The Fiery Red Sand Beach On This European Island Is Known For Ravishingly Beautiful Sunsets

There are plenty of beaches to choose from in the island nation of Malta. The country's three islands — Malta, Gozo, and Comino — lie in the Mediterranean Sea near Sicily and boast more than 30 beaches where you can swim nearly year round. The fiery red sand of Ramla Bay on the island of Gozo is enhanced by the reddish hues of sunrise and sunset, so time your visit to experience the intense glow of nature when you'll have the beach practically to yourself. Its Maltese name, Ramla l-Ħamra, translates as "red sand," so even early settlers knew how special it was.

Ramla Bay is one of Malta's 11 Blue Flag beaches, which means that the Foundation for Environmental Education awarded it this honor for meeting high standards in cleanliness, safety, and access for all. The country's water quality also gets high marks that place Malta among the top three countries in the world to swim. Ramla Bay is a great spot for snorkeling and, around the islands, scuba divers of all levels are in luck, as Malta has a variety of dive sites with lots of submerged ships, caves, and reefs to explore. The island nation's crystal clear, azure waters are legendary. Malta is the perfect Mediterranean island for a historic vacation, as it has been inhabited since 5900 B.C.

As Gozo's largest and most beautiful beach, Ramla Bay is special for a number of reasons, especially its vibrant red sand. There's also orange sand on Gozo's colorful San Blas Beach. Undeveloped and surrounded by environmentally-protected sand dunes, the beach nonetheless offers amenities like restrooms, food options, and beach chair and umbrella rentals. You can even rent water shoes if you didn't bring your own, since the long, shallow entry into the water can be rough on bare feet. Lifeguards are another welcome addition to this gorgeous, unspoiled beach that lies below a verdant valley. If you're a beach lover who seeks serene stretches of sand, there are tons of other must-visit, crowd-free European beaches, like Durrës Beach in Albania.

A can't-miss at Ramla Bay is witnessing a sunset. As one TripAdvisor review noted, "You need to watch the sunset from the rocks as it is something special. Definitely our favourite sunset we've ever seen." Another praised, "Sunrises and sunsets were genuinely a marvel."

While exploring Gozo beyond Ramla Bay, you'll find an ancient megalithic temple complex that is older than both the Pyramids of Giza and Stonehenge. There's no big tourism infrastructure around the Ġgantija Temples, so you can easily walk among its giant stone structures. The historic but more recent medieval Ta' Kola Windmill is a picturesque backdrop for photos. Another building that Catholics specifically won't want to miss is the Ta' Pinu National Shrine. A place of pilgrimage for its connection to miracles, it's an architecturally magnificent church that Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis have visited. 

One of Europe's smallest countries, Malta is 120 square miles with a population of more than 563,400. This strategically located, sundrenched Mediterranean archipelago was ping-ponged among world powers over the centuries. The capital, Valletta, is a UNESCO World Heritage site surrounded by 16th-century bastions, walls, and towers. 

The old capital, Mdina, is a hilltop walled city that provides panoramic views of sailboats bobbing in the port and the azure sea beyond. Stroll the cobblestone streets and admire medieval architecture, as well grand palazzos. Don't miss a visit to the baroque St. Paul's Cathedral, known for its frescoes and stained glass windows. You could also head underground and walk through a 6,000-year-old subterranean cemetery called the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum.

The tiniest of Malta's islands is Comino, which is home to only one family. Comino's main draw is the Blue Lagoon, an idyllic spot for water activities like boating and swimming. There are inter-island ferries and numerous boat trips to the Blue Lagoon and equally magnificent Crystal Lagoon, with a range of options for watercrafts like catamarans and powerboats. Explore Comino's secluded beaches, snorkeling, and diving spots with dynamic underwater worlds and sea caves that are only accessible via water.