The seaside town of Birżebbuġa is situated at the southeast of the island of Malta and lies between Kalafrana to the south and the fishing village of Marsaxlokk to the northeast, and although Birżebbuġa is on the coast, it is the meeting point of four beautiful valleys, which are Wied Dalam, Wied Zembaq, Wied Qoton and Wied Buni.
Many stories revolve around the name of Birżebbuġa. For example, legend has it that olives were stored in wells filled with sea water; another story is that olive tees were planted in and around what was then a small village; another is that when the word ‘Birżebbuġa’ is divided into ‘Bir’ and ‘żebbuġa’, ‘Bir’ means a well, while ‘żebbuġa’ means an olive, thus when the two are joined together the word ‘Biżebbuġa’ will emerge, and finally there was the question of whether the name should be pronounced Bur Żebbuġa or Birżebbuġa because Bur Żebbuġa means land of olives. Up until the end of 1800’s wells, which would have been used for olives, could be seen at the bottom of the sea where it is shallow. Today wells are still in existence and can be seen on the rocks at St. George’s Bay.
The lowermost layers, more than 500,000 years old, contain the fossil bones of dwarf elephants, hippopotami, micro-mammals and birds. Above the pebble layer that follows is the so-called ‘deer’ layer, dated to around 18,000 years ago. The top layer dates to less than 10,000 years and holds evidence of the first human on the Island. Experts hold that these remains suggest that the Islands were once a land bridge to continental Europe.
Another cave to visit to Għar Ħasan situated right on the edge of a sheer cliff in the vicinity of Birżebbuġa’s Free Port, about 2.5 km along the road to Żurrieq. Walking from Birżebbuġa to Għar Ħasan’s Cave is a 25 minute walk.According to legend, it was used by a 12th century Saracen pirate. The Turk, called Ħasan, abducted a Maltese girl and kept her inside the cave. When discovered by the locals he preferred to kill the girl adn commit suicide rather than be captured, so he hurled himself and the girl into the sea below. At the entrance of the cave, one can hire a torch for a very small fee so you can find your way around
Other important historical structures include Ferretti Coastal Battery, and the Birzebbugia enthrenchments. These sited date back to the rule of the Knights of St. John.