The woman protects from heat with long sleeves and a handkerchief. She carries boxes of newly harvested green beans to the car. Many of these small orchards, with beans and wine, extend along the line rural road that leads to the coast. This path is probably the narrowest of Malta, since it ends in the cliffs after only twenty minutes. Faced with us, in the bay, there is a strange but beautiful town: Popeye Village.
Crooked houses cling to the rocks of the bay. The cabins look very different from the houses here in Malta. They remind more of a people of Pescadores de Terranova or the United States in the nineteenth century. From here I can see a bakery, a post office, a bank and a dock.
In the center of the town music sounds and in the small square there are a few figures dancing happily. As we approach, I realize that, of course, it’s about Popeye, Oliva, Bluto and many other comic characters, whose names I no longer remember. Here the little Popeye Village comes to life.
Sweethaven’s wooden cabins are intentionally built in a crooked and diverted way. Probably to remember the comic film of the 20s, where the sailor emerged.
In the 1970s, Robert Altman filmed the film with Robin Williams as the clumsy but unbeatable Popeye right here in Anchor Bay. The original buildings of the filming sets have been renewed and many of the houses are beautifully furnished. There is even a cemetery with crooked crosses at the end of the town!
First, I pass through one of the open doors and I am standing in front of a table. A typical American kitchen, behind a small living room and a bedroom, as in the 30s. Another building houses a kind of museum. On the shelves and showcases there are innumerable Popeye figures of different decades, large and small figures, masks, boxes and paintings. There is even a movie in a corner!
Then there is a wine shop, a bakery, a dentist, a post office and, of course, the blacksmith. In the bar they even give us a free sailor punch, on behalf of the house. Contrary to expected, it is not a spinach juice, but a small sip of red wine. 😉 Decoicanicio!
From the sawmill I have a beautiful view of the bay and the two ships rocking down there in the crystalline water. A colorful fishing boat rests quietly on water. An older man is brushing and sanding another of the traditional Luzzus who right now lie on the shore. So here you are still working. Does Village also belong to Popeye?
In any case, today the sea is beautiful and quiet, there are no waves. Unfortunately it is still too cold to swim. The small motor boat is currently making a trip along the coast with the last guests of the day.
After taking a complete look at the town, Laura (Herzanhirn) and I decided to wait for the sunset in the Achor Bay cliffs. However, we are not the only ones who had this super unusual idea. Soon we will join many other visitors looking for a section between the rocks to have the most beautiful view of the beautiful and small bay and the cheerful town from here.
I drag me between the rocks until finally I cannot go up again to the wall. What a shame! But luckily Laura is there, her hand is bravely offers me and helps me get up; Otherwise, I could still be sitting somewhere down there, between the rocks 🙂
Information about Popeye Village
Popeye Village address:
Anchor Bay
Road
Mellieha, Malta, MLH 4808
How do I get to Popeye Village?
Bus number 101 also passes through Popeye Village on the route from Mgarr to Cirkewwa (my diving place). If you can reach the bus stop in front of the DB Seabank Hotel, you can also walk: the route is not particularly exciting because it is a straight line, but it is only 20 minutes on foot. You can find information about Malta buses here: www.publictransport.com.mt. A completely different but very beautiful story about bus trips in Malta can be found in Claudi around the world: Why didn’t I see the blue grotto
Entrance to Popeye Village:
Input prices vary according to the season. On the web you will find the exact dates of each season and holidays.
In summer adult ticket is 15.00 euros. Retirees and children between 3 and 12 pay 12.00 euros.
In winter, adult ticket is 10.50 euros. Retirees and children between 3 and 12 years pay then 8.50 euros.
The entrance also includes a brief boat trip through the bay, a Popeye drink and a souvenir postcard. In summer you can use swimming slide and sun loungers. Since the bay water is incredibly clear, you should definitely take advantage of it!
Popeye Village opening schedule:
As we arrived quite late and we only had half an hour for the closure, the kind lady of the box office let us enter the reduced price of 8.50 euros.
Winter: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Summer: 9:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Spring and autumn: from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
And if you want to know more about Popeye Village, you will have to read it yourself on the website: www.popeyemalta.com
Note: I was invited to the trip to Malta for LTUR. The opinion expressed here reflects only my personal impressions.
This article and her photos were reproduced with authorization from the author.
The author loves to travel, and he believes that it is not always necessary to go very far, because even in central Europe there are still small unknown places, exciting landscapes and exciting stories that expect to be discovered. After finishing his studies, Nicole Biarnés moved to Spain, where he has resided near Barcelona for 23 years. As an independent writer, she writes travel books, writes texts for several websites, conducts in situ research for television productions and reports life in the Mediterranean in her travel blog www.freibeuter-reisen.org.
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