Villa with private pool above Mellieħa Bay

Set into the hillside above the bay, with a ten-by-four pool, a lawn that survives the summer thanks to a borehole, and a terrace that catches the sunset from about six.

Four bedrooms sleeping eight: two doubles with ensuites on the ground floor, two twins upstairs sharing a family bathroom. The kitchen is built for a full house — double oven, dishwasher, a table that seats ten under the pergola outside.

Parking for two cars behind the gate. Mellieħa Bay is a seven-minute drive or a steep but pleasant twenty-minute walk down; the walk back up is why most guests take the car.