The abandoned Popeye Village, built for the 1980 Robin Williams musical, is now a tourist hotspot

Popular with locals and tourists alike, Popeye Village in Malta was originally built in 1980 as a film set for the 1980 musical adaptation starring Robin Williams

An entire village built just for a musical about Popeye might not sound like a typical holiday hotspot, but that’s exactly what Malta’s Popeye Village offers.

The village of 20 wooden houses was originally built as a setting for the 1980 musical adaptation starring Robin Williams.

165 crew members set out for Anchor Bay armed with two thousand gallons of paint, lumber and eight tons of nails. (The village is three kilometers from Mellieha, about an hour’s drive from the capital Valletta).

Filming began in January 1980, but when it ended, the village with its wooden structures remained lying by the sea.

Sign up for Mirror’s travel newsletter for more destination ideas, deals and tips.

Nowadays, it has morphed into a popular tourist attraction and firmly established itself as one of the most popular abandoned movie sets to visit anywhere in the world.

The wooden structures that served as “homes” for characters and the seaside location make this a quirky hit with visitors, not to mention that it also doubles as a theme park with lots of fun games and attractions (though there aren’t any). trips).

There are also screenings of the 1981 musical and documentaries that give a glimpse into the making of this unusual place. Snacks include popcorn – but no spinach!

Oh, and of course you can meet and greet the sailor himself, as well as other popular characters like Olive Oyl.

Visiting during the holidays? Children can explore the elf village where Santa’s helpers work hard to make toys for Christmas.

Families who have recently visited have praised the attraction for providing a fun few hours of activity from play to play areas.

One reviewer wrote: “Wonderful morning. This place looks beautiful. The mini golf is really hard but fun and there are also many games around the village. The food and drinks are large portions and the price is good too. Definitely worth a visit even if you are on a very affordable budget.”

As for those photo ops, it’s not just the snaps with Popeye that should be on your radar. One visitor said that “the view of the set from the top of the cliff is stunning and very photogenic”.

Visit to Popeye’s Village

Popeye’s Village is fairly easy to get to, as there are direct bus routes, although some Tripadvisor reviews have warned that these are not particularly regular, so allow some wiggle room in your itinerary.

It’s just a few kilometers from the village of Mellieha, which takes about an hour by car if you’re traveling from Valletta.

From June to October, tickets cost €15 for adults and €12.50 for children up to 12 years old. Visit popeyemalta.com for more information.

If you’re looking for cheap holidays to Malta, you should also check out Mirror Holidays’ Malta deals, with packages from £206 per person between June and October. There are also plenty of hotels in Mellieha if you want to explore and stay in the area.