I decided to make the most of the Sette Giugno National Holiday here in Malta to take a day cruise over to the Blue Lagoon on Comino Island. This, of course, is considered to be one of the country's most beautiful attractions, so I wanted to go as soon as possible - especially because it's only going to get busier in the coming weeks!
I went down to the harbour in Sliema in the morning and got a ticket for 25 euros, which seems to be quite a reasonable price compared to other offers I've seen. The trip took a couple of hours, which meant that we got to see quite a few different sights around the country, starting with the modern architecture of Saint Julian's.
We then sailed up to the north of the country, past the town of St Paul's Bay.
And then we entered Mellieha Bay, which has some of the most popular sandy beaches in Malta. It's on my to-visit list!
At the very northern tip of the island, we passed these beautiful cliffs and caves with turquoise water beneath them.
And then we finally approached Comino Island, where the Blue Lagoon is located! We came round on the east side, which meant we got to see Elephant Rock. As its name suggests, it's a rock that looks like the head of an elephant. It's a bit hard to make it out in my photos, but it was cool to see!
We also passed this natural archway on Comino. There used to be another, more famous natural archway called the Azure Window on Gozo Island, but it collapsed in 2017, so this one is a sort of alternative.
Shortly afterwards, we arrived at the port of Ghajnsielem on the island of Gozo, which is the second largest island in Malta. Some people on the boat, who had bought more expensive tickets, got out here to do a quick tour of the island before joining the rest of us at the Blue Lagoon later.
Personally, I feel like one afternoon isn't really enough for both Gozo and the Blue Lagoon. At some point in the coming weeks, I plan to get the bus to the north of Malta, take the ferry to Gozo from there, and then spend a full day or possibly a weekend on the island.
But it was nice to see a little bit of Gozo for the time being!
About 10 minutes later, we finally arrived in the Blue Lagoon! Getting off the boat, climbing up the rocky pathway, and looking down at the amazingly blue water below was such a memorable moment. It really is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful places I've ever seen.
However, once I walked further into the lagoon and closer to the places where the sea is more easily reached, I was a bit disappointed, but not surprised, to see how incredibly busy it was.
All the same, that wasn't going to stop me from going for a swim! After I had a little walk around the area, I walked back to the boat to buy a snorkel (I feel like it's something I'm going to use quite a bit in the future!).
I swam in two different spots in the lagoon: the main part with all the people, and a rockier bit closer to the boat. I was a little bit nervous about going in, as I'd had a very nasty sting from a jellyfish while swimming in the sea close to where I live the previous week. But while I noticed one jellyfish floating past, and saw someone else getting stung by one, fortunately I wasn't attacked again! The water in the Blue Lagoon is so clear that generally you can see them coming.
I did use my snorkel a little bit, but only saw some tiny fish (it really couldn't compare to
snorkelling in Brazil). But overall, it was a wonderful experience to swim in this perfectly blue sea under the baking Mediterranean sun.
After my swims, I bought a rather pricey veggie burger from a food truck for my lunch and also spent 10 euros on a piña colada in a pineapple (very expensive, but an important part of the Blue Lagoon experience!).
I used the last part of my time on Comino to walk up towards the north of the island. This area was very quiet and peaceful with some lovely views of the countryside and the sea.
After nearly four hours at the lagoon, it was time to get back on the boat. On our way back we sailed around the west side of Comino, seeing some interesting caves and rock formations.
To conclude, I don't think I'll return to the Blue Lagoon this summer or quite possibly ever again (maybe if I ever find myself in Malta during the winter I will!). It was just too crowded! But having said that, I did really enjoy the experience of seeing this beautiful place and swimming there, and I'm glad to have done it.
It was also great to see various interesting places around Malta during the boat journeys. I'm looking forward to discovering even more of the country in the weeks to come!
