Anchor Bay (Popeye Village)

Anchor Bay, also known as Popeye Village, is a popular shore dive site located near Mellieha on the northwest coast of Malta. The bay is renowned for its film set village built for the Popeye movie and offers a unique diving experience with a large anchor, a beautiful cave known as Scorpion Cave, a varied reef, and a shallow training area. The maximum depth in the bay is around 12 metres, making it suitable for all levels of divers. The bay is also popular for swimming, snorkelling, and sunbathing. The entry/exit point for dives is the concrete jetty on the south side of the bay, which can be reached following a dirt road.

The wreck of MV Scotscraig, also known as Popeye’s Barge, is located about 500 m northwest from Anchor Bay and is accessible via a boat dive. The bay is usually dived when the north-easterly wind is strong and prevents diving in many areas. However, visibility can be poor during bad weather. Divers should be aware of tourist boats and currents when diving in Anchor Bay. The bay's history as the film set for the Popeye movie adds a unique charm to the diving experience, with the colourful village making a nice background for surface photos.