The Blue Lagoon sits between Comino and the tiny islet of Cominotto, and it is the single most photographed stretch of water in the Maltese islands. The colour is real. The crowds are also real. This guide covers how to get there, when to go so you actually enjoy it, what else is worth seeing on Comino, and what to bring on an island with almost no shade and no shops.
What the Blue Lagoon actually is
It is a narrow channel, not a bay. Comino sits on one side, Cominotto on the other, and the water between them runs over pale sand and limestone. That pale bottom is what turns the sea turquoise on a bright day. The channel is shallow near the shore and drops off gently, which makes it easy swimming and poor snorkelling compared with the rest of the coast.
Comino itself covers barely three and a half square kilometres and has a permanent population you can count on one hand. There is no town, no supermarket and no cash machine. The island is a nature reserve and part of a protected marine area, which is why the number of kiosks, deckchairs and vendors has been capped in recent years.
Getting there
From Malta
The shortest crossing leaves from Cirkewwa, at the northern tip of the island, and takes roughly twenty five minutes. Several private operators run the route with small passenger boats, leaving as they fill rather than on a fixed timetable. Buses reach Cirkewwa from Valletta and from the northern resorts, and the trip across the island takes a while, so build it into your plan. Our overview of how the island road and bus network fits together is worth a look before you set out.
From Gozo
Boats leave from Mgarr harbour and reach Comino in around twenty minutes. If you are staying on Gozo, this is the easy option.
From Sliema, Bugibba and the resorts
Full day cruises leave from the tourist harbours and usually combine the Blue Lagoon with the Crystal Lagoon and the caves. They cost more and spend a good part of the day sailing, but you get a boat tour out of it. They also tend to arrive at the busiest hour, which matters more than most people expect.
Tickets are sold at the quay and by operators online. Return times are fixed, so check the last boat before you settle in for the afternoon. Missing it is an expensive mistake.
When to go
Timing decides whether you remember the place fondly. Between late June and early September, the lagoon receives thousands of visitors a day, and the strip of rock around the water fills completely by mid morning.
- Arrive on one of the first crossings, before ten in the morning, and you get an hour or two of relative calm.
- Come after four in the afternoon and the day trippers start to leave, the light softens and the water is still warm.
- Avoid the middle of the day in August unless crowds do not bother you at all.
- May, early June, late September and October are the best months overall. The sea is warm, the boats still run and the rock is not carpeted with towels.
In winter the crossings thin out and some operators stop entirely. The island is beautiful then, and empty, but check that a boat is actually running before you travel north.
What else is on Comino
Most visitors never walk more than two hundred metres from the landing point, which is why the rest of the island stays quiet.
Santa Marija Bay
A sandy bay on the northern side, shaded by tamarisk trees, with far fewer people. It is a twenty minute walk from the Blue Lagoon on a dirt track. This is where the small camping area sits, and where you go when the lagoon becomes unbearable.
San Niklaw Bay
A sheltered inlet close to the old hotel building, calm and usually half empty.
St Mary’s Tower
The squat watchtower on the southern cliffs dates from the early seventeenth century and was built to close the gap between Malta and Gozo against raiders. It is visible from the crossing and appears in more than one film. Opening hours are limited and run by volunteers.
The caves and the Crystal Lagoon
The sea caves along the southern coast, and the deeper Crystal Lagoon next door, are reachable only by boat. Most cruises pass through them. If you are on a small boat, ask.
What to bring, and what you will not find
Comino has no shops in the ordinary sense. A handful of kiosks sell drinks and food in season, at holiday prices, and they close outside it.
- Water, more than you think. There is no drinking fountain.
- Sun protection and a hat. Shade is almost non existent around the lagoon itself.
- Cash. Card payment at the kiosks is not guaranteed.
- Water shoes. The entry points are rock, and the sand is mostly under the water rather than on the shore.
- A bag for your rubbish. Bins overflow at peak times, and the island is a protected reserve.
Toilets exist near the landing area and queues are long in summer. Changing facilities are minimal.
Swimming and safety
The lagoon is shallow and sheltered, which makes it one of the safer places to swim in the islands. Two things still catch people out.
Boat traffic is heavy. The channel is busy with ferries and pleasure craft, and swimmers drift further from the shore than they realise. Stay inside the marked areas.
The rocks are sharp and slippery where people enter the water. Most injuries here are cuts and twisted ankles, not swimming incidents.
There is no permanent lifeguard service outside the busiest months, and medical help means a boat back to Malta or Gozo. Treat that distance as part of your risk calculation, particularly with young children.
Making a day of it
Comino works well as half a day rather than a full one, unless you plan to walk. A common pattern is an early crossing from Cirkewwa, two or three hours at the lagoon, the walk over to Santa Marija Bay for lunch in the shade, then a mid afternoon boat back.
Another approach is to treat Comino as a stop on a wider trip north, combined with a day on Gozo. Boats connect all three islands, so you are not obliged to return the way you came.
If the crowds put you off entirely, the northern coast of Malta and the bays of Gozo offer clear water without the queue for the boat. Our guide to the best beaches across Malta and Gozo sets out the alternatives, several of which are reachable by bus.
The honest summary
The Blue Lagoon deserves its reputation and suffers from it in equal measure. The water really is that colour, and on a quiet morning in early June it is one of the finest swimming spots in the Mediterranean. At noon on a Saturday in August it is a very crowded piece of rock with a beautiful view.
Go early, go outside peak season if you can, walk away from the landing point, and it stays worth the trip.
