Looking for a gym or fitness centre in Malta? Well look no further.
Malta is not known for it’s healthy lifestyle, what with everyone getting into the car when they need to go to the shop down the end of the street, not to mention all that nice Italian food and pastizzi. But don’t worry, a couple of sessions down your local neighbourhood gym will wipe away all those guilty feelings, and make you feel like a better human.
I’m going to try and make the search a little easier by giving you a few suggestions. I’ve listed as many gyms and fitness centres as I could find, but please add your suggestions below. As you know, gyms are notoriously tricky when it comes to prices. There are all sorts of deals and discounts which they don’t necessarily like to advertise, so I will give you an idea of how much money we are talking about here, even though all prices are subject to change.
Here’s my list, alphabetically arranged by location from Bugibba to Zebbug:
Wise Guys Boxing and Fitness Gym (Bugibba)
This one gets the personal stamp of approval. There is an emphasis on boxing classes for anyone: men, women and children, experienced or newbie. But they also run Zumba classes, boot camps, kick boxing and all sorts of other stuff in the brand-new gym next to the cinema in Bugibba. €7 gets you a boxing training session from experienced professional coaches.
You can sign up for anything from Boxing to Belly Dancing at this 3 storey fully equipped gym near Naxxar.
Looks like a popular place, female-friendly and lots of different classes on offer.
Not cheap at €75 for a one month membership, but the facility and equipment all look very modern out at the airport. If you pay for a year in advance that comes down to €46 per month.
Commenter Gillyb points us in the direction of the Inspire gym, although sounds like it’s not exactly boasting state of the art equipment. Adult year membership is €260, or else €50 per month.
Lots of cardio based workouts, but they are a little coy about the prices here.
No, it’s not just for students – although those lucky kids get a massive 50% discount to just €90 for 6 months. The rest of us have to pay from €7 a day up to €240 for a year. The website is not super helpful in terms of the facilities available, so maybe leave this one to the uni kids.
This is your top end, plush sort of a gym. Lots of machines, swimming pool, saunas, massages, squash courts, plenty of classes going on all the time and all that good stuff. On the downside, it’s a little pricey and gets very busy during tourist season. The website mentions it costs ‘from 93 cents per day’ which sounds alright unless you multiply that out to a year total of €340. Contact them for more details, and don’t forget to haggle!
Challenge number one is finding this place. It’s behind the Black Bull bar, down in the basement of the less-than-five-star ‘Blue Sea Hotel’. This gym has seen better days, and is mostly populated by the type of young man who eats a chicken for breakfast followed by a lot of muscle enhancing chemicals. It’s a pretty cheap gym though (€150 a year!) and all the equipment is there, so it does the job. Also has branches in Valletta and Qormi.
The big USP of Gymnasia is that it boasts the largest climbing wall in Malta. They’ve also got lots of classes, weight rooms and even a nutritionist and juice bar.
This is something different – a fitness centre aimed at kids (and their parents). The youngsters gym features surfing simulators, climbing wall and gamebikes, while there is a separate gym for mom and pop to keep in shape too. A one-day pass is €8 for kids (5+) and €10 for adults. There’s also a family deal of 3 for €360 for a year.
This is a new gym which forms part of the refurbished San Antonio hotel and spa complex. Looks nice and shiny, and €6 for daily use of gym only.
Only open Monday to Friday from 7am, so not necessarily the best option for those of us who have to go out and work, but looks pretty nice and they actually give a price list. So it’s €50 for 1 month, €375 for a year and if you are fortunate enough to be a gym loving couple with a lot of free time during the week, that will be €600 per year for the two of you.
This is more of an up-market and female-friendly gym. Lots of classes, (if not lots of space in terms of square metres) and a nice expensive looking vibe. So expect it to be nice and expensive.
Lotus Fitness centre features a gym with squash courts and nice spa facilities. Joining Lotus comes with a pretty impressive price list at €79 per month or €609 per year, and even a one day visit to Lotus costs a hefty €16, although the good news is that hotel guests get to enjoy the fitness centre for free.
