How to visit the Blue Lagoon, Malta: day trip itinerary. The Blue Lagoon is the jewel in Malta’s crown, and absolutely worth making the effort to visit. This sheltered bay has the most amazing crystal clear blue water, and the vibrant turquoise colour is incredible.
Where is Malta’s Blue Lagoon?
The Blue Lagoon is located on Comino, a small island nestled between Malta’s main island and the smaller Maltese island of Gozo. Comino is Malta’s smallest inhabited island. The name Comino means “land of cumin” due to the herbs that grow there.
How to Get to the Blue Lagoon, Malta?
How to visit the Blue Lagoon Malta – how to get there? You can get to the Blue Lagoon using public transport:
- Take a bus to the ferry terminal at Ċirkewwa in the north of Malta
- Buy a ferry ticket from Co-op Comino Ferries*
- Take the ferry from Ċirkewwa Jetty (next to the ticket booth). The trip is about 20 minutes.
* The ferry ticket can be combined with an onward ticket to Gozo. This 3 Islands Ferry connection enables you to travel from Malta to Comino to Gozo. The price is EUR 15. You can then purchase a ticket for the public ferry back from Gozo to Malta for EUR 4.65.
Boat Trips to the Blue Lagoon, Malta
Alternatively, if you’d like someone else to take care of all the hard work for you, you can book a group or private boat trip to take you to the Blue Lagoon. This can be a good option for avoiding the crowds. Treat yourself to a private boat charter or book onto a group boat trip.
What to Expect at the Blue Lagoon, Malta
How to visit the Blue Lagoon Malta – what to expect when you get there?
This is a bucket list destination and so it can get very busy! I recommend visiting in the shoulder season rather than high summer if you want to beat the crowds. I visited in early October and it was 25 degrees (Celsius) and the water was warm for swimming.
The first ferry from Malta to Comino leaves at 8:40am, and I suggest getting this if you want to take photos at the Blue Lagoon without the crowds.
There is a very small sand beach near the boat jetty when you get to the Blue Lagoon. Then, further along the walking path, there are some rocks that you can sit on and swim in the lagoon. Some guys have laid out lots of striped deck chairs all over the rocks that you can hire for EUR 15 per chair. A good option if you want to spend all day at the lagoon. However they won’t stop you if you just go and sit on the rocks themselves next to and between the chairs – you don’t need to pay for that.
There are lots of food and drink stalls but the prices are pretty high! I packed sandwiches to bring with me.
Practical Guidance for Malta
Hopefully this post will have inspired you to visit the Blue Lagoon, Malta. I’ve also included some useful information for Malta in general below. If you plan all the boring stuff in advance you can relax and enjoy your trip more!
Transport from Malta Airport
Arriving at the airport can be pretty hectic. It can feel overwhelming especially if you’ve just come off an early morning or late night flight. I recommend planning in advance so that you feel safe.
Personally, I booked an airport pickup in advance with Welcome Pickups. You prepay when you book at a flat rate that matches the local standard fare. The advantage of Welcome Pickups over rideshare apps (see below) is that there is no surge pricing. The Welcome Pickups app is also incredibly easy to use and I was able to chat to my driver via the app to coordinate a meeting spot. Welcome Pickups operate in lots of different countries worldwide. You can sign up here.
How to get around Malta
Comfort Option: The easiest way to get around Malta is to use Bolt. Bolt is a Estonian-headquartered rideshare app (like Uber) that operates in a number of countries worldwide. In Malta, Bolt is a very east way to get around and in my experience the cars always arrive very quickly. You also have the safety of an agreed price upfront and being able to track your route. I recommend downloading the app before your trip so that it’s all set up and ready to go. The best card to link in order to avoid high FX exchange fees is a WISE card (see below).
Buses in Malta: Malta has a very good public bus network that is easy to navigate. A single fare at the time of writing is EUR 2.50. It is also possible to purchase bus passes for multiple trips. The buses go to all the main sites and also directly to the ferry terminals. There are also buses on Gozo. Further information is available here: https://www.publictransport.com.mt/.
Money in Malta: (EUR)
If you’re visiting Malta you’ll need Euros (EUR). To get EUR at the best rates, I highly recommend getting a WISE card before you go. This allows you to convert money into Euros (or any other currency!) at the best rates and then spend on your Wise card as though it were a local bank card or withdraw cash in Malta without hidden fees. Wise is a UK-based financial services company (available in most countries worldwide) and is highly regulated in the various regions it operates in (in the UK it is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority).
Get your WISE card here.
SIM Card and Data for Malta
There are two main options for getting a SIM card and data to use in Malta:
Option 1: eSIM with Airalo
The main advantages of purchasing an eSIM via Airalo (enter the referral code ROWAN1271 for a discount) are:
- you do not need to insert a physical SIM card, so you can keep your home country SIM in your phone
- you can get a multi-country eSIM rather than having to get a new one each time you go to a new country
- you can download the eSim before you leave your home country, meaning that you will have data immediately on arrival. This gives you peace of mind and is perfect for using Google Maps and rideshare apps etc.
- You can top up your data allowance via the app
Option 2: Buy a local physical SIM card
The main advantages of purchasing a local SIM card are:
- Local SIM cards generally offer better rates. You can often (depending on the country) get a lot more data for a lower price.
- You will get a local phone number which is better for making local calls / text messages
Personally I think Airalo is the best for short holidays or if you are only spending a short time in each country. If you’re staying for a longer time, or if like me you use a lot of data, a local physical SIM card may be better.
Get your Airalo eSIM here. Enter the referral code ROWAN1271 for a discount.
Travel Insurance
Make sure that you have travel insurance to cover you for your trip. I can highly recommend Heymondo. I use them to cover me for all my trips and their app is very easy to use.
Purchase Heymondo travel insurance here.
Pin for later…
Leave a Reply