Discover the top attractions and unmissable things to do on a day trip to Comino Island from Gozo or Malta!
Did you know that some of the most popular attractions in Malta are found on the tiny island of Comino?
Comino is home to the famous Blue Lagoon and features crystal-clear waters, magnificent sea caves, and countless fun activities like exploring the magnificent Santa Marija Bay and marveling at the towering limestone cliffs at Crystal Lagoon.
After visiting Comino several times I’ve written this travel guide to the best things to do! I’ll also show you the best ways to get to Comino Island from Malta or Gozo, what to expect once you arrive, and some useful tips like the best time to visit, where to stay, and a brief history of the island.
Quick Things to Know
Comino, also Kemmuna in Maltese, is a tiny island situated between the main island of Malta and its sister island, Gozo. Here's what you need to know.
- At only 3.5 square kilometers (1.35 square miles) in size, Comino is also the smallest of the three main islands of Malta.
- You can get to Comino via a boat trip from Malta or Gozo. Alternatively, you can catch the public ferry from Ċirkewwa from 8:30 am for €15 return or Mgarr Harbour in Gozo for €10 return.
- There are basic amenities including a public toilet, police station, church, and even the Comino Hotel (the only accommodation on the island).
- This island is generally considered the most beautiful place in Malta and has an official nature reserve status. This is the island where you will find some of Malta's most beautiful coastal attractions like the famous Blue Lagoon.
Fun fact: Comino is a generally rocky landscape and is sprawling with colorful flowers and wild herbs, including natural cumin, which the island is named after.
What Not to Miss on Comino Island
Now that you're equipped with all the information you need to visit, let's dive into this comprehensive list of things to do on Comino, the heart of the Maltese Islands!
1. The Comino Blue Lagoon
Of course, the island's main attraction is the famous Comino Blue Lagoon. This shallow, protected cove lies on the western side, sheltered between Comino and neighboring islet Cominotto. In fact, its Maltese name, Bejn il-Kmiemen, literally translates to Between the Cominos.
The clear waters of the Blue Lagoon are somewhat of a poster child for Malta, appearing in tourism adverts and as a mandatory addition to any visitor's Instagram grid. The turquoise water and sandy bottom at the Blue Lagoon make it the perfect place for swimming and snorkeling with many fish and healthy marine life.
All Comino Island boat trips visit the Blue Lagoon, with a small boat ramp being the main disembarkation point onto Comino Island from Malta or Gozo.
Travel Tip: Be warned, the Blue Lagoon can get seriously busy during the peak season (summer months). However, in order to get this amazing spot practically all to yourself is to visit early in the morning or late in the afternoon. The private boat trip linked above can be arranged for an early pickup. Alternatively, these guys also offer a sunset Blue Lagoon trip which would also guarantee fewer crowds.
2. Cominotto Island
Cominotto Island is a tiny islet sitting directly opposite Comino and the Blue Lagoon. When visiting Comino and the Blue Lagoon, make sure to take a swim across the crystal clear waters to this tiny islet for a more secluded beach and an epic beach cave!
Cominotto means small Comino, and its beach Cominotto Beach was featured in the epic Troy movie.
If you're interested in water sports, you can also rent a kayak or SUP from the Blue Lagoon area and paddle over yourself!
3. Crystal Lagoon
While everybody knows about the famous Blue Lagoon, few are aware that just around the bend is another amazing clear water lagoon that I believe is equally, if not more beautiful than the Blue Lagoon!
The Crystal Lagoon is a wide, sheltered bay filled with clear turquoise water and a white, sandy bottom. The cove is located just south of the Blue Lagoon, either by taking the short 700-meter (765 yards) walking track (a roughly 5-minute walk) or via boat for those on a Comino Island tour.
Visiting the Crystal Lagoon is one of my favorite things to do on Comino. There are several small sea caves in this bay, as well as a steep, towering limestone cliff line that contrasts beautifully with the blue water below.