Westin Dragonara (St Julian’s)
This is another place calling itself a ‘fitness centre’ rather than a mere ‘gym’, which is usually an indicator that it is upper end of the market. From what people have told me, it is very nice indeed and eatures a gym, indoor pool, jacuzzi, sauna, steam room and tennis court. All this for a tasty €65 a month or €440 per year.
I’ve been looking around my new neighbourhood in St Paul’s Bay, and found this small fitness studio on the back streets. Don’t have much to go on other than the fact that their facebook page features a lot of motivational slogans, ‘The Only Bad Workout Is The One That Didn’t Happen’ and so forth. (I have had a Massive amount of bad workouts recently).
An Anonymous Commenter mentioned a gym near Tigne Point, which looks like this spacious gym over the shopping mall. €280 for a one year membership, €8 if you’re going for just a day. Lots of machines, large studio space and personal trainers available.
Body Fit Health and Spa (Sliema)
The manager has been in contact to inform us that this air-conditioned gym has an indoor pool & jacuzzi (as well as the all-important sauna) and offers classes in yoga, pilates and zumba as well as personal trainers to help you really go that extra mile. A couple can sign-up for one month for just €28, with annual membership a very reasonable €160.
There definitely seems to be a feminine quality to this establishment, from the rather un-macho name to the classes in Zumba and Yoga (only €5 per class). However commenter Pippin (see below) recommends the Preluna’s gym, so who am I to argue?
I emailed this place for some information on the gym – no reply. Which is pretty standard Maltese customer service away from the luxury end of the market. From what I’ve heard it’s pretty small, busy in summer and with lots of language students who stay in the attached hotel/residence.
Ta ‘Qali Health & Fitness Centre (Ta ‘Qali)
This is a 24 hour gym, so perfect for night owls and shift workers. From €7 per day up to €240 a year gets you access to the gym, to free classes and to the sauna as well.
I don’t know much about this other than Siobhan’s comments below, but it seems to be popular with people who like lifting very heavy weights.
Circle by Milon (Ta’ Xbiex)
‘The computerised circuit of the future’, apparently. With your smart card the machines will recognise you and are tailored to your specific needs. According to the site you can be ‘super fit’ with just two 35 minute workouts per week. I am intrigued. Tell me more, Circle by Milon. Currently they are offering membership at €59 per month (based on a 3 month package).
New equipment for the Valletta branch – 12 months for only €170
The Body Forge (Victoria, Gozo)
Gozo’s biggest gym, but the website’s not finished yet so I don’t know much about it.
Shape Up Fitness Centre (Victoria, Gozo)
Judging from their facebook page, there is an emphasis on body-building here, if that is your thing. These guys could use some better photos of the gym though, rather than the gloomy shots they’ve chosen to illustrate their facebook page.
Gozo Spa (Victoria, Gozo)
This website is so dated looking that I am not confident that the gym is still a going concern. If it is open, then the basic annual membership is a ridiculously cheap €116 per year for use of gym only. No idea if it’s worth the money or not.
Fitness Planet (Zebbug)
Photos suggest that this gym is packed full of equipment, but I can’t tell you a whole lot more than that, other than that ‘every generation is welcomed’.
So that’s my list – got any other suggestions, or more info about these gyms? Please share the knowledge in the comments section below so I can add them to the list.
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My wife and I go to “Feel Good Wellness Spa” which is underneath Preluna and are paying somethings like €220 each per year for a “couples membership”. Feels like a good deal – the gym is pretty small but has all the basics and has never been crowded (over the last two months anyway), plus there a basic pool and a couple of saunas and a steam room. Personal trainers available, etc. Nice place, good people.
Thanks Pippin. Yeah I checked out their website and this looks like a decent option. €220 a year is certainly a good deal, probably good enough to compensate for my instinctive dislike of the name… Rocky Balboa did not go to a Wellness Spa to prepare for his fights with Apollo Creed and that Russian guy.
