Ta' Dmejrek
253 m
Malta
Also known as Ta’ Dmejrek, Τα' Ντμέιρεκ, +2Also known as
Ta’ Dmejrek · Τα' Ντμέιρεκ · Ta'Dmejrek · Та-Дмейрек
- Elevation
- 253 m
- Prominence
- 253 m
- Difficulty
- 1/10
- Easy walk
- Best Season
- Feb–May
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1A nearly level walk of about 1.3 km (20–30 minutes) east along Triq Panoramika, the road on top of the Dingli Cliffs, from the Chapel of St Mary Magdalene to the unmarked rough ground beside the road that holds Malta's highest point (253 m). Bus 201 serves the cliff road.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 3.1 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +75 m
- −66 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 253 m
- Time Up
- 58m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 57m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start at the small Chapel of St Mary Magdalene (Kappella ta' Santa Marija Maddalena), on the edge of the Dingli Cliffs at the southern end of the Dingli viewpoint road. There is free parking, a snack van and the Ħad-Dingli – Maddalena bus stop. Views from here over the 250 m cliffs to the islet of Filfla are the best of the outing. Walk south-east along Triq Panoramika, which climbs gently along the cliff top. There is little traffic but no pavement for much of the way. You pass the Ħad-Dingli – Cliffs bus stop, then a broad, quarried plateau of rubble and earth mounds known as Ta' Żuta. The highest point is unmarked rough ground a few metres north of the road (left when walking east), about 1.3 km from the chapel. Trip reports place it a few metres past a dirt-road turnoff, just before the road itself reaches its highest point. The surroundings have been heavily altered by quarrying and dumping, and the exact top is disputed. Visit the nearby bumps if you want to be sure. Return the same way, or continue east about 600 m to the Ħad-Dingli – Mundu bus stop. For a longer day, combine the summit with the Dingli Cliffs walk north-west towards the radar station and Dingli village, or with Buskett Gardens to the north.
Start
Kappella ta' Santa Marija Maddalena243 m
- Malta Public Transport route 201 (Rabat–Dingli–Siġġiewi–Airport, hourly) stops at Ħad-Dingli – Maddalena, Cliffs and Mundu on Triq Panoramika. Routes 52 and 56 from Valletta serve Dingli village and Buskett.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kappella ta' Santa Marija Maddalena → Ta' Dmejrek | 3.1 | 75 | 66 | 58m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Kappella ta' Santa Marija Maddalena243 m
Chapel on the cliff edge with parking and a bus stop
- Station: Ħad-Dingli - Cliffs238 m
Bus 201 stop on the cliff road
- Summit: Ta' Dmejrek253 m
Unmarked rough ground just north of Triq Panoramika; the exact high point is disputed
Key Passages
- Road walk along Triq Panoramika (no pavement in places)
- Pathless ground north of the road at the summit
Equipment
0/4 packedDownloads
Route confidence 60%Overview
Malta's highest point (253 m): an unmarked, partly quarried patch of ground beside the road along the top of the Dingli Cliffs, on the island's south-west coast. The summit is an anticlimax, but the cliff-top walk to it gives wide views over the sea to Filfla.
The Maltese islands are a tilted limestone plateau: low towards the north-east and the Grand Harbour, highest along the south-west coast, where the Dingli Cliffs drop about 250 m to the sea. Ta' Dmejrek lies on this rim, between Dingli village and Siġġiewi, about 12 km from the airport. The highest ground is a broad plateau north of the cliff road, Triq Panoramika. Much of it is taken up by quarrying and dumped material, so the summit is a jumble of earth and rubble mounds with no marker.
No one visits for the summit itself. The reason to come is the cliff top. From the small Chapel of St Mary Magdalene, perched on the edge, the view takes in the sea, the uninhabited islet of Filfla about 5 km offshore and, on very clear days, Sicily. The walk from the chapel to the high point takes 20–30 minutes along the road, and bus 201 runs along the cliffs.
For a fuller outing, combine the summit with the Dingli Cliffs path, the woodland of Buskett Gardens and the cart ruts at 'Clapham Junction' to the north. The longer Fawwara trail is another option. Avoid the middle of hot summer days: there is almost no shade.
Climbing Notes
No preparation is needed beyond sun protection and water. The plateau is exposed, shadeless and windy, and summer temperatures make midday visits unpleasant. Spring (with wildflowers from February to April) and autumn are best, and late afternoon gives sunset views over Filfla. Walk on the road with care, as there is no pavement in places, and keep back from the unfenced cliff edges if you leave the road. Because the true top is disputed and the ground keeps changing with quarrying, visit all the mounds near the OSM summit point if you want to be thorough. Most land away from the road is private, and camping is not allowed.
Season
Best Feb–May- January: Good
- February: Best (best window)
- March: Best (best window)
- April: Best (best window)
- May: Best (best window)
- June: Good
- July: Possible
- August: Possible
- September: Good
- October: Best
- November: Best
- December: Good
- Jan
- Mild; occasional rain and strong wind
- Feb
- Wildflowers begin
- Jun
- Hot; go early or late
- Jul
- Very hot and shadeless; avoid midday
- Aug
- Very hot and shadeless; avoid midday
- Sep
- Still hot
- Dec
- Rain and wind possible
Access & Permits
- Rules
- Land away from the public road is largely private; quarry areas on the plateau are off limits
- No camping
- Getting There
Ħad-Dingli (Dingli), about 2 km north-west; Rabat and Mdina about 5 km
Malta International Airport (MLA), about 12 km
- Bus: Malta Public Transport route 201 (Rabat – Dingli – Siġġiewi – Airport) runs hourly along Triq Panoramika, with stops at Maddalena, Cliffs and Mundu
- Bus from Valletta: routes 52 (to Dingli village) and 56 (via Buskett), then walk 15–30 minutes to the cliff road
- Car, taxi or ride-hailing: about 30–35 minutes from Valletta, 10 minutes from Mdina; free roadside parking near the Magdalene Chapel