Manikata was particularly popular in the Bronze Age and the Roman Era. Remains such as cart ruts still lace the surroundings of the village, with one lining covering the Miżieb area, all the way to the cliffs close to the Mejjiesa bay by passing through the parish church. The Roman era left its mark in Manikata, with its remains of Roman baths and Roman tombs.

Being a fruitful land full of farmlands and pasturelands, it is not surprising that Manikata was a key catalyst in the Middle Ages, accommodating hundreds of farmers for the cultivation of fruit trees, vegetables and other crops. Since there weren’t a lot of inhabitants living in Manikata, many of the fields were owned by land owners from the former capital city of Malta, Mdina and other populated towns such as Rabat.

The vast majority of this agricultural land was stripped off from the farmers to make way for a Royal Marines Centre back in the early 20th century when the British period ensued. A camp was built in Għajn Tuffieħa, hosting residential quarters for British soldiers and their families. The same camp was then shifted into a hospital during the first world war (1914-1917) to treat injured military soldiers. Residents from Manikata took the role of nurses to assist these soldiers in their recovery. Expectedly, Manikata fell victim to air-raids due to the placement of the Admiralty camp. The Roman tombs were often used to provide shelter during this turbulent era.
Since most of the inhabitants of Manikata were residents from other cities and towns such as Mellieħa and Rabat, there was no initial need for a church. Being that Roman Catholicism is the dominant and official religion of Malta, and as inhabitants started to move in to this minute village, the need for a church kept exponentially increasing. This is when Lazzru Grima, a local farmer, encouraged other villagers to construct a church in Manikata. As money was being collected, the Camilleri brothers took the role to plot the land. Dedicated to St Joseph, the church was built in a span of a year with the help of the master mason Spiru Grima. St Joseph is now celebrated on the last Sunday of every August. This chapel later became too small for the ever-growing population of Manikata, causing the construction of a bigger church in 1964.

Today, Manikata is transforming into a hotspot for Maltese residents due to its captivating scenery, calm ambience, serenity, and its relative close proximity to Malta’s sister island of Gozo. While not bountiful, numerous villagers still work as full-time farmers while others have taken on this role as a part-time basis or simply as a pastime. These fields encompass across areas like il-Wilġa ta’ Għajn Tuffieħa (Għajn Tuffieħa meadow) and ix-Xagħra l-Ħamra (The red garrigue).