Popeye Village is the cluster of lopsided wooden houses on a bay near Mellieħa, built as the film set for the 1980 Robin Williams musical and kept ever since as a family fun park. It's a genuinely odd, photogenic spot – a whole make-believe seaside village you can walk through, with character shows, a small museum and a swimming bay below. It works best as a half-day for families with younger children, or anyone after a quirky photo stop in the north. You can book a skip-the-line entry ticket from around €15, and here's what to expect once you're inside.
- 01Popeye Village is the original 1980 film set near Mellieħa, now an open-air family fun park on Anchor Bay.
- 02Tickets start around €15 and are seasonal – summer costs more but adds the inflatable water park in the bay.
- 03Best for families with young kids and film fans; it's smaller and more low-key than a full theme park.
- 04Allow 2–3 hours: the village buildings, character shows, the comic museum and a swim in the bay.
- 05It sits in the northwest near the big sandy beaches, so it pairs well with a Mellieħa or Golden Bay beach day.
What Popeye Village actually is
In 1980, a Maltese bay was turned into Sweethaven, the ramshackle seaside town for the live-action "Popeye" musical starring Robin Williams. When filming wrapped, the village stayed – nineteen-odd wooden buildings clinging to the rocks above Anchor Bay.
Today it's run as a small family fun park rather than a film museum. You wander freely through the houses, most of which are open to walk into, with displays, photo props and the lived-in clutter of a cartoon town.
It's not a big-rides theme park – set expectations there. The appeal is the setting and the novelty: a complete fake village in a real, pretty cove, which photographs far better than it has any right to.
What to see and do inside
The core is simply walking the village – the wonky houses, the wooden walkways and the viewpoints over the bay. Set aside time to explore the buildings rather than just photographing them from the entrance terrace.
Beyond that, the park runs character animation shows through the day, where Popeye, Olive Oyl and the gang appear for younger kids. There's a small comic museum on the history of the cartoon and the film, a short documentary on the village being built, plus mini-golf, a silversmith and seasonal extras.
The summer water park and the bay
The single biggest difference between a winter and summer visit is the bay. In the warmer months the cove below the village becomes a swimming area with inflatable obstacles in the water – the part most families with kids actually come for.
That's also why the ticket price moves with the season: the cheaper off-season rate is village-only, while the higher summer rate includes the water park and the swimming. One verified reviewer summed up a June visit simply – reasonably priced, with inflatables in the water that the children loved.
If you're visiting in summer, bring swimwear, towels and sun protection. The bay is small and gets sun most of the day.
Tickets and what they cost
Entry tickets start at around €15 in the off-season and rise in summer when the water park is open, typically into the mid-€20s. Booking ahead through a skip-the-line ticket saves queuing at the gate and locks in the price, with free cancellation if your plans shift.
It's a popular family stop and flagged as likely to sell out in peak periods, so on a summer visit it's worth securing tickets a day or two ahead rather than turning up and hoping.
Getting there and when to go
Popeye Village is at Anchor Bay, a few minutes west of Mellieħa in the northwest of Malta. The easiest way is by car – there's parking at the site. By public transport, take a bus to Mellieħa and connect from there; allow extra time, as the final stretch isn't quick.
Go in the morning to beat the midday heat and catch the first character shows, or aim for a summer afternoon if the water park is the priority. Because it's out in the north near the island's best sandy beaches, it slots neatly alongside a swim at Mellieħa Bay or Golden Bay – and if you're basing yourself in Mellieħa for a beach trip, it's right on the doorstep.
Is it worth it?
For families with young children, yes – the novelty of the village plus the summer water park makes an easy, low-stress half-day. Film fans and photographers also get their money's worth from the setting alone.
If you're travelling without kids and aren't fussed about the Popeye connection, it's more of a quick photo stop than a must-do. In that case, view it from the cliff above Anchor Bay for free, or catch it from the water on a north-coast boat trip, and spend your time on the nearby beaches instead.
Featured image: Diego Delso / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
