Blue lagoon and Comino, Malta
Have you ever seen such beautiful blue water of the sea that it almost hurt your eyes? Malta has this gem and it is just stunning!
The exact location of the so called Blue Lagoon is at the tiny island of Comino. The Malta archipelago consist of 3 islands. With only 3.5 square kilometers Comino is the smallest of the archipelago. This island is at the North East of Malta and you can only reach this island by boat.
Comino is a true paradise for swimmers, snorkelers and divers. Because of the clear and aquamarine blue color it attracts a lot of day trippers.
Gozo to Blue Lagoon
From island Gozo, I took a ferry to Blue lagoon. Only 10 minutes on a boat and we would arrive at the small dock of island Comino. At 9.10 AM it was still very quiet. Only a hand full of people were taking a swim or just enjoyed the views as much as I did.
I took this early boat on purpose because the Blue Lagoon can be super crowded. I really wanted to enjoy the natural beauty with not too many people and the only way to avoid the crowds is to get there early.
Blue Lagoon
In a big awe, I started to take pictures. Another woman close by was taking pictures too and I asked her to take my picture. Because I travel solo a lot, I do not own a lot of pictures of myself. And this seemed to be a nice opportunity. We started to chat and this Italian woman living in Brussels wanted the same. Just explore the island before the crowds would come in.
Lucia and I decided to start hiking around the island and not only stuck to the Blue Lagoon area.
Crystal lagoon
There was a hiking path leading us to Crystal lagoon, which was just a short walk of 10 minutes. This lagoon can be seen from up the cliffs and is another jaw dropping view. The color of the water has many blue and turquoise colors. With the steep cliffs it is an amazing setting. I just loved it!
We walked a little further to see Crystal lagoon from an other angle and in a distance we could see the Blue lagoon from another viewpoint and just couldn’t stop taking pictures!
Santa Maria Bay and caves
I read about Santa Maria caves and I asked Lucia if she wanted to come with me to explore the other side of the island. We used the regular road behind Santa Marija Torri (tower) for walking, which seems to be the only road on the island. This sandy road was easy to follow and soon we arrived at Santa Maria Bay.
This bay has a small, sandy beach and here is the only hotel of this island. The sun was blocked by some clouds so we decided to get to the caves. We needed to walk around the bay and with Maps.me app we got to the spot I wanted to see. The path up here was with very sharp rocks and with my sandals not very comfortable walking. So if you want to get to the same spot, make sure you wear proper shoes!
Cliffs and blue water
The coastal line of Santa Maria caves was beautiful. We would sit on top of one of the cliffs to enjoy the views and look at the boats who actually went into the caves. We couldn’t see what’s inside from the top. But it was fun to see the boats coming and going. We waited a bit for the clouds go away and get the sunshine on the gorgeous blue water and steep cliffs.
Finally, after half an hour we got lucky and we got to see the lovely cliff with the colorful water. We took some more pics at a small pool of water and made it back to the Blue Lagoon.
Blue Lagoon
By the time we got there about noon it was loaded with people! There were large daily cruise ships which come and go from Sliema and Valletta. There were more small sailing boats and I if I would make a guess, there would be hundreds of people! I decided not to stay in the crowds and go to my next accommodation in Sliema. Unfortunately I had to say goodbye to Lucia. We had a good walk today with a lot of laughter.
Because I bought a single ticket from Gozo to Comino, I now needed to buy a ticket to Malta. There was only one service available which would sell a single ticket to Malta. Most people would buy a return ticket and at the dock it was chaotic with different ferry boats and companies. People were waiting to get on the boats, but it wasn’t clear which ferry was for which tour company.
I was kind of lost here too, because they asked me to wait. But nobody seemed to care about me.
After asking a few people they pointed me back to the sales woman and she called a guy over. He took me and another girl with his speedboat back to Malta. Apparently this was private transport and leaving when they have enough people. Malta was just a short 15 minute speed boat ride. And from there it was easy to catch a bus in any direction.
Information
Transport
- There are different ferry companies leaving from either Gozo or Malta to Comino island (Blue Lagoon). You can buy your ticket on the spot at the ferry docks. A ticket cost 10 Euros’s return or 5 Euros one way.
- A single ticket from Blue Lagoon to Malta cost 10 Euros. You can buy it on the spot.
- From Cirkewwa ferry to Sliema there is a bus which takes about 1.5 hours. There are many buses in other direction like Golden beach, St. Pauls Bay, Bugibba, Valletta and the airport.
Food
There are many food trucks to buy snacks and drinks and there is a public toilet close to the ferry dock. The pineapple drink was a very popular drink, or item to take a photo with :-)
What to bring?
- Water
- Sun cream
- Bathing suit
- Towel
- Hat and sunglasses
- Sneakers or hiking shoes if you planing for a walk around the island
- Snacks
When to choose for a day cruise from Valletta or Sliema?
If you don’t want to travel with a public bus to the ferry dock (which is about 1.5 hours from Sliema) and then take a ferry boat, but just want to enjoy your day without any hassle, you might want to consider a boat cruise from Valletta or Sliema. They will take you for the day to the island and you have enough time to enjoy the Blue Lagoon and the island. Along the way they will stop at some caves to take pictures. There are many options for a day cruise like: Hornblower cruises, Captain Morgan Cruises,
Sea adventure Excursions and many more. Make your choice wisely and which suits you the best. Check how much time you have got on the island, What time will you arrive at the Blue Lagoon, Does the boat docks at the Blue Lagoon, make your choice wisely!
Because I don’t like to be on cruise boats like this, I prefered to travel by myself to this island.
But I think this is a more easy and comfortable way of sight seeing. Especially if you don’t have much time on Malta.
My thoughts
Even with the many tourists, this is a beautiful place to visit! I absolutely loved the view of Blue Lagoon with the mind-blowing blue color of the water. The view of Crystal bay is another one to remember. I’ve never seen so many shades of blue.
Hiking around the island was relatively easily, but I would recommend to wear proper shoes, as the rocks were really sharp. Santa Maria bay is lovely for a relaxed swim and it has a nice beach.
