The Blue Grotto in Malta is the biggest of a group of sea caves on the south coast, near the hamlet of Wied iż-Żurrieq (Wied iz Zurrieq), south of the village of Qrendi. According to Visit Malta, the official tourism site, you get there by boat from Wied iż-Żurrieq, and the Blue Grotto mirrors the bright colours of the underwater plants.
The boats belong to the boatmen of the Blue Grotto Boat Service. No official website publishes their price, and they do not go out when a southerly wind makes the sea rough. By bus, routes 74 (from Valletta) and 201 (between Rabat and the airport) stop at “Grotto” and “Wied”. Information checked on 19 October 2026.
Blue Grotto Malta: the essentials
- Where: at Wied iż-Żurrieq, on the south coast of the island of Malta, south of Qrendi. Not on Comino.
- The visit: by boat with the boatmen of the Blue Grotto Boat Service, from the quay at Wied iż-Żurrieq.
- Price: not published online as of 19 October 2026; tickets at the boatmen's kiosk.
- Weather: no trips in a southerly wind and rough sea; the boatmen's committee decides.
- Bus: routes 74 and 201; a ticket costs €2.00 until 12 June 2027.
- Swimming: from a small quay; the seabed drops to more than 30 m.
- Nearby: the Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra temples, UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Where is the Blue Grotto?
Visit Malta places it near Wied iż-Żurrieq, south of Qrendi, within the limits of that village. Wied iż-Żurrieq is a valley on the south coast, with a small hamlet by the water. On 21 April 2026, Lovin Malta described it as one of Malta's most popular coastal spots, known for its views and for access to the Blue Grotto. For food, Heritage Malta names the restaurants at Wied iż-Żurrieq and Għar Lapsi as the nearest to the Ħaġar Qim temples.
Blue Grotto or Blue Lagoon? They are two different places. The Blue Lagoon is on Comino, the small island between Malta and Gozