Marsa, the point beyond the Valletta Water front is where pilgrims take the ferryboat from Malta to Sicily in order to continue the Camino Maltés de Santiago de Compostela.
The Marsa Creek lies in the Grand Harbour and a port was first established at Marsa as early as the Phoenician period. Roman archaeological remains have also been found in the area. The name of the neighbouring town, Qormi, is probably etymologically derived from a Phoenician work ‘Ormoi’, meaning anchorage.
During the Great Siege of Malta in 1565, Marsa was the main base for the Ottoman forces. After the siege, that area around the port was converted into vineyards.
Notable historian and author, Gian Frangisk Abela lived in Marsa in the 17th century and converted his house into a museum, Museo San Giacomo. This was arguably the oldest recorded museum in Malta. Artifacts from this Museum are now housed in the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta.
The ferry currently travels from Marsa in Malta to Pozallo in Sicily.