Comino is a half-day visit, not a full day, and not multiple days. The Blue Lagoon is the headline. Everything else (Crystal Lagoon, Santa Marija Tower, the island walk, the dive sites) supports the headline or extends it for travellers willing to spend a few hours beyond the swimming spot.
The Blue Lagoon
The turquoise shallow swimming cove between Comino and Cominotto, the islet to the west. Water clarity that genuinely matches the photographs, but only when the cove is not full of boats and crowds.
Strategy: arrive before 09:00 or after 17:00. The midday window (10:30 to 16:30) sees 30 to 60 anchored boats, several hundred people in the water, hawkers selling inflatables and frozen drinks, music from larger party boats. This is the version of Comino that gives the island a bad name.
Best version: take the 08:00 or 08:30 small-operator boat from Cirkewwa (north Malta), arrive in the cove with 2 to 6 boats anchored, swim, photograph, walk to the Crystal Lagoon, return by 11:30. See the how-to-get-there guide for the boat-operator detail.
Swimming: the water is shallow (1 to 2 m for the first 30 metres out, deepening gradually). The entry is from the limestone platform or via the concrete steps near the kiosks. The bottom is sand and limestone shelf; no sharp rocks at the main entry points.
Snorkelling: visibility is consistently 15 to 25 m in summer. The fish life is modest (small wrasse, the occasional barracuda); the appeal is the water clarity and the light on the white sand floor.
Crystal Lagoon
The second cove, on the western side of Comino, a 10-minute walk over limestone scrub from the Blue Lagoon. Smaller, no sand beach (the entry is via a path that drops down to the rock platform), but the water clarity is identical and the crowd is one-tenth.
Strategy: visit the Blue Lagoon first thing, then walk over to Crystal Lagoon at around 11:00 when the Blue Lagoon fills. You have a quiet empty cove for the next two hours while the daytrippers continue piling into the main lagoon.
The path from the Blue Lagoon to Crystal Lagoon is unmarked but obvious; follow the worn limestone tracks westward over the low ridge. Around 700 m, 10 minutes at a normal pace.
Santa Marija Tower
The small Knights-era coastal watchtower built in 1618, on the high point of the island. A 15-minute uphill walk from the Blue Lagoon, the path is mostly unmarked but visible. The tower itself is small and is open occasionally as a small museum (€2, irregular schedule, often closed).
The reason to climb is the view from the surrounding ridge:
- North: Mġarr harbour on Gozo, with the parish church dome visible.
- South: Cirkewwa terminal on Malta, with the headland of Marfa Ridge behind.
- East and west: the full sweep of the channel between the islands, with the smaller islet of Cominotto immediately west.
This is the photograph of Comino that the brochure boats do not include in their tour.
Santa Marija Cave and diving
Santa Marija Cave at the north-eastern tip of the island is the headline dive site. A large cavern with visibility to 30 metres in summer, schools of barracuda and grouper, easy boat or shore access.
Most dive operators based on Malta (Cirkewwa) and on Gozo run boat trips here daily in season. €60 to €90 for a guided shore dive, €110 to €130 for a two-tank boat dive.
Lantern Point on the western edge of Comino is a second major dive site, with caves at 18 to 25 m depth and the occasional grouper or moray. Drift-dive options when the current allows.
For non-divers, snorkelling along the cliffs between the Blue Lagoon and Santa Marija Cave (a 30-minute swim or short kayak distance) shows similar fish life in shallower water.
The island loop walk
The walk almost no day-tripper does. From the Blue Lagoon, follow the coast path eastward, past Santa Marija Tower, the small Santa Marija Chapel (the patron-saint church that gives the island its alternative name, “Marija”), the abandoned Comino Hotel grounds (closed for years; pending redevelopment), and back around to the Blue Lagoon.
- Distance: about 4 km.
- Time: 45 to 60 minutes at a slow pace.
- Conditions: low limestone scrub, no shade, no water sources. In spring (April-May) the scrub is in bloom with thyme, fennel and wild iris; in summer it is hot and shadeless.
- Footwear: aqua shoes or trainers; the limestone is sharp in places.
The walk is the best way to see Comino beyond the swimming spot. It is also the easiest way to make a four-hour Comino day feel like a real visit rather than a beach pause.
What to bring
Comino has no shop, no restaurant, no pharmacy. Two seasonal kiosks operate at the Blue Lagoon in summer:
- Sandwiches at €6 to €8.
- Bottled water at €3 to €5.
- Snacks, ice creams, fruit at premium prices.
- Inflatable rentals (skip; they are aggressively pushed but the lagoon is shallow enough that you do not need one).
- One paid toilet (€1).
What to bring:
- Water: at least 1.5 litres per person, more in summer.
- Picnic if you plan to stay more than 2 hours.
- Sun protection (the limestone reflects strongly).
- Reef-safe sunscreen (the lagoon ecosystem is fragile and crowded).
- Small dry bag for valuables (the kiosk changing facilities are basic).
- Aqua shoes or sandals (limestone underwater can be slippery and sharp).
Skip
- The “5-islands cruise with lunch onboard” sold from Sliema and Bugibba; the price reflects a low-quality version of the Comino visit.
- Renting an inflatable unicorn or flamingo at the Blue Lagoon. The lagoon is shallow enough to stand in; the inflatables are a tax on the unwary.
- The advertised Crystal Lagoon “private boat tour” that some operators upsell; the Crystal Lagoon is a 10-minute walk from the Blue Lagoon and you do not need a boat to reach it.
How long to stay
Half a day, timed correctly. Arrive at 08:30, swim the Blue Lagoon empty, walk to Crystal Lagoon for the late-morning, optional Santa Marija Tower climb, lunch from your picnic on the limestone platform, return on the 12:00 or 13:00 boat.
A full day (08:30 to 17:00) makes sense only for divers planning two dives at Santa Marija Cave or for serious snorkellers who want to spend hours in the water.
Multiple days are impossible; there is no overnight accommodation. See the where-to-stay guidance for what to do instead.