SALTPANS

Saltpans are one of the most interesting features of the Maltese coastline.

Found practically all around the islands’ shoreline, these shallow repositories dug out of the rock were common even in Roman times, and the technology has not changed much since then. The pans are used to collect sea water which is gradually dried up by the sun, to leave a white residue. This is then collected, cleaned and refined to produce sea salt.

Some of the best saltpans (and certainly the most photographed) are the ones located at Qbajjar, near Marsalforn in Gozo.