Popeye Village Malta: Tickets, Hours and What's Inside

What Popeye Village is

The village was originally built as the film set for the 1980 musical Popeye, and the wooden houses still stand on the cliffs above Anchor Bay. Today it operates as an open-air museum and family entertainment complex, so you walk through the film buildings rather than past a facade, and Popeye and his friends host visitors through the day.

The set itself is the draw: cartoonish timber houses stacked against the bay, with Popeye's Cabin and the Nautical School among the buildings you can step inside. Expect character-led comedy, a filming experience with the animation crew and vintage Popeye memorabilia rather than white-knuckle rides, so judge it as a family half-day out.

Where Anchor Bay sits in Malta's northwest

Anchor Bay is on the northwest coast, roughly two miles from Mellieħa village, which makes the set an easy add-on to a day in that corner of the island. The nearest cluster of cafés, shops and bus connections is in Mellieħa itself, so plan the visit as part of a wider look at the things to do in Mellieha rather than an isolated stop.

The approach is down a steep ramp to the bay, and the operator notes steep ramps and numerous stairs between the entrance and the set. Wheelchair users and visitors with mobility impairments can be driven down to the film set to avoid the steep ramp, which is worth arranging before you arrive.

Tickets and prices by season

Entrance is priced by season rather than by a single year-round rate. For the low season running 6 November 2026 to 30 April 2027, adults and teens pay €15.00 while children aged 3 to 12 and pensioners pay €12.50, and the day covers the film set, live animation shows, the Comic Museum, the cinema documentary and a scavenger hunt.

Mid season covers 1 to 31 May and 1 October to 5 November 2026, when adults and teens pay €18.00 and children and pensioners €14.00 for the standard entrance with mini-golf, traditional games, silversmith demonstrations and the cinema documentary. High season from 1 June to 30 September 2026 is sold as a summer package at €25.00 for adults and teens and €16.00 for children and pensioners, because the water inflatables, splash pools, floating sun deck, sunbeds and umbrellas are part of the price.

That difference is the main trade-off: the low-season ticket is the cheapest way to see the set, but the water activities that justify the summer price feature in the high season only. Booking online is promoted as the way to skip the queue at the entrance. The seasonal bands and prices are set by the operator, so confirm the current rate on its site before you travel.

Opening hours by season

Hours shift with the season as well. Mid season the site opens daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., high season stretches that to 6:00 p.m., and low season closes earlier at 5:00 p.m., always seven days a week.

Because the gates shut in late afternoon, a visit fits comfortably into a morning or an early afternoon, leaving the rest of the day for Mellieħa or the coast.

What's inside the set

Inside, the draw is a mix of walk-through film buildings and scheduled entertainment. You can explore Popeye's Cabin with its hammock bed and the Nautical School where the theme tune plays, and the animation crew runs an interactive filming experience that puts visitors on screen.

Small museums hold vintage Popeye paraphernalia, and there are wooden carnival games, mini-golf and silversmith demonstrations. A short cinema documentary explains how the set was built, and one room screens the full film for anyone who wants to sit it out.

Food is casual rather than a destination in itself: Seafarers Snack Bar serves ice creams and light bites, and Tipsy and Son's Winery on the main street has a deck over the bay for a glass of local white or a Kinnie. If you want a proper meal, save it for the restaurants in Mellieħa on the way back.

Summer extras in the high-season package

From June to September the ticket becomes a beach day as well as a set tour. The summer package adds an inflatable water assault course, floating sun deck, splash pools, sunbeds and umbrellas, alongside the film set, mini-golf and live shows, with the site open until 6:00 p.m.

The bay is sheltered by a breakwater built while the film was shot, which keeps the water calm for the inflatables and the short boat rides across the bay. Sunbeds are limited and handed out first come, first served, so an early arrival is the practical choice if lounging is part of the plan.

How long to allow, and what to skip

Allow two to three hours for the set houses, a show, the documentary and a round of mini-golf, and longer if you are using the summer water activities and sunbeds. The animation crew runs an interactive filming experience that puts visitors on screen, alongside scheduled shows through the day.

If you are short on time, prioritise the set buildings and one live show, and skip the full-length film screening. Many visitors stop at the viewpoint above the bay on the way to the Gozo ferry, sometimes only for the photograph rather than a ticket.

Practical points: heat, stairs, dogs and costumes

The film set is mostly outdoors, which the operator flags as challenging for visitors who cannot stay in the sun for long, and the steep ramps and many stairs are hard work in midsummer. Go early, carry water and treat midday as a time to be in the shade of the set houses or down by the water.

Small dogs up to 10 kg are allowed on a leash, adults cannot enter in full Popeye character costumes, drone use is banned and photo shoots must be pre-booked by email. If medication needs refrigeration, ask the Duty Manager on arrival.

Booking online is the simplest way to avoid the ticket queue, particularly in high season. The seasonal rates and hours change through the year, so check your dates before setting out.

Seeing Anchor Bay from above without a ticket

The set can be seen from the cliff road above Anchor Bay, where you look down on the wooden houses and the breakwater without paying the entrance fee. That suits anyone short on time, travelling on to the Gozo ferry or unwilling to commit to a family attraction, and the photo stop takes minutes.

If you are weighing up whether the northwest of the island deserves a full day, this viewpoint pairs well with Mellieħa's old town and the surrounding coast, and it also tells you quickly whether the set is worth the ticket for your group.

Getting there from Mellieħa and the north

Anchor Bay sits about two miles from Mellieħa, so a short taxi or car ride from the village is the straightforward option, with the final approach down a steep lane. The set is usually combined with Mellieħa and the northern coast rather than visited as a standalone trip.

Drivers should note that the lane and car park sit below the cliff, and the walk back up is steep in the heat, so drop-off before parking can save effort for anyone with limited mobility. Plan your route on a Mellieha map before you go if you are stringing together several stops in one day.

Is Popeye Village worth the ticket?

Book it if you are travelling with children, want the water inflatables and sunbeds in summer, or have a soft spot for the film; the set houses, shows and mini-golf fill a comfortable half day. Skip the ticket and use the clifftop viewpoint if your schedule is tight or you are heading for the Gozo ferry and only want the photograph.

If the northwest is one part of a longer stay, read the wider Things to Do in Mellieħa before you commit your day, and pair the set with a meal back in the village.