Complete Guide to Comino Island (Blue Lagoon + Beyond!)

Last updated on October 29, 2025

No trip to Malta is complete without exploring Comino Island. Located just north of Malta’s mainland and south of Gozo, this tiny, mostly uninhabited island is truly paradise! Home to Malta’s most famous beach, the Blue Lagoon, it has dozens of stunning coves and lagoons to explore.

We did a Comino boat tour on our Malta vacation last September and it ended up being our favorite day of the trip. We couldn’t believe how incredible the water was or how much there was to explore on such a tiny island!

If you want to spend a day in the shallow waters of Comino Blue Lagoon or explore the rest of Comino Island, this post will explain everything you need to know about visiting. From how to get to Comino Island, its costs, the pros and cons of each, what to bring, and things to do while you’re there.

How to get to Comino Island and Blue Lagoon

There are three ways to get to Comino Island—a ferry from Cirkewwa, a group boat trip, or a private boat charter. All boats will drop off at Comino Blue Lagoon which where you can explore the rest of the island from. With that being said, the best way to get to the island will really depend on your budget and interests.

Ferry to Comino Blue Lagoon

The Comino ferry is the best budget option for getting to Comino Blue Lagoon. There is daily service from Marfa and Cirkewwa (Mgarr Harbor) to Blue Lagoon. Round trip tickets cost €15.00 for adults and €7.00 for children 10 and under. Boats depart between 8:30 and 8:40 am daily and leave for Blue Lagoon every 30 minutes.

When you’re ready to return home you can be picked up from Blue Lagoon on the hour every hour starting at 9:30 am or at limited times from Santa Marija Bay. The ferry runs on schedule usually and is fairly reliable to arrive on time. However, always check the times on their website which can increase during peak summer season.

You can go back to Malta (Marfa or Cirkewwa) or go to Gozo Island when you leave Blue Lagoon. You have to decide where you will return when you purchase your tickets.

If you’re not staying near Marfa or Cirkewwa, you can get a bus from Sliema, Valletta, or any of the popular places to stay to those destinations. Cirkewwa, or Mgarr Harbor is the easiest location to get to because it’s also where the Gozo ferry is and is a popular destination on the island. The bus ride can take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour and fifteen minutes depending on where you are leaving from.

The Comino ferry takes around 15 minutes to reach Blue Lagoon, which is where you will be dropped off to explore Comino Island. The trip back takes closer to 25 or 30 if they stop at a few of the sea caves. The boat size will range from small boats (pictured above) to larger ferries that can hold up to 99 people. Although, the bigger boats are typically only used during peak summer season.

One nice thing about taking the Comino ferry is that your ticket grants you access to Blue Lagoon automatically. Boat tours and private boat charters make you obtain a free permit online beforehand. Once registered you receive a QR code and then a wristband to be permitted on Comino Blue Lagoon. If you take the ferry, you don’t need to do any of that you just get a wristband right away.

Comino Island Ferry Quick Guide:
📍 Goes to and from Cirkewwa, Malta to Blue Lagoon. Also returns to Marfa or Gozo.
🎫 Cost €15.00 round trip for adults, €7.00 for kids 10 and under
🕦 Leaves Cirkewwa every 30 minutes, leaves Blue Lagoon every hour
🚤 Takes about 15 minutes to get to Comino and 25 minutes to get back
✅ No QR code or pre-registration needed.

Comino Island Group Boat Tour

Another way to visit Comino Island is by taking a group boat tour. There are loads of boat tour companies across Malta that will take you around Comino Island. The group boat tours range from smaller vessels, holding up to 40 people up to huge catamarans holding up to 200 people. Most offer three to seven hour tours, but it will vary by company.

We booked a six hour cruise from Marfa to Comino Island which took us to Crystal Lagoon, Blue Lagoon, and another swimming spot on Comino Island. But you can take a Comino boat trip from Sliema or St. Paul’s Bay if that’s more convenient. If you’re wondering if a group boat tour to Comino Island is worth it, we explain what to consider, what to expect, and the pros and cons of this excursion here.

We personally had a blast on our group boat trip and loved getting to visit places like Crystal Lagoon that you wouldn’t be able to on the ferry alone.

Just know, you need to apply for a free permit before getting to the boat which can be done online. The tour group will tell you what time slot to book, but know there are three times 8:00 – 13:00, 13:30 – 17:30, and 18:00 – 22:00. Once approved, you’re only permitted to stay at Blue Lagoon Comino Island during the allotted time and you will need to show the QR code to the tour company before getting on the boat.

Comino Island Group Boat Tour Quick Guide:
📍Round trip service from Marfa, Sliema, or Buġibba/St. Paul’s Bay.
🎫 Cost €25 – €40 per person, depending on time on the water.
🕦 Can book either a three, four, six, or seven hour tour.
🥂 Most boats have bathrooms, shade, drinks, and some even have food.
🚤 Go to multiple swimming areas including Blue Lagoon and Crystal Lagoon.
✅ Must obtain a QR code online before arriving.

Private Comino Boat Trip

The last option for visiting Comino Island is taking a private boat tour. These small boats are a great way to explore Comino Island as a group. With enough people, it comes out to roughly the same cost as a group tour would. The big pro though, is that you can go where you want and stay as long as you want. You can also go into smaller coves.

