Level: Free shore access This spot have a free shore access: you can go snorkeling there freely and without having to book a tour or pay an entrance fee.
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Last updated on November 11, 2023
The Blue Lagoon is a small shallow strait located between Cominotto and Comino, the 3rd island of the Maltese archipelago.
It owes its name to its white sandy beds, azure waters and rocky coves that make it an idyllic spot to swim.
This shallow environment features good snorkeling. It is home to large schools of seabream and to sandy bottoms dwellers, such as the flying gurnard.
The Blue Lagoon (Bejn il-Kmiemen in Maltese) is the name given to the shallow channel which separates the island of Comino from the islet of Cominotto.
The easiest and most economical way to reach the site is to take the ferry. If you are in Malta, leave from the port of Cirkewwa in Valletta. If you are in Gozo, leave from the port of Mgarr.
Ferries depart approximately every 45 minutes in summer. The ferry will dock at the Blue Lagoon, just a one-minute walk from the snorkeling spot.
Another common way to visit the location is to get a cruise or a tour to the Blue Lagoon by catamaran, sailboat or small private boat (about $30 pp USD).
Tours usually include several stops in addition to the Blue Lagoon. There might be stops at the Crystal Lagoon or at the Blue Grotto. Find out from the providers what their tours include.
The recommended water entrance is the small Blue Lagoon Beach which is next to the ferry dock. The beach, nestled on a rugged coast, is tiny, and crowded in summer.
The recommended area for Blue Lagoon snorkeling stretches between Blue Lagoon Beach and Cominotto Beach, on the other side of the channel.
The two beaches are about 220 yards apart. On each side of the beaches, lines of buoys indicate the bathing area. Don’t go any further, as there is heavy boat traffic beyond the buoys.
Facing the beach, and in a large part of the “lagoon,” the bottom is almost exclusively sandy (↕3-9ft). While large schools of saddled breams gather near the shore, fish are rarer in the sandy beds found in the central part of the site.
Even so, take the time to explore them, as they are an ideal place to observe fish species that live specifically in the sand such as the wide-eyed flounder, the red mullet, weevers, or the magnificent flying gurnard.
As you get close to Cominotto Beach, the seabed becomes rocky (↕2-6ft) and you can see many fish such as seabream, salema and wrasse swimming around.
Following the rocky coastline on either side of the beach, you’ll reach small drop-offs that are nice to explore, on which sponges and starfish are sometimes found.
In summer, many kiosks are available around the Blue Lagoon Beach and the ferry pontoons.
These snorkeling spots are accessible to beginners and kids. You will enter the water gradually from a beach, or in a less than 3ft. deep area. The sea is generally calm, shallow, with almost no waves or currents. These spots are usually located in marked and/or monitored swimming areas. It is not necessary to swim long distances to discover the sea life. This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.
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Snorkeling spots are part of a wild environment and their aspect can be significantly altered by weather, seasons, sea conditions, human impact and climate events (storms, hurricanes, seawater-warming episodes…). The consequences can be an alteration of the seabed (coral bleaching, coral destruction, and invasive seagrass), a poor underwater visibility, or a decrease of the sea life present in the area. Snorkeling Report makes every effort to ensure that all the information displayed on this website is accurate and up-to-date, but no guarantee is given that the underwater visibility and seabed aspect will be exactly as described on this page the day you will snorkel the spot. If you recently snorkeled this area and noticed some changes compared to the information contained on this page, please contact us.
The data contained in this website is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It is intended to provide snorkelers with the information that will enable them to engage in safe and enjoyable snorkeling, and it is not meant as a substitute for swim level, physical condition, experience, or local knowledge. Remember that all marine activities, including snorkeling, are potentially dangerous, and that you enter the water at your own risk. You must take an individual weather, sea conditions and hazards assessment before entering the water. If snorkeling conditions are degraded, postpone your snorkeling or select an alternate site. Know and obey local laws and regulations, including regulated areas, protected species, wildlife interaction and dive flag laws.
