Ghadira Nature Reserve

Malta's largest natural wetland and the country's first nature reserve, Ghadira occupies a seasonal saltwater lagoon behind the sandy beach of Mellieha Bay in the northwest. The reserve is the primary birdwatching site in Malta, hosting significant numbers of migrating waders, herons, and raptors during the spring and autumn migration peaks when the island serves as a critical staging point between Africa and Europe. Resident flamingos and a variety of breeding waterfowl use the shallow lagoon throughout the year.