The private boat tours usually start around around €200 for a two or three hour charter. But most companies allow you to book for longer if desired. The downside to having a private boat is that you don’t have the same comforts as you would on a group tour, like a bathroom. You’ll need to get off at the Blue Lagoon to use the restroom or go in the ocean.

Private Comino Boat Trip Quick Guide:
📍Round trip service from Valletta, Marfa, Sliema, or Buġibba/St. Paul’s Bay.
🎫 Cost €200+ for 3 hours.
🕦 You can go where you want, stay as long as you want, and go places big boats can’t.
🚤 No restroom on the boat, but shade, food, and drinks are typically provided.
✅ Must obtain a QR code online before arriving.

What to Bring to Comino Island

What you bring to Comino, Malta will depend on how you are getting there and what you plan to do. There is food available for purchase at Blue Lagoon, but it was a lot of fried fare and way overpriced. Water and refreshments are also available for purchase there, but again you’re overpaying.

I recommend bringing 2 liters of water and food, if not provided by your tour company. We were so glad we had the forethought to get a sandwich in Sliema before our boat trip and had a way better meal than we could have purchased at Blue Lagoon.

Bring a few Euros to tip the bartender or boat tour company if desired, but if you want to purchase refreshments on the island or on board the boat, you should be able to do so with a credit card.

There are lockers on Blue Lagoon to secure your backpack or bag when you’re in the water. Which is nice to know nothing will be stolen! We felt very safe leaving our belongings on the boat when we were away. Other than that, you should bring:

• A bathing suit
• Towel
• Sun shirt (Dennis loves this bamboo sun shirt and Liz loves this Merino button down)
• Hat
• Reef safe sunblock (I love this mineral sunscreen, which is very easy to travel with)
• Sunglasses
• Water shoes safe for hiking/walking, like Tevas or Earth Runner Sandals
• Mask and snorkel
• 2 liters of water
• Lunch (sandwich, chips, fruit, or other snack)
• Camera like a Insta360 or GoPro

Things to Do on Comino Island

Despite its tiny size there is a lot to do on Comino Island, especially considering most people only stay here for four hours or less. Here are a few of the top things to do on Comino Island.

Relax on a gorgeous beaches, like Blue Lagoon

Blue Lagoon is the hub for the island. It’s the most famous beach with gorgeous shallow waters that create various shades of blue and aquamarine. It’s where you’ll get dropped off and picked up from the Comino ferry or on a Comino boat trip and where the bathrooms, food vendors, umbrellas and lockers are located.

Blue Lagoon is small and gets really crowded during peak summer season. The umbrellas are typically taken first thing in the morning, which leaves you with limited shade. If you want to enjoy Blue Lagoon, I recommend spending your time in the water or swimming across the way to the Cominito Island, which has a cool cave you can swim into to reach the other side of the ocean and a small sandy beach to lay on.

While Blue Lagoon is truly stunning, it’s just one stop on Comino Island and certainly not the only incredible beach to visit. Below are a few other beaches on the island to visit.

• Santa Maria Bay: Large sandy beach 20 minutes away, with calm shallow waters and far fewer crowds than Blue Lagoon. This, or Cominitio Island, is the spot I’d hang out on if I took the ferry.
• L-Imriek: Rocky beach about 8 minutes walk from Blue Lagoon that’s great to beat the crowds.

Go for a hike

Since there are no roads on the island, you’ll need to get around by foot. Thankfully, the island is small about 1.4 square miles (3.5 square kilometers). You can walk from one side of the island to the other in about 30 to 40 minutes.

If you’re into history, I recommend visiting the Santa Marija Battery an old artillery fort. There is also It-Torri ta’ Santa Marija, a historic watchtower. If you’re religious, or just enjoy a charming old church you can visit Chapel of Our Lady’s Return from Egypt on your way to Santa Marija Bay.

Take in the epic cliffs

Most of Comino is elevated with dramatic cliffs overlooking hidden coves and caves. Aside from the three main beaches on the island, you can admire the water color from cliffs. Below are a few of the top cliff overlooks.

• Għemieri Window: Beautiful sea arch creating a “window” in the cliff.
• Il-Bejta tal-Fenek: Epic vista into a gorgeous cove where lots of boats like to anchor.
• Ġebel Comino: Beautiful overlook with water in multiple shades of blue.
• Elephant Rock: Popular rock formation that resembles an elephant with a trunk. We saw this from the water on our boat tour, but you can see this from Comino Island, too.

One thing you won’t be able to do if you visit Comino Island by ferry and explore on foot is swim in sea caves. The stunning coves you see boats anchored around are only accessible by boat, limiting your experiences on Comino Island to overlooks, walking, historical sites, or the few beaches on the island.

If you want to know what things to consider when booking a boat trip to Comino, make sure you check out this post where I explain exactly what to expect from the cruise.

Hopefully, this guide has helped you realize Comino, Malta should be at the top of your Malta bucket list and is a must-do experience on your vacation. If you have any questions, let me know below!

Frequently Asked Questions about Visiting Comino Island

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