My wife gies to Preluna as well and it is nice she says.
There is ought to come 2 new gyms, one at Fort Cambridge and another somewhere near the Tgne Point. But I just heard it and dont know if it is true.
It *is* a pretty amazing name, it’s true. Maybe it’s strategic to keep numbers down…
There’s a very small one with pool in the south at Marsascala, if you’re down our way! It’s the Inspire Fitness Centrehttp://www.inspire.org.mt/fitness-room?l=1
I don’t know the price at the moment but it’s inclusive of the pool, fitness classes and the gym, it’s much more relaxed than a lot of places (if you don’t mind the mediocre equipment) and almost certainly cheaper.
The problem with the Inspire gym is it’s small, the equipment is old and clunky and nobody wants to put the weights away after using them. It feels and looks like a childs playroom. Very poor gym etiquette as well.
Sounds decent, although Marsascala is outside of my usual orbit!
You haven’t lived! Be reckless, live dangerously, try the South Side for a change 😉
Is that a bit like the dark side?
I am looking for a gym in the Sliema/St.Julians area to gain some muscle. Do any of them have good professional trainers (do not confuse with nice trainers)? Any of them has single facilities (eg. shower cubicles) in the changing rooms?
I do not care too much about the price if it’s really worth it (so Hilton, etc. might be a valid option for me). I am not looking for the best quality-price, I am just looking for the best option. Any suggestions?
Just to be clear; with single facilities I mean individual facilities such as shower cubicles instead of a communal shower.
The Meridien has a very decent gym as well, it’s called Lotis Helath center in Sliema
Gymnasia in Paola is a good gym! I went there in summer when I was in Malta. 3 month membership was about 100 €. Equipment was really OK (i think its quite new gym) + classes + friendly trainers. Check out their FB or webpage 😉
Thanks for the tip, I’ve added it to the list above.
Are there any gyms in the Sliema/Gzira (or close) area that allow CrossFit style training. There is one Crossfit box in Sliema but it seems very small. I am looking for a facility where I can lift and drop weights, squat and get a really good WOD going without having staff asking me to leave or to not do that in their gym. The Intercontinental gym was pretty decent for what I am looking for but comes up a little shy because I cant drop weights (bad for power clean training).
Maybe I am looking for something that doesn’t exist.
There’s a Crossft box at the basketball complex in Ta Qali. Very good affiliate and great crowd….and you can throw around the weights too:-)
Thjere is another very good gym in the South. Its in Zejtun Body Medics. Price is very reasonable E 90 for 3 months. Check it out on Facebook.
Also Tarxien rainbows gym. Good for Olympic weightlifters.
Thanks for the tip. I added it above, tho I couldn’t find a working link to them.
Hi,
Have you tried Freemyme in central Sliema, off the high street in the Tagliaferro building? It opened a year ago and offers unique concept fitness training in the form of booked sessions and classes. Amazing for group personal training, personal training, intensity sessions, sculpting and weightlifting sessions, core and ab building sessions, yoga, pole dance, dance, Mini trampolining, Pilates….You should definitely try their one free class or starter pack there! I love it! x
Hi, I’m looking to join a gym in the centre/south of Malta and wondered if anyone could recommend somewhere that isn’t going to be too intimidating for someone who’s not very fit, please ? Preferably with access to sauna but not essential.
Hello,
I´m moving to Malta soon and I don´t wanna quit the 2-year progress I´ve made. I´m looking for a gym in Sliema/St.Julian´s for good price (250 a year) with separated space for women. Are there any or am I looking for something like a unicorn? I
I believe that Bertu’s gym had a separate area for women, but that’s not in Sliema/St Julian. I’m afraid the best idea may be just to go around and check some of the likely options from the list, unless anybody else can offer a suggestion.
I’m looking for a facility where all the family can attend, from a 5 year old to adults. Anyone know of any options?