Photo: Merkanti Beach Club 16+ via Google
Merkanti
Beach Club
Two pools and a curtained cabana on the Portomaso rocks, kept quiet and adults only.
The verdict
- Book ifYou want a calm adults only day by the sea in St Julian’s, two pools, a curtained cabana and sushi and cocktails with no DJ in earshot
- Skip ifYou are travelling with children or want a party, Merkanti is 16 and over and deliberately quiet, and the prices sit at the top of the Malta range
- One thing to knowThis is a lido on the rocks below the Hilton at Portomaso, the swim is off ladders and platforms rather than a sandy beach
Facts checked against the club’s own site to our editorial standards by Morten Andersen
Published 10 July 2026. Last reviewed 10 July 2026
Merkanti Beach Club sits on the waterfront below the Hilton at Portomaso, tucked into the marina district of St Julian’s on the east coast of Malta. It is a lido in the Maltese sense, a club built on the rocks with pools, sunbeds and ladders into the open sea rather than a stretch of sand, and its defining choice is to run as an adults only address, 16 and over, which sets the whole tone of the place.
On the Malta club directory we read the island honestly as a place of lidos and pool clubs rather than sandy beach clubs, and Merkanti is the calm, grown up end of that spectrum. Where the big names chase a sunset crowd, this one trades noise for quiet, and that is exactly what its regulars come back for.
Merkanti at a glance
Assembled from the club listings and recent guest reviews, and where a rate is not posted openly we mark it to be confirmed instead of guessing at a number.
| What | The detail |
|---|---|
| Sunbeds | Loungers around two pools and along the sea deck, day rate not published, to be confirmed on booking |
| Cabanas | Large curtained cabana beds for a private corner, pricing and any spend to be confirmed with the club |
| Minimum spend | None published, though guests report premium pricing across food and drink, so budget accordingly |
| Entry | Adults only, 16 and over. Day access and any pass to be confirmed with the club |
| Reservations | Advised for summer weekends given limited loungers and cabanas, walk in more likely midweek |
| Dress code | Smart beach, swimwear at the pools and something tidier for lunch and drinks |
| Season and setting | Summer season, two pools plus rock and platform sea access on the Portomaso waterfront, no sandy beach |
| Food and bar | Burgers, salads, pasta, sushi and signature mains with a full cocktail list, praised on the plate and priced to match |
What a day here is actually like
The two pools are the heart of it, and the adults only rule is what makes them feel the way they do. With no children in the water the club stays calm through the day, loungers spread around the decks, big curtained cabanas along the edge for anyone who wants to draw a screen and disappear, and the open sea a ladder away for a proper swim. Reviews land again and again on the same words, quiet and relaxing, and on service that regulars single out by name, which on a busy coast is worth a lot.
The kitchen holds the day together so you never have to leave. The menu runs from burgers and salads to pasta, sushi and a set of signature mains, with a long cocktail list to carry the afternoon into early evening. Recent visitors rate the cooking on freshness and presentation rather than treating it as an afterthought, which is not always the case at a pool club, and the bar is built for a slow drink with the marina in view.
Where it falls short is a short and honest list. The prices sit at the top of the Malta range and the food in particular is repeatedly flagged as expensive, so this is a treat rather than a value day. The 16 and over rule rules out families entirely. And because the setting is a rock lido below a large hotel, you are swimming off platforms rather than sand and the mood is polished and resort adjacent rather than wild, which is the trade for all that calm.
Portomaso and the St Julian’s coast
Photo: Андрей Кузнецов via GooglePhoto: Merkanti Beach Club 16+ via GooglePortomaso is a modern marina and tower development on the St Julian’s seafront, a district of yachts, restaurants and hotels rather than a natural bay. The coast here is rocky and built up, so the swimming is from lidos like this one straight into deep, clear water, which many prefer to a crowded sandy shore. For the island’s actual sands, the reddish bays of the northwest and the sheltered pockets elsewhere, our best beaches in Malta guide maps the choices well beyond the city coast.
The practical part
Merkanti is central and easy to reach, set within the Portomaso complex a short walk from the St Julian’s and Paceville hotels and a quick taxi or bus from Sliema and Valletta. You arrive down through the marina to the waterfront rather than across a beach, and there is paid parking in the development for anyone driving. Booking is best done ahead in summer, when the limited loungers and cabanas fill on warm weekends, and a reservation also confirms the day rate before you commit to the trip.
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Merkanti questions, answered
Is Merkanti Beach Club adults only?
Yes, Merkanti runs as a 16 and over club, which is central to its character. The two pools and the loungers stay calm and grown up rather than full of splashing children, so it suits couples and friends after a quiet day and rules itself out for a family with young kids.
Does Merkanti Beach Club have a sandy beach?
No, and that is worth knowing before you go. Merkanti is a rock and platform lido on the Portomaso waterfront, so the swimming is from ladders and decks into the open sea rather than off a sandy shore, backed by two pools for those who prefer the fresh water and a sunbed.
How much does Merkanti Beach Club cost?
Merkanti does not post a single fixed rate, so we hold the day bed and any pass as to be confirmed and suggest asking when you book. Expect the top of the Malta range, and note that recent guests, while praising the food, consistently flag it as expensive, so budget for a premium day rather than a cheap one.
Do you need to book Merkanti Beach Club?
In the peak summer weeks and at weekends a reservation is the sensible move, since the loungers and cabanas are limited and the club is well known in St Julian’s. Midweek and in the shoulder season you have a better chance of a walk in, but a quick enquiry ahead saves a wasted trip to the waterfront.
Where is Merkanti Beach Club?
It sits on the waterfront below the Hilton at Portomaso, in the marina district of St Julian’s on the east coast of Malta. That puts it within easy reach of the St Julian’s and Sliema hotels and the Paceville nightlife, so you can pair a calm pool day with the busiest part of the island in the evening.
Is Merkanti Beach Club good for a couple?
It is one of the calmer choices on this coast for two. The adults only rule keeps the mood quiet, the cabanas give a curtained corner of your own, and the kitchen and cocktail bar mean you can make a full day of it without leaving, with the open sea and the marina in view.