4. Tunnel Cave
Comino's limestone coastline is dotted with deep and intricate sea caves that are ripe for exploring! Many of these are only accessible from the water, meaning you'll need either a small boat or kayak to enter them.
One of my favorite of these sea caves on Comino is the Tunnel Cave, a long natural tunnel connecting the southern end of the Blue Lagoon to the Crystal Lagoon. This one is a little too narrow to fit a boat through. However, if you are confident, it's possible to swim through it in calm weather.
5. Popeye's Cave
Directly across the lagoon from the Tunnel Cave is yet another spectacular cave on Comino Island. Locals call this one Popeye's Cave, as it appeared in the 1980 Popeye film starring Robbin Williams.
Popeye's Cave features a huge cavern accessible on the south-facing coast just east of Crystal Lagoon. The roof of this cave has collapsed, revealing a large natural skylight radiating down on the huge limestone boulders below.
Location: L-Għar ta’ Bla Saqaf/It-Tieqa/Taħt il-Ħnejja
6. Scuba Diving - the P31 Wreck on Comino Island
Divers regard Malta as the best scuba diving location in Europe. As a result, you can expect that one of the best things to do on Comino Island is to go diving in its several cave systems and nearby shipwrecks.
My favorite dive on Comino Island is the P31 wreck, also known as Patrol Boat P31 (Pasewalk), lying on a sandy bottom just a few hundred meters from the southern side of the Blue Lagoon.
This is a beginner-friendly wreck dive as the wreck is almost perfectly upright, with the lowest section sitting at a depth of just 18-20 meters.
Diver's Tip: If you're considering scuba diving on Comino Island from Malta, I highly recommend visiting OrangeShark Diving Centre. These guys run one of the most impressive and professional dive shops I've ever visited!
7. Window Cave
Another interesting attraction on Comino Island Malta is the Window Cave. As its name suggests, this tiny cave is not much more than a large open hole serving as a window into the clear water beyond.
This is certainly a worthwhile photo stop if you have a SUP, kayak, or are visiting on a private boat tour on Comino.
8. Lover's Cave
Lover's Cave is a little-known hidden gem and a beautiful place that certainly deserves a visit! You'll find it just a little further southeast of Popeye's Cave as you make your way around Comino Island in an anti-clockwise direction.
Once again only accessible from the water, Lover's Cave appears as nothing more than a small cave opening on Comino Island's rugged coastline. But, once you make your way down the dark, 65-meter-long tunnel, you'll see that it opens up to a large cavern with a sandy beach inside!
This really is a beautiful place– and the most private sandy beach you'll find on Comino!
9. Saint Mary's Tower
The most prominent structure on Comino Malta is the Saint Mary's Tower, also known as Santa Marija Tower, or simply Comino Tower (Torri ta' Kemmuna in Maltese). This large, bastioned watchtower was built during the times of the Maltese Knights in 1618 and served as the fifth of six Wignacourt Towers.
Malta has a long history of invasion dating back past the Middle Ages. Many foreign forces made their way to the Maltese Islands, including pirates, Ottoman Turks, Romans, Arabs, Carthaginians, and Phoenicians.
As a result, the Knights established these watchtowers as a warning strategy against these invading forces. If guards spotted an opposing fleet, they lit fires at the top of the tower, which would warn the others to do the same.
Today, you can spot Saint Mary's Tower from the sea, or hike out to it from the Blue Lagoon. You'll find it on a high cliff point near the southwest corner of Comino Island, nearby an abandoned isolation hospital.
10. San Niklaw Bay
Moving to the north end of Comino and we'll arrive at the beautiful turquoise waters of San Niklaw Bay. This is one of the best places on Comino for swimming and snorkeling due to its clear waters and rocky shores, providing easy access to the ocean.
Visiting Comino in the high season and the Blue Lagoon seems too busy for you? I recommend taking a short walk along the dirt trail to San Niklaw Bay, where you'll find a much more relaxed atmosphere.
