After plans to extend Malta’s popular Ghadira Bay were announced in the summer of 2017, preliminary works – which involve the drilling of a number of cores beneath the sand – began this week, kicking off a project which will see the beach being made up to 40m wider.

Widely regarded as one of Malta’s most popular beaches, Ghadira has suffered beach erosion and overcrowding issues in recent years, leading to the decision to extend the bay.

While many of us might not remember quieter times for the bay, back in the 1950s and earlier, Ghadira looked very different! These old photos reveal what a day at the popular beach was like back then – with nothing more than a handful of tents and umbrellas scattered around the sand.

Groups of people enjoying the sun and sea prove that Ghadira was always a popular spot among beach goers, but with more room to roam around and not a single sunbed in sight, it’s clearly less crowded than the Ghadira we know (and still love!) today.

And whether the extension project will be the solution to providing enough space for beach operators (which have been criticised for taking up too much space) and beach-goers (who want nothing more than a bit of extra room to move about) remains to be seen, though it would certainly be nice if it did!

What do you think of the plans to extend Ghadira? Will it restore it to its former glory?