Majjistral Park

It has a number of historic and archaeological sites as identified in studies commissioned by the Malta Tourism Authority.

While strolling in the Majjistral Park it is possible to observe the local environment, represented by a wide range of plants found in the different habitats: sand dunes, boulder scree, cliffs, rocky steppes and clay slopes, garrigue, temporary freshwater rock pools and maquis shrubland.

The best period to observe some of the species found in the park is the time of flowering — which for the majority of them extends from late winter to spring.

Plants, in particular the endemic ones, are an intrinsic part of Malta's heritage and their preservation demands striking a constant balance between human presence and nature protection.

[1] Wild plants are important in providing habitat and food for wildlife, protecting the soil from erosion, and are of great value to human life.

African tamarisk: A deciduous shrub or medium-sized tree, reaching up to 5 metres (16 ft) in height.

[5] Giant fennel: A robust plant with huge yet low aromatic flowers grouped in largo umbels attracting several insects such as wasps.

Over 350 species of wild plants, some of which are endemic, sub-endemic or rare are found at Il-Majjistral Nature and History Park.

This shrub gives these rocky grounds of the park a vivid violet at the height of its flowering season in June.

If lucky, one can also see a top predator – the weasel, hurriedly crossing a path and disappearing in a wall or among boulders, shrubs or trees.

The painted frog lays hundreds of eggs which hatch into tadpoles that can only live in fresh water.

[7] In the Majjistral Park, as in many other protected areas, the natural landscape has been modified during the centuries by human hands.

These include small agricultural holdings and corbelled stone huts, various cart ruts and rock cut tombs dating back to the Punic period.

The park offers a variety of activities at a stretch of 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) of protected heritage coast.

These include educational nature guided walks, cleanups, tree planting, seasonal olive picking, rubble wall construction, control of invasive plant species, guided snorkeling tours, and bird watching.