11. Santa Marija Bay
Santa Marija Bay (also written Santa Maria Bay), is a small pebble beach in a sheltered cove on the northern end of Comino, just past San Niklaw Bay.
This is one of the most popular beaches on Comino Island and is where you will find the Comino Island Hotel. Along the shore, there are sun chairs available for rent and protective umbrellas to rest under. Further along the bay travelers will also find a small boat ramp, which is a good location to take a kayak from.
Additionally, you'll even find a small church at Santa Marija Bay called the Chapel of Our Lady's Return from Egypt.
Did you know? The official population of Comino is just 2 people, with no asphalted roads or public transport (besides shuttle boats) on the island. However,
12. Santa Marija Caves
For me, the amazing natural attractions on Comino are what make this place so special. By far, one of the most awe-inspiring and beautiful places on the island are the Santa Marija Caves.
Picture the most vibrant and clear turquoise water you've ever seen, leading into a broad cavern. The summer sun reflects off the white bottom, painting the cave roof with glimmering light.
Due to its popularity, all Comino Island tours stop by the Santa Marija Caves and most would consider it up there with the two most unmissable things to do on Comino Island, after the Blue Lagoon.
Travel Tip: For adventurers exploring Comino Island by land, we found an awesome walk-through to one of the Santa Marija Caves. From Santa Marija Bay, we followed the rocky flats to the east until we came to a small cavern entrance. Here, we could climb down and enter the cave to pop out on the other side. Photos below.
13. Hike to the Island's Highest Point at Ġebel Comino
Feel like getting adventurous? Why not hike to Ġebel Comino, the highest point on the island? Okay, at less than 70 meters, hiking to this viewpoint is no big feat. However, the vantage point is still well worth the effort, with expansive views across the island, Malta, and even Gozo.
To get to this viewpoint on Comino, simply walk past the closed-down pig farm (Comino Pig Farm) on the eastern side. You'll see a worn trail leading to the top of the hill. There's also a stack of stones at the top, marking the highest point.
Did you know? Comino is regarded as a bird sanctuary, where many seasonal species including Wryneck, Skylark, Grey Herons, Egrets, and Blue Rock Thrush visit and nest on the island.
14. Elephant Head Rock (Elephant Arch)
Elephant Head Rock, or Elephant Arch is one of the most unique natural attractions on Comino. This huge limestone arch is located on the eastern cliffside and is only visible from a boat or kayak.
As you can probably make out from the photo below, this natural rock formation looks exactly like an elephant's head, including its trunk. This spot isn't great for swimming but does make for a great photo opportunity.
15. Il-Batterija ta' Santa Marija & the Natural Arch
Moving around the island to the far southern side, we'll find the Il-Batterija ta' Santa Marija, or Saint Mary's battery, or the Comino Battery.
This coastal cannon battery was built by the Order of Saint John as far back as 1715 and served as a primary defense battery for the island of Comino. The gun platform, parapet, and blockhouse sit high on the cliff line and are visible but largely unaccessible from the sea.
Just beneath this battery is another natural arch. For those making their way around the island on a tour or a boat, stopping by and perhaps swimming in the clear waters beneath this little arch is in my opinion one of the most underrated things to do on Comino!
16. Hike Around Comino Island
Want to explore more than just Comino's beaches, lagoons, and sea caves? Strap up your hiking shoes and head inland to discover a neat network of unsealed roads and worn tracks leading to many hidden gems. If you're feeling up to it, you could even rent a mountain bike from Gozo or Malta and bring it over!
Being a small island, it takes roughly 2-3 hours to walk around the circumference, stopping at highlights and viewpoints like the Crystal Lagoon cliffs, Santa Marija Bay, the Comino Battery, or even the far-reaching headland at Lantern Point (Il-Ponta tal- Irqieqa).
How to Get to Comino from Gozo or Malta
Since Comino Island is one of Malta's most famous tourist attractions, you'll find a wide range of popular ways to get here from the main island of Malta but all will involve a boat trip.
