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The Blue Lagoon Malta is a small lagoon with relatively shallow, azure-coloured water that’s located on the West coast of the island of Comino, between Malta and Gozo.
The Blue Lagoon offers one of the most spectacular sights around the Maltese islands, attracting hundreds of tourists every day during the busy summer months. It’s without a doubt the biggest attraction that brings people to Comino during that time of year.
It’s a great place to spend a day to relax, swim and snorkel and the views never tire. Be warned however: This place gets BUSY in summer (July-September) and your best bet during that period is taking a boat trip there or going early in the morning. (More on that further below!).
On this page you’ll learn everything you need to know about whether, how and when best to visit the Blue Lagoon (Malta).
The Blue Lagoon is located on the West coast of Comino, the smallest of the Maltese islands, located between main island Malta and Gozo. It’s easy to reach by boat from various locations.
You can either take a ferry from Cirkewwa (North of Malta), or from Sliema, Buġibba or Gozo if you want to visit the Blue Lagoon on your own. You can also take a boat tour that berths there for a period of time during the day. More info here: How to get to The Blue Lagoon.
Yes, it’s an absolutely stunning place to visit and spend some time at. However, because of its popularity it does get very, very busy in the high season (Jul-Sep), so don’t expect to find tranquility if you visit during that period. More info here: When best to visit the Blue Lagoon.
Around the Maltese islands, there are various species of sharks, however, the chances of being attacked are negligible, especially at the busy and shallow waters at the Blue Lagoon. There are only a handful of shark attacks recorded since 1890 so it’s not even something locals are wary of at all.
There’s one (3-star) hotel in Comino, which is a 20-minute walk away. It’s called the Comino Hotel and isn’t the most modern of places, in fact the only reason to stay there is to be close to the Blue Lagoon and away from literally everything else. In fact, there isn’t much else around than nature and the odd historical building, so don’t expect restaurants, amenities or a lively nightlife. It only makes sense to stay there if you want to be in the middle of nowhere. Do not expect a luxury resort!
There are three popular ways you can get there:
Taking a boat trip to the Blue Lagoon in Malta is by far the most popular option, with many opting to take an organised boat trip from one of the tourist hotspots (usually Sliema and Buġibba, Qawra and St. Paul’s Bay) and spending a day (or afternoon) there. Food and drinks are usually available on board and cost is somewhere between €25-35 per person. You also get a quick tour of a few other nice places around Comino (and sometimes stopovers in different bays on the way there, depending on the operator/cruise chosen).
Good to know about this option:
iSeeMalta offer a hop-on / hop-off ferry service that stops at Sliema, Buġibba (within walking distance from Qawra and St. Paul’s Bay) and Gozo (apart from the Blue Lagoon itself).
It works similarly to the hop on/hop off concept you may already be aware of, and in fact, the hop-on / hop-off buses are also operated by them. That makes sightseeing across land and sea easier that it was before.
A day ticket for the hop-on / hop-off ferry costs €15 for adults and €11.50 for children and gives you unlimited use of this ferry. That means you can combine a visit to the Blue Lagoon with a stopover in any of the other stops throughout the day. So rather than having to spend a full or half a day in Comino, you can decide to have a swim for a few hours and head somewhere else for some more sightseeing.
The only downside is that, particularly between 10am and 4pm in the high season (July-September) the Blue Lagoon tends to be packed with people. Although taking a boat trip is more expensive, the benefit is that you can chill on the boat itself without having to find a spot to stay while you’re there.
Moreover, at that time of day (and time of year) you’ll want to be able to find some shade because it gets HOT out. You can learn more on the practical side of going there further down on this page: My tips for your visit.
The third method of getting there is taking a ferry from near Ċirkewwa (far Northern tip of the main island Malta, Gozo ferry departure point) or from the nearby place called Marfa and get dropped off at The Blue Lagoon. They run according to a regular schedule and last return trips to Malta are between 5 and 7pm, depending on the operator. The actual ferry trips take around 20-25 mins and round trip ticket prices are €13 for adults and €7 for children.
However, getting to Ċirkewwa takes a while unless you decide to stay in Mellieħa (which is just a 10-min drive away). Although various bus routes (which also pass through Mellieħa) stop at Ċirkewwa, it can be a pretty long ride (around one hour from Sliema or St. Julian’s, for example) and buses heading there will also stop at Malta’s largest and busiest sandy beach Mellieħa Bay, which, at the end of the day will be busy with people trying to catch a bus back to their place of stay (or home).
If you still prefer this method, the bus route you’ll want to take is route 222. It’s a direct connection from Sliema, St. Julian’s and St. Paul’s Bay (which is in walking distance from Buġibba and Qawra) that takes you straight to Ċirkewwa (whereas other routes take you to Valletta’s main bus terminus first).
You can find a few ferry operators at Mġarr Harbour (like Bella Comino Ferry) that offer trips to and from the Blue Lagoon at around €7 for a return trip. Operating hours are typically between 8am and 6pm.
Alternatively, the iSeeMalta hop-on / hop-off ferry is also a good option from Gozo.
Here are a few recommendations for boat tours to the Blue Lagoon.
TIP: All boat tour providers offer an option to pick you up from your place of accommodation (usually at a surcharge).
Departing from Buġibba/St. Paul’s Bay (neighbouring towns):
Departing from Sliema:
(If you’re staying in or near Valletta: You can easily take a ferry over to Sliema and get the above boat trips. A ferry ride takes 5-10 minutes across Marsamxett Harbour)
These are two small ferry operators that cross between Cirkewwa and the island of Comino:
The Blue Lagoon is one of the most popular tourist destinations, and while I definitely recommend that you make a visit there part of your itinerary. However, I want you to be well-informed so you know what to expect.
Check out my two guidebooks full of local knowledge and my best recommendations for your trip!
Malta & Gozo guide book
Valletta: An Insider’s Guide to Malta’s Capital
Take the hassle out of planning your trip to Malta and be an informed traveller!
The Blue Lagoon in Malta is hugely popular among tourists and locals alike, and your best bet is to choose a weekday, although in July and August every day is a busy day.
In fact, if you’re staying in Malta during these months you should carefully consider whether it’s worth going, especially if you’re in Malta for a limited time.
My suggestions:
Swimming and snorkelling aren’t the only things you can do when you make the trip to Comino. So if you’re curious enough to explore, there’s plenty to see on this small island within walking distance.
A few tips before I get into the sights to see:
These are some of the highlights of other sights to see around the island:
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