Comino

Comino is one of the islands in the Maltese Archipelago. It is the smallest inhabited island of the Maltese islands with a grand total of 3 permanent inhabitants, as well as a hotel which caters mostly for overseas visitors on all-inclusive package tours. Comino is famed for its Blue Lagoon which offers crystal clear waters for swimming in.

Understand
Comino was for a long time uninhabited and was used by corsair pirates as a resting place. In the 17th century the Knights of St. John constructed the Santa Maria Tower to secure the island. This tower is in use as a museum. It's set in a very impressive location on a clifftop and seems more like a midsize fortress until you approach it and realise it's rather small. Like many other locations in Malta it can be seen in the 2002 film The Count of Monte Christo. During the British reign a leprosy colony was established on Comino because of its remote location; it was abandoned and its building is now used by the locals as convenient housing.

Get in


Comino is located in between Malta and Gozo and can be reached by a small ferry leaving from Ċirkewwa (on the north-western tip of Malta - the same place that the much larger ferries to Gozo depart from) or from Mgarr in Gozo. Sailings are irregular - check with the Comino Hotel.

Many tourist boats depart daily from three cruise locations in Malta:

Departure Bugibba Departure Mellieha
 * Seahorse Cruises
 * Sea Adventure - Glass Bottom Catamaran
 * Mermaid Cruises
 * Oh Yeah Cruises
 * English Rose Cruises

Departure Sliema Gozo Comino Ferry
 * Luzzu Cruises
 * Captain Morgan
 * Supreme Cruises
 * Ebsons Comino Ferries

Some smaller craft use a landing platform halfway between the Blue and Crystal Lagoons, which can be an energetic walk and perhaps best missed if you are not keen on walking on rough tracks.

Get around
There are thankfully only 2 or 3 cars on Comino, belonging to the hotel and locals, if you're staying at the bungalows there is a minivan to shuttle you back and forth to the hotel itself. You can rent mountain bikes if you are staying at the hotel. This is a pleasant way to explore but not entirely cheap. Otherwise, Comino is only by  in size, so you can hike around the whole island in an hour or two.

See
The island only has a few structures on it, the Santa Maria Tower, the former leprosy colony building which is now used by the locals to live in, the chapel, the police station, and a medium size hotel and a group of small bungalows belonging to it. The only sights are the Blue Lagoon and the Tower.

Scuba diving
Comino offers some of the best opportunities for Scuba Diving in the Mediterranean, including the Santa Maria Caves. Water visibility is usually excellent with an abundance of marine life to view, particularly in August / September. There is a dive center attached to the Comino Hotel, and other operators from Malta and Gozo offer trips to Comino's waters.

Eat
Lunch can be had at the hotel, even if you aren't a guest.

Sleep
On the other hand you can choose to camp in Comino's camping site in Santa Maria.

Go next
If staying on Comino, a ferry over to Gozo followed by a taxi ride will take you to the main town of Victoria.