Marsaxlokk is the foremost fishing village and, perhaps, the most picturesque seaside locality in Malta. Fishing nets are often spread on the quay to dry in the sun and, quite often, sturdy fishermen can be seen mending these nets. These activities, together with the modest houses by the quayside, lend the place charm and serenity.
Most of Malta's fish supplies are caught by fishermen coming from this port. Swordfish, tuna, and the popular 'lampuki' are caught in abundance between spring and late autumn. On weekdays, the catch is taken to the fish-market in Valletta, but on Sundays fish is retailed by fishermen in the open on the quay.
Fish restaurants have opened to meet the ever-increasing demand. The tourist influx to Marsaxlokk has also attracted many hawkers and souvenir vendors.
Overlooking the northern arm of Marsaxlokk Bay is the hill of Tas-Silġ. This archaeological site contains remains of megalithic temples of the Tarxien phase, with later alterations resembling the Ħaġar Qim model. Bronze Age material was also found scattered around the area.
The site's most important period, however, is considered to be from the end of the 6th century BC to the 1st century AD, with most of the extant structures belonging to the latter part of this span. Again the hill was used as a religious site, this time as a temple dedicated to Astarte/Hera. A number of dedications to both goddesses, or to the one goddess, under both the Phoenician and Greek names, have been found.
The Tas-Silġ site was used again for religious purposes sometime in the 4th century AD, when it was adapted to a new religion, Christianity, and possibly used as a monastery.
The contemporary population of Marsaxlokk is around 4,000. In the past, a great percentage of the population worked as full- time fishermen. The number of working fishermen has decreased, in part because people from other localities have moved to the village.
Marsaxlokk is about 35 minutes from Valetta by public bus. The bay is memorable for the many "eyed" boats; the painted eyes are believed to protect the boats from the evil eye.
It is in this "bay of the sirocco" (Xlokk) that the first Phoenicians landed and set up trading posts on Malta, during the ninth century AD. During the Great Siege, Marsaxlokk harbor was also used as an anchorage by the Turkish fleet.
In recent decades, the village has been the site for wet bulk operations. Malta's new main power station is here. Discharge of petroleum products takes place mainly at the Enemalta discharge installation point at Birżebbuġa. Apart from this, Oil Tanking (Malta) Ltd. operates an independent oil terminal at Marsaxlokk, which has discharge and loading points along the breakwater pier and offers storage, blending, and bunkering facilities.
New shipping trends and the introduction of large, specialised container vessels meant that, for Malta to take advantage of its position at the crossroads of numerous shipping routes, a new facility for container shipping had to be built. The Malta Freeport Terminal, at Marsaxlokk, has developed into a major container terminal in the Mediterranean, equipped with the latest in technology and serving many of the giant operators in the container carrier sector.