ġnejna Bay. Watersports are prominent recreation in Ġnejna Bay, but its earlier history as a fisherman's bay has not entirely vanished.
To escape and sit quietly on the beach,
that's my idea of paradise.
Emilia Wickstead
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