A short fifteen minutes drive from the Malta International Airport towards Delimara Point, the extreme southern tip of the Maltese archipelago we find a landmark building that is an important testimony of Malta's maritime industrial history, the Delimara lighthouse. The road to the lighthouse skirts the picturesque fishing village of Marsaxlokk and many beautiful swimming bays and creeks that adorn the southern coast of the island can be found along the way.
Delimara Lighthouse was built during the British period between 1852 and 1854 and is the only remaining lighthouse in Malta, the only other being that at Ta' Giordan in Gozo. It was commissioned by Governor Richard More O'Ferrall in 1850. He was governor of Malta between 1847 and 1851 and is remembered for having granted a partly-elected Council of Government in 1849. He also encouraged trade and helped the mercantile community to form the Chamber of Commerce.
It is thought the name Delimara could be attributed to a corruption of the Arabic term dejr l-imnara, meaning the house of the lantern. It stands at a height of 24 metres dominating the cliff over Marsaxlokk Bay and was an important reference for ships coming from the Barbary Coast and Egypt. With the construction of the Suez Canal which stimulated maritime traffic between Asia and Europe, increased numbers of naval vessels had to be guided safely to Valletta's harbours. The signalling system for each lighthouse was designed so each could be recognized by its own individual series of flashes. Those of Delimara were alternate red and white with a radius of visibility that spread out up to 15 nautical miles. Erected for the security of Her Majesty's navy and commercial shipping, both lighthouses, together with other beacons along the coast of the Maltese islands secured the commercial treaties that Britain had established with France and China in 1860, Belgium in 1862 and Italy in 1863.
The Lighthouse was decommissioned in 1985, its role superseded by the new AFM tower built nearby. It is entrusted to Din l-Art Helwa (This Beautiful Land), national trust of Malta by its owner the Malta Maritime Authority, today Transport Malta. This heritage organisation has taken the initiative of restoring this landmark monument with financial support from the MMA and GasanMamo Insurance Limited. The lighthouse project has now been completed and has been one of the main objectives of the 50th Anniversary of the organisation in 2015. All proceeds from rentals of the site will be dedicated to the upkeep of the 17 heritage sites held in trust by Din l-Art Helwa.
The restoration was planned in three phases with the final aim of offering visitor accommodation in a historic site: the first secured the masonry, apertures and external paintwork, the second consisted in the refurbishment of the interiors, and the third and most complex was the restoration of the Fresnel Lens, the beacon mechanism and its intricate system of hand cut concentric glass prisms that is unique to the lighthouse and the only one in Malta. The lantern's neo classic pedestal holding the copper fuel tank is in solid bronze.
The lighthouse offered accommodation to the lighthouse keeper and had space for two families. Today it is divided into two apartments that can accommodate up to ten persons separately or together.
The simplicity of the keeper's apartments has been retained, with special touches, such as the hanging mosquito nets over each bed, the original stone elements in the kitchen, as well as the colourful limewash colour scheme originally used. The views from each and every room, including the toilets and bathrooms are spectacular, and one feels in touch with nature looking at the sea and wonderful landscape surrounding it. The proximity of Peter's Pool, and other "out of the way" swimming places, is an added bonus to holiday makers, as are the lovely walking trails, and Xrobb L-Ghagin Nature Park. It is a place to go and relax, leaving everything behind, and yet being close enough to the vibrant restaurants and atmosphere of Marsaxlokk.
Din l-Art Helwa hopes that its restoration will lead to the formation of a heritage coastal trail and to the regeneration of the whole Delimara promontory important for its many remains of wartime defence systems and for its largely unspoilt rural and coastal landscape.
Accommodation information
The two Lighthouse Keeper apartments have different layouts, and these can be rented individually or together. Each apartment sleeps five persons.
Apartment A is smaller and consists of a spacious entrance/sitting and dining area combined with a sofa bed sleeping two, a kitchen, and a guest toilet. There is a traditional internal Maltese stone staircase leading to the first floor which consists of one bedroom that sleeps three in single beds, and a bathroom and shower combined.
Apartment B is larger and at ground floor consists of a spacious entrance/ sitting room with a sofa bed sleeping two, large kitchen with dining area combined, one single bedroom, shower and toilet.
A traditional stone staircase leads to the first floor which consists of
one twin bedroom, a bathroom and dressing room.
All comfort commodities are supplied.
Rates are of €80 euros per day per apartment
Rates for Din l-Art Helwa members are of €70 per day per apartment
Rates for Din l-Art Helwa Double Gold Life Members are of €60 per day per apartment. A minimum stay of three nights is required.
For further information email [email protected]