Marsaskala, or Wied il-Ghajn as it is known locally, was a small fishing village surrounded by plenty of agricultural land, until it gained popularity as a seaside residence for people from the Cottonera region.   Since then, it has grown into a substantially populated town in its own right.

Its proximity to Zabbar might suggest that it could be a suburb of the older town, yet todate plenty of countryside separates the two localities.