Nice Places: Blue Lagoon, Crystal Lagoon and Santa Maria Bay - Comino

Blue Lagoon (Photo: Jan Gruber).
Blue Lagoon (Photo: Jan Gruber).

Nice Places: Blue Lagoon, Crystal Lagoon and Santa Maria Bay - Comino

Blue Lagoon (Photo: Jan Gruber).
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The smallest of the three inhabited islands in the Republic of Malta, Comino, is particularly known for the Blue Lagoon. This attracts thousands of tourists year after year. Crystal clear water invites you to swim, but a visit should not only be well planned, but also avoiding Santa Maria Bay.

The Blue Lagoon does not have a real sandy beach, but is a rocky affair. There is only a small sandy area near the landing stage. Nevertheless, in the main season, countless tourists are brought here with the regular scheduled boats from excursion boats. Local business people offer just about everything from mineral water to hot dogs to diving goggles and at steep prices. Especially in July and August it is totally overcrowded in the Blue Lagoon and tourists are literally on each other's toes.

The beauty of this picturesque place can only really be experienced in the off-season, because then the "range" of stalls is limited to a lifeguard and a small first aid station. In concrete terms, this means that the “market” that absolutely does not fit into the landscape is not set up at all outside of the peak time.

There is at least one place to expect a sandy beach on the mini island of Cominotto. It is also very nice for swimming here, but there is a catch. Getting there is complicated because you have to swim to the opposite side of Comino. For environmental reasons, boats are not allowed in Cominotto. So you can always see holidaymakers carrying their beach equipment on an air mattress through the bay.

Crystal clear water in the Crystal Lagoon

About five minutes' walk from the Blue Lagoon is the Crystal Lagoon. The name alludes to the fact that you can see to the bottom in the clear water and observe fish and other sea creatures. There is also a larger cave that you can swim into. However, it is not a complicated system, but a kind of large room that offers a spectacular view of the rock formations.

The Crystal Lagoon is heavily overburdened in the main season because the excursion boats seem to give the proverbial latch every minute. You will only find peace here in the off-season. For swimming it is of course very nice, as long as you can live with the fact that it is very deep and there are not really any loungers or seats right by the sea. By land, the descent into the Crystal Lagoon is a bit of a challenge, but manageable. You shouldn't swim here with small children, but older children, young people and adults will certainly have a lot of fun here, especially with snorkels and diving goggles.

It is recommended that divers use the off-season for their own protection. It just makes no sense to dive in a small bay and then you will be constantly disturbed by tourists and their excursion boats. Outside the peak season there is literally “dead pants” in the Crystal Lagoon and you can enjoy it.

Cozy sandy beach in Santa Maria Bay

If you want to swim on the sandy beach in Comino, you should walk around ten to 15 minutes from the Blue Lagoon and discover Santa Maria Bay. In contrast to the Blue Lagoon, there is a sandy beach here and the water is just as clear and clean. The highlight of the infrastructure here is a toilet facility. Otherwise there are no active tourist facilities here. It is noteworthy that Comino's only police station is located directly to the left of the beach. This is manned more or less around the clock. The only two residents, two elderly women, live at the other end of the island.

Since the closure of the tourist bungalows attached to the Comino Hotel in neighboring San Niklaw Bay, Santa Maria Bay has been frequented almost exclusively by locals arriving by boat. Only a few holidaymakers undertake the walk, which is by no means complicated or arduous. The consequence of this: There is no gastronomy or rental of umbrellas or loungers. This was previously offered by the Comino Hotel, but is currently paused. So please don't forget drinks, sunscreen and provisions.

But you can easily make yourself comfortable under the palm and cypress trees that provide shade. Alternatively, you can make a kind of awning with large towels and attach it to the plants. So far everyone has always found a shady spot or conjured one up with simple means.

Santa Maria Bay is not quite as shallow as other sandy beaches on the Maltese islands. This means that you cannot walk in a “felt kilometer”, but rather around 50 meters depending on whether the tide is ebb or flow. However, the subsoil is sandy and largely free of stones or rocks. Then follows - but you can no longer stand - seaweed, which invites you to snorkel. A lot of fish of all sizes cavort here and with a bit of luck you can also observe other sea creatures. It is mainly younger fish that live in the seagrass because they find protection from predators here.

Scheduled boats are cheaper and more flexible than excursions

To the island of Comino - or rather to the Blue Lagoon - many agencies and ship operators offer tourist trips. The average price for a day trip with a stop in the Crystal Lagoon and mooring in the Blue Lagoon is around 20 euros per adult. There is usually a cheaper price for children.

But it is more flexible if you use the regular scheduled boats from Cirkewwa or Mgarr (Gozo). These operate according to a fixed timetable and you are therefore not “nailed” to a specific departure time. Comino Ferries Co-Op and the Paradise Hotel offer regular crossings from Cirkewwa. The hotel's drop-off point is at the Marfa bus stop and that of the competitor is right next to the Gozo Channel Line ferry terminal (Cirkewa bus stop). Return tickets cost 13 euros per adult or there is a small discount for online purchases, which are not necessary.

Ebsons Comino Ferries also operates regular services from Mgarr (Gozo). The pier is located directly opposite the Gozo Channel Line terminal, ie to the left of the Gozo Fast Ferry Terminal. The fare from Gozo is return 10 euros. Reservations are not necessary from either Cirkewwa or Mgarr. Tickets can be bought on site.

It should be noted that there are currently no regular scheduled boats to Santa Maria Bay. All pedestrian ferries currently only head for the Blue Lagoon. If you don't want to “walk” across the island, you can ask for a private boat taxi to Santa Maria Bay. That doesn't cost a lot of money and the ferry line operators can usually push this spontaneously between two scheduled trips. In the main season, however, you should call the operators in advance or contact them by e-mail so that they can plan the private trip.

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Editor of this article:

Amely Mizzi is Executive Assistant at Aviation Direct Malta in San Pawl il-Baħar. She previously worked in the Aircraft and Vessel Financing division at a banking group. She is considered a linguistic talent and speaks seven languages ​​fluently. She prefers to spend her free time in Austria on the ski slopes and in summer on Mediterranean beaches, practically on her doorstep in Gozo.
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Amely Mizzi is Executive Assistant at Aviation Direct Malta in San Pawl il-Baħar. She previously worked in the Aircraft and Vessel Financing division at a banking group. She is considered a linguistic talent and speaks seven languages ​​fluently. She prefers to spend her free time in Austria on the ski slopes and in summer on Mediterranean beaches, practically on her doorstep in Gozo.
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Nobody likes paywalls
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Information should be free for everyone, but good journalism costs a lot of money.

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