Comino island: everything beyond the Blue Lagoon

Comino, or Kemmuna in Maltese, sits in the channel between the main island of Malta and Gozo. At barely three and a half square kilometres it is the smallest of the inhabited Maltese islands, with a permanent population you can count on two hands. There are no cars, no roads to speak of and no towns, which is precisely the appeal.

It has a smaller sibling. Cominotto, Kemmunett in Maltese, is the uninhabited islet lying just off Comino's western shore, and the narrow channel between the two is the Blue Lagoon itself. That is the geography worth understanding before you visit: the lagoon is not a bay cut into Comino, it is the shallow, sandy-bottomed gap between two islands, which is exactly why the water there is calm and that colour. Cominotto's own beach faces the lagoon and sees a fraction of the crowd.

The island takes its name from cumin, which once grew wild here. Today it is best known for the Blue Lagoon on its western side, but its coastline hides caves, its interior holds old fortifications, and its bays offer swimming without the lagoon's crowds.

Santa Maria Bay is the island's other beach, a sandy cove on the north side that stays noticeably calmer and quieter than the Blue Lagoon. A twenty-minute walk from the main landing gets you there, and it is often nearly empty even on busy days.

St Mary's Tower, the squat 17th-century watchtower on the island's high ground, is Comino's landmark. Film buffs may recognise it from the 2002 Count of Monte Cristo, one of several productions shot here. The walk up is short and the views across to Gozo and Malta are the best on the island.

The Crystal Lagoon, a deeper anchorage in the cliffs near the Blue Lagoon, is reachable only by boat and is where most cruises stop for a quieter second swim. And the Santa Maria Caves on the coast are the island's snorkelling highlight.

Comino has one seasonal hotel and a designated camping area near Santa Maria Bay, so staying overnight is possible if you plan ahead. It is a completely different experience from the day trip: once the last boats leave in the late afternoon, the island empties and you get the Blue Lagoon almost to yourself at dawn.

Facilities are minimal, so campers bring everything in and take everything out. For most visitors a day trip is the right call, but for anyone who wants that empty-lagoon photograph, a night on Comino is the only reliable way to get it.

Only by boat. The small ferry from the Cirkewwa area in north Malta is the cheapest crossing, while boat tours from Bugibba, Sliema and Cirkewwa reach the island as part of a wider route. Our Comino ferry guide covers the crossing options and costs in detail.

Note that setting foot on the island now requires a free government e-ticket booked online in advance. Swimming from a boat in the Blue Lagoon does not, but any walking on Comino itself does, so arrange it the night before if the trails and bays are part of your plan.

June and September hit the sweet spot: warm sea, long days and fewer boats than the July and August peak. In high summer, arrive early or stay late to dodge the midday crush at the lagoon. From October to May the swimming season fades but the island becomes a walker's paradise, green in spring and gloriously empty, though ferry crossings run far less often and depend on the weather.