Red Tower (St Agatha's Tower)

St Agatha's Tower, known to everyone as the Red Tower, stands on the ridge above Mellieha (Mellieħa) in the north of Malta. Din l-Art Helwa, the heritage trust that looks after it, says it was built between 1647 and 1648 under Grand Master Jean Paul Lascaris de Castellar of the Knights of St John, and paid for by the Università, the local government of the time. It was designed as a strong fort with enough arms and water to hold out for forty days against fleets landing in Mellieha's shallow bay.

Lascaris was devoted to St Agatha, the Sicilian martyr seen as a symbol of strength, and a small chapel to her sits inside the tower. Old maps call it La Torre Rossa: it is thought to have been painted red for visibility as the last coastal post before the straits to Gozo. It later served as a signal station and telecommunication post in the Second World War, and one turret is still used by the Armed Forces of Malta. Din l-Art Helwa restored it between 1999 and 2001, took it into guardianship in 2003, and it received a full restoration of its masonry and colour in 2018.

Visiting the tower

As of November 2026, Din l-Art Helwa lists opening hours of 10:00 to 16:00 from November to March and 10:00 to 17:00 from April to October, with entry at EUR 2.50 per person. The tower is open almost daily, but hours depend on volunteers, so check the trust's Facebook page before you go.

• The roof gives views across Mellieha Bay, the Ghadira Nature Reserve and over the straits to Comino and Gozo.
• The ridge road continues to Armier Bay and other beaches at the northern tip.
• Popeye Village is a short drive west.

Come by car or taxi, or combine it with a walk along the Marfa ridge. Allow 30 to 45 minutes inside, longer if you want to sit on the roof and watch the Gozo ferries cross.