Comino, Malta: Complete Island Guide 2026

Comino is Malta's smallest inhabited island – roughly 3.5 km² of limestone plateau, one medieval tower and almost no permanent residents. Most visitors see the Blue Lagoon and leave on the next boat. Those who stay a full day find Crystal Lagoon on the opposite shore, the broader sand of Santa Marija Bay, and a coastal walk quieter than anywhere else in the archipelago.

Two things decide the trip before you set off. Stepping ashore at the Blue Lagoon requires a free pre-booked QR slot, and the ferry from Ċirkewwa takes about 20 minutes and costs €13–15 return depending on which operator you pick. Read both before you go.

Getting to Comino

There are two ways over: the scheduled public ferry, or an organised boat tour.

The public ferries leave from Ċirkewwa Harbour and Marfa in northern Malta, both reachable by bus from Sliema or Valletta in roughly 45–60 minutes – see getting around Malta for the routes and fares. The crossing takes about 20 minutes and runs every 20–30 minutes through the daytime season.

Two competing operators run the route, and they do not charge the same fare:

• Comino Ferries Co-Op: €15 return adult, about €7 for children under 10, running roughly 08:30–16:00
• Ebsons Comino Ferries: €13 return, running roughly 09:30–15:30

No vehicles are permitted – you park on Malta and continue on foot. Tickets are sold at the Ċirkewwa passenger terminal kiosks or online in advance.

Staying in the north cuts the whole approach down to nothing. Ċirkewwa is a five-minute drive from Mellieħa, which is why a northern base makes an early Comino start realistic in a way a Valletta or Sliema base does not.

The alternative is an organised day tour from Buġibba or Sliema, which drops you directly at the lagoon and often combines Gozo and the sea caves in one day. The Blue Lagoon and Crystal Lagoon boat tour covers both lagoons and the caves in a single trip, which is the efficient option if swimming rather than walking is the point.

The two routes suit genuinely different days. A boat tour is easier and needs no shore slot if you swim from the deck. The public ferry is the one that lets you explore the island at your own pace. For the tour options in detail, see the Blue Lagoon and Comino guide.

Blue Lagoon and the slot system

Since May 2025, stepping ashore at the Blue Lagoon requires a free QR-code time slot, and the system is running for the full 2026 season. Anyone setting foot on land must pre-book a window at bluelagooncomino.mt before arriving.

• Three windows daily: 08:00–13:00, 13:30–17:30 and 18:00–22:00
• Cap: 4,000 visitors at any one time
• Cost: free – this is a crowd-control measure, not a charge
• Enforcement: wristbands issued on entry; arriving without a valid booking can result in a fine

The critical nuance: the slot covers shore access, not the water. If you are on a boat tour and swim from the deck, you do not need one. That distinction is worth weighing when you choose how to get there, because morning slots fill days ahead in high summer.

Crystal Lagoon

Crystal Lagoon sits on the southwestern side of the island, roughly opposite the Blue Lagoon, and the two feel nothing alike. It is more open and far less sheltered, with a real sense of open sea – no cafés, no rows of moored day-boats, and a fraction of the people.

The snorkelling is genuinely good when conditions are calm. That exposure cuts both ways: on a rough day it gets choppy, so it is worth checking the sea state before committing to the walk across.

You can reach it on foot from the Blue Lagoon on a clear path, or by small boat. Most people who stay a full day combine both lagoons in one circuit, which takes around three hours with swimming time at each.

Santa Marija Bay

On the northeastern side, Santa Marija Bay is the closest thing Comino has to a conventional beach – a broader, sandier shore than the rocky edges of the Blue Lagoon, and a consistently lighter crowd.

Some ferry services stop here directly, which means you can reach it without backtracking from the main landing. It works as a natural second stop on a full day, or as a first choice for families who want a less managed swim than the slot-controlled lagoon.

Crowds do build in peak summer, but the bay has never drawn the same volume as the Blue Lagoon – partly because it lacks the same visual drama, partly because getting there takes a deliberate decision.

St Mary's Tower

St Mary's Tower stands on the island's eastern cliffs, one of the coastal watchtowers built by the Knights of St John and dating to 1618. It is managed by Din l-Art Ħelwa rather than Heritage Malta.

• Season: April to the end of October
• Days: usually Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday – open when the Maltese flag is flying
• Entry: by donation
• Walk: 10–15 minutes from the Blue Lagoon

The views over the Comino channel and back to the Maltese mainland are the best on the island, and the structure itself is in good condition. Worth the detour even if you do not go inside.

Walking the island loop

A full circuit of Comino is around 8.5 km and takes 2.5 to 3.5 hours at an easy pace.

The terrain is rocky and uneven – trainers or walking shoes cope far better than sandals, particularly in summer heat. There is almost no shade once you leave the boat-landing areas, and the only place to buy food and drink is at the Blue Lagoon landing, so carrying water is not optional and stocking up before you set off is essential.

The natural order runs Blue Lagoon → southwest cliffs → Crystal Lagoon → St Mary's Tower → Santa Marija Bay → back to the ferry. Once you clear the lagoon area it is quiet and almost entirely crowd-free.

Do not try to combine the island walk with Gozo on the same day. The two share the Ċirkewwa terminal and the temptation is obvious, but the circuit alone eats most of the daylight – a Gozo day trip deserves its own day.

Comino beyond the Blue Lagoon feels like a different island from the one in the tour brochures – which is the whole argument for taking the public ferry and giving it a day.

Rules and what else to know for 2026

Comino is a Natura 2000 protected site and the rules are enforced rather than posted.

• Camping: prohibited – enforcement notices have been issued specifically around Santa Marija Bay
• Drones: require a permit from Transport Malta
• Anchoring: restricted in designated areas
• Accommodation: none. The former Comino Hotel has been closed since 2022; redevelopment was approved but the site is not operational, so expect no facilities there
• Chapel of Our Lady's Return from Egypt: on the island, but no confirmed regular public opening schedule for 2026 – ask at the ferry landing on the day

Treat Comino as a day-trip island. There is nowhere to stay, nowhere to camp legally, and one small kiosk operation for supplies.

Is a full day worth it?

Take the full day and walk the loop if you want the real Comino. The circuit via Crystal Lagoon, the tower and Santa Marija Bay is genuinely quiet, and it produces a completely different day from the standard lagoon boat trip.

Take the boat tour instead if you have a few hours and swimming is the point – you skip the shore slot entirely, the operator handles the logistics, and you still get the water everyone comes for. What you do not get is the island.

Either way, do not arrive at the Blue Lagoon in midsummer intending to step ashore without a slot. The system is enforced, the fines are real, and the morning windows fill days in advance.