Comino island, the smallest of the three islands forming the Maltese Archipelago, measuring 1.4 square miles. For some, just a large rock, surrounded by a rugged coastline, mainly untouched land but for many others Comino island is popular for its white sandy beach with turquoise crystal clear water.
Comino was mainly inhabited in the Roman period but did not have much significance until the Knights arrived. It then had a dual role: hunting grounds and a staging post in the defence of the Maltese Islands against the Ottoman Turks.
The island had proved a useful base for pirates operating in the central Mediterranean and, though stark and barren today, it was home to wild boar and hares when the Knights arrived in 1530. The Grandmasters went to great lengths to ensure that their game on Comino was protected: anyone found breaking the embargo on hunting could expect to serve three years rowing on a galley.
After WWII, Comino remained a backwater until its fortunes revived with tourism in the mid-1960s. In the 60s, started the first tourist trips to the island of Comino where people were ferried by boats to this small patch of white sand with basically no one in sight. As the years rolled on, other companies started to expand the market by offering other opportunities, such as day and evening trips, kayaking, diving, snorkeling and even parasailing around this beautiful island.
You will find many ways to get to the island of Comino, specifically the Blue Lagoon, all via water transport. Ferries departs from the major coast villages such as the capital city Valletta, Sliema, Bugibba and Cirkewwa. By taking a ferry you have flexibility on the time to get to and leave the island as these frequent about every 30 minutes. You can also get there via a cruise boat, this gives you access to the facilities onboard, example shade, toilets, some have sun deck including deck chairs, slide, cafeteria. If you are staying in Gozo, you also have the ferries departing from Mgarr harbour and day trips.
Once in the Blue Lagoon you will be able to witness the beauty of the white sand turquoise water – what a lot of people travel to Malta just to see. Here you have activities such as, kayaking, paddle boarding, crazy sofa rides and parasailing or you can simply swim and snorkel. The beach is quite small and for the number of visitors you get daily you would have to be quite early (or relatively late) to get a spot on the beach. Your alternative is to walk along the rocks and find a spot further up from the beach. Some cross over from Comino to Cominotto island (just opposite) with bags overhead to the sandier side of the Blue Lagoon.
The best way to get to the Blue Lagoon would be via a cruise tour. You get an advantage as the boat will remain with you the whole time you are there thus allowing you to use its facilities throughout the day. You can walk off go to the beach, for a swim or walk and then return at your own pleasure back to the boat. Hornblower Cruises is a great option and a fun way to visit the island of Comino and the Blue Lagoon as you have all you need and more aboard. It is a family run boat therefore the crew, being the family themselves, take good care of you and make you feel at home. The boat has an upper sunbathing deck with free deck chairs where you can lounge around and soak in the sun rays. It has a large shaded main deck and a lower air-conditioned area where they have a cafeteria serving food and drinks throughout the day. The boat has jumping platforms, step ladder and a 10m slide. Should you need snorkel masks, buoyancy aids or a huge flamingo floaty you will find all this on the Hornblower boat.
If you want to make your experience in the Blue Lagoon unforgettable this is the cruise for you.