These include:
- Day Trip: Shared Boat Tours from Malta
- Private Boat Trip (from Gozo or Comino)
- Public Transport & Ferry from Ċirkewwa (northern port in Malta)
#1 Rated Comino Boat Tour
Looking for the quick answer? Click the button to be taken directly to the booking page for the most inclusive and cost-effective Comino group boat trip you can find online.
Where to Stay in Malta
There's a wide range of accommodation types, from 5-star resorts to traditional terraced boutique hotels scattered all over Malta's islands. However, I highly recommend staying in either Valletta, Sliema & St Julian's, Mellieħa Bay, and Gozo Island.
Below are the top four options based on location, reviews, and my personal experience.
To save you time, read my guide to where to stay in Malta, or this guide to Gozo's Best Boutique Hotels.
1. 1926 Hotel & Spa Sliema
This amazing 4-star luxury facility in Sliema offers Mediterranean Sea views & a rooftop infinity swimming pool. Easy access to the ferry terminal running to Gozo & Valletta.
2. Iniala Harbour House Valletta
Perched atop Valletta's stunning St Barbara Bastion, this incredible boutique experience offers stunning views of the Grand Harbour & the Three Cities from traditional Maltese balconies.
3. db Seabank Resort Mellieħa
Situated just feet from the white sandy shores of Malta's longest beach, this all-inclusive hotel offers five restaurants, a fitness center, a spa, multiple pools, & a bowling alley!
4. Quaint Boutique Hotel (Nadur) Gozo
A beautifully renovated boutique hotel beside the Nadur Parish Church. Find spacious balcony terraces overlooking the town square & offering a peaceful, traditional ambiance.
Comino Malta Travel Faqs
When is the best time to visit Comino Island?
In terms of seasons, the best time to visit Comino is during the summer months (peak season), or during the shoulder season of late spring and early autumn. During this time, weather conditions are fair, temperatures are warm, and the sea is calmer, making Comino ideal for swimming and exploring.
Is Comino inhabited?
There are only two people living on Comino Island. These are members of the Vella family, who are quite well-known in Malta and even around the world.
Can you stay on Comino Island?
There is one primary hotel on the island called the Comino Hotel.
Who owns Comino Island?
The island is owned by the country and Republic of Malta
How to get to Comino Island?
To get to Comino from Malta or Gozo, take a private tour, jump on one of the many shared boat tours, or take the private small ferry transfer from Ċirkewwa (the main island of Malta), or Mġarr Port (Gozo). Read above for tour recommendations.
Review: Is Comino Island Worth it?
After multiple trips to Comino Island, I can confidently say that this little gem in the Mediterranean is worth every bit of the hype. Getting there is easy and with frequent, cheap ferries from Malta and Gozo, costing around €15 and €10 return, it's a no-brainer for a day trip.
Plus, while the Blue Lagoon gets all the hype, there are so many more things to explore like hiking to the quieter Crystal Lagoon and visiting St. Mary's Tower for panoramic views. Of course, it can be busy, especially around the main lagoon area so to avoid the crowds, visit early in the morning or late afternoon.
And, that's a wrap for this comprehensive travel guide unveiling all the fun things to do on Comino Island, Malta. While you're here on my blog, make sure to check out some of my other Malta travel guides!
- Amazing Things to do in Malta - my ultimate Maltese Travel Guide covers all the must-see attractions and hidden gems in the archipelago.
- 40 Amazing Things to do on Gozo - I explored every corner of Malta's sister island of Gozo to form this comprehensive travel guide
- How to Get to Comino - my updated guide to the best options via boat tour, ferry, and more.
- The Malta Blue Lagoon Guide - the most up-to-date resource on visiting Malta's most popular natural attraction, the Blue Lagoon!
- Accommodation resources: Looking for places to stay? Read my guide to finding where to stay in Malta. Or, for a unique stay, check out this list of great Boutique Hotels in Gozo and more Boutique Hotels in Valletta.