Sandy Beaches in Malta: Golden Bay Revisited!

Golden Bay is located in the north west of the island in Mellieha. Radisson Blu have a hotel literally on the beach so if you're driving and unsure where to go, just aim for the hotel! It's also accessible by bus, for example if you're staying around the Gzira, Sliema, St Julians, Pembroke area you want the 225 bus, but check the bus website to be sure.I want to really make the most of this Summer and one way to do that, I think, is to visit as many beaches as possible. I love swimming and although I don't love sand quite so much, I do think beaches are so pretty, and we all know I love a good photo! The photo's of Golden Bay/ Golden Sands came out better than I expected, the colours are just as vibrant as in real life and the sea is so damn sparkly!First off I have to say- if you have been to Malta and uttered the words 'There aren't any sandy beaches in Malta' then you are a massive twat. If you've never been here and that's just what you've been told then I can forgive you. But for some reason there is a big misconception around the world that Malta only has black rock beaches which is just not true. There are flat rock beaches but there is a huge amount of sandy beaches for such a small island. Just because you stayed in one part of Malta and didn't get off your ass to see anything doesn't mean it doesn't exist.Rant over. Golden Bay is one of the most popular beaches on the island with tourists so in the summer it gets incredibly busy, but it's so pretty I can see why. The Radisson is on the right and on the left there are some hilly areas with a flat 'table mountain' type look. Behind the nearest mound is actually one of my favourite beaches, Ghajn Tuffieha which I'll do an updated post on soon too.There are two places to eat on the beach. Munchies on the left which opens in the late afternoon and is more of a restaurant serving meals like burgers, pizza, pasta dishes etc. It would be pretty spectacular to eat dinner there in the evenings, right by the sea and watch the sun set over the water then maybe go for a late night dip!On the right you have the cafe which is open all day and serves more breakfast/lunch/snack type food. You can get stuff like toasties, baguettes, burgers and also smaller nibbles like ice cream, muffins, sausage rolls. It's even pretty reasonably priced considering its a beach cafe and could charge whatever they wanted. I got a cheese toastie for €2.40 and it was like a full meal with crisps and a nice side salad.Although they made me furious all day for ruining pictures, it's actually a definite plus point that there are so many bins scattered around, it means there is no rubbish floating around the sand and sea which is a huge bugbear for me. The sand is a light reddish rather than the usual white and the water is super clear and a gorgeous colour.But I have a big problem with Golden Bay, apart from how busy it gets. And that is the rocks. The beach itself is nice and soft and sandy but as soon as you get to the water its rocks rocks rocks. Little pebbles everywhere in the water and they hurt my feet so much. For me, the pain just isn't worth it when there are so many sandy beaches on the island, one just a 3 minute walk away. A very pretty beach but just not ideal if you actually want to get in the water!