Comino is three and a half square kilometres of bare limestone between Malta and Gozo. It has almost no permanent residents, no cars and one very famous stretch of water. It is a Natura 2000 protected site and a bird sanctuary, and for most of the year it is close to empty.
Since 1 May 2025 anyone setting foot at the Blue Lagoon has to pre-book a slot, whether arriving by commercial boat or private vessel. It is free, it takes a minute at bluelagooncomino.mt, and it generates a QR code you show at the access points. There are three slots a day: 08:00 to 13:00, 13:30 to 17:30, and 18:00 to 22:00. Turning up without one is not a plan.
Almost everybody reaches Comino by booked boat. Going early is the whole trick.
The Blue Lagoon
The lagoon is the channel between Comino and the islet of Cominotto. It lies over white sand, and the sand gives the water its colour. It deserves its reputation, and it also has a crowding problem. The booking system exists to solve that, and numbers have reportedly fallen a lot since it came in.
Come in the morning before the day boats arrive, or in the evening after they leave. It is a completely different place from the middle of the day. There is essentially no natural shade, so bring cover and water rather than paying kiosk prices for both.
The rest of the island
The Blue Lagoon
The channel runs over white sand, and the sand gives the water its colour. It deserves its reputation. It also had a crowding problem, and the booking system was brought in to fix it.
Take the first slot of the morning or the last of the evening. In the middle of the day you are sharing it with several thousand people.
Booking and boats
The rest of the island
Almost everyone stays within sight of the lagoon, so the rest of Comino is quiet even in August. You can walk it end to end in about an hour and a half.
There are no cars and no roads. Apart from seasonal kiosks and a single hotel there are no facilities at all, so carry water and something to cover up with.
Getting there
Every boat is a private operator, running from Ċirkewwa, from Mġarr in Gozo, and from the resorts at Buġibba and Sliema. Services stop entirely in a strong north-easterly.
Staying overnight is the best way to see Comino. Once the last boat leaves, an island that held thousands that afternoon holds almost nobody.
Boats to Comino
Almost everyone stays within sight of the lagoon, which means the rest of Comino is quiet even in August. It is walkable end to end in about an hour and a half.
Worth walking to
- Santa Marija Tower
- The bastioned watchtower on the south coast was built under Grand Master Wignacourt in 1618. It was used as a location in The Count of Monte Cristo. You can see it from a long way off. It is the landmark of the island.
- Santa Marija Bay
- A small sandy beach on the north side is shaded by tamarisk trees. It is far quieter than the lagoon and the better swim on a busy day.
- The Comino Battery
- An eighteenth-century gun battery stands above the coast, part of the same defensive chain as the tower.
- Crystal Lagoon
- This deep inlet can only be reached by boat. Most day trips pass through it on the way in.
- The chapel
- A small chapel stands near Santa Marija Bay. It is still used on the feast day.
Getting there and staying
There is no public ferry. Access is by private operator from Ċirkewwa, Mġarr in Gozo, and the resorts at Buġibba and Sliema, and services stop entirely in a strong north-easterly. There are no cars, no roads and, apart from seasonal kiosks and a single hotel, no facilities at all.
Staying overnight is the best way to see Comino. Once the last boat leaves, an island that held thousands of people that afternoon holds almost nobody.
The booking system, the time slots and the current rules are run by the Malta Tourism Authority. Book free at bluelagooncomino.mt.
What changes with the season
You get the best walking of the year, and the island is green.
- The countryside is green from February to April and burnt brown by June, so put the walking days early in the trip.
- The sea does not really warm up until May. Treat a beach day as a coast day and you will not be disappointed.
- Holy Week moves every year and changes opening hours across a lot of towns. Check the dates before you fix a day to Valletta.
Everything is open and everything is busy. The heat sets the timetable.
- The midday heat limits you more than the distance does. Start early, stop between one and four, then go out again in the evening.
- The Blue Lagoon needs a slot booked in advance. It is free, but it is not optional.
- Beaches fill from mid-morning, and the northern buses fill with them. A full bus will drive straight past your stop.
The sea is still warm and the crowds have gone. Many people prefer October for that reason.
- The water lags the air by about a month, so swimming is still on the table through October.
- The Valletta harbour ferries switch to their winter timetable on 1 November, and the last crossing comes earlier than people expect.
- Rain returns in November. Keep one flexible day rather than booking every morning.
Swap the beach days for walking days and the itineraries still work.
- The sea is too cold for most people, so every beach day in these routes becomes a coast walk instead.
- Comino boats run to a reduced service or stop altogether, so treat the Blue Lagoon as a summer plan.
- The sites and the museums are almost empty in winter, so this is a good time to walk round them.
Nothing on Comino is bookable on Comino. Every trip starts from Malta or Gozo, and early departures are less crowded. Book the crossing before you travel rather than at a kiosk on the day: you can find and book a Comino boat trip through Klook.