Blue Lagoon
Clear shallow water off Comino
Spectacular and very busy — take the first boat, or stay after the last tours leave.
CominoBoatsSwimming
Mellieħa & Comino, Malta
Ideal: 2 daysBest: Jun–SepPrice: Moderate
In 60 seconds
Mellieħa & Comino in 60 seconds
The north of Malta is where the sand is. Mellieħa sits on a ridge above Għadira, the island's longest sandy beach, with a sanctuary carved into the rock below the parish church; on the west coast, Golden Bay and Għajn Tuffieħa face the sunset under clay slopes. From Ċirkewwa and Mellieħa, boats cross to Comino, the small, almost uninhabited island between Malta and Gozo, where the Blue Lagoon's clear water over white sand draws crowds by late morning in summer. Walk the island's dirt tracks to St Mary's Tower for quieter coves, and look out for the Red Tower on the ridge above Mellieħa. Popeye Village, a film set left behind in a cove, amuses children. Two days of beaches and swimming.
Coast
Best for
- Beaches
- Islands
- Summer
Known for
- Blue Lagoon
- Għadira Bay
- Golden Bay
- Comino
Skip if
You want the Blue Lagoon empty in August — go at the start or end of the day, or in spring.
Your match
Choose a few travel interests and we will show how well Mellieħa & Comino fits them. Choose interests
See
Must experience
The things that would make the trip incomplete without them.
Għadira Bay
Malta's longest sandy beach
Shallow and sheltered, with a nature reserve behind it.
MellieħaBeach
Golden Bay
West-facing sands under the cliffs
Stay for the sunset, or walk round to quieter Għajn Tuffieħa.
Għajn TuffieħaBeachSunset
Popeye Village
A 1980 film set in a cove
Built for Robert Altman's Popeye and kept as a family attraction.
Anchor BayFamilies
Orientation
Neighbourhoods
How the city is actually divided, and what each part is for.
Mellieħa
Ridge-top town above the bay
A real town with a parish church looking down on the sea.
Comino
The island between Malta and Gozo
No cars and hardly any residents.
Stay
Where to stay
Areas rather than hotels — pick the right one and the rest follows.
Mellieħa
ModerateHotels and apartments on the ridge
A beach base with a town around it.
Beaches
Practical
Know before you go
- Getting in
- Buses from Valletta and the airport; Comino boats leave from Ċirkewwa and Mellieħa.
- Comino
- Check before you go whether visits to the Blue Lagoon need a booked time slot.
- Sun
- There is little shade on Comino — bring water and cover.
- Taste locally
- Rabbit stew, a Cisk and a Kinnie by the beach.
Plan this trip — useful links
Context
History in 5 minutes
Enough to make what you are looking at legible.
- 1618
St Mary's Tower is built on Comino against corsairs.
- 1649
The Red Tower is raised on the ridge above Mellieħa.
- 1980
Popeye is filmed in the purpose-built village at Anchor Bay.
Further out
Nearby escapes
Worth a day if you have one to spare.
Gozo
The sister island
Gozo has its own guide.
25 min by ferry from ĊirkewwaIsland
Mdina & Rabat
The silent city
Mdina & Rabat has its own guide.
30 min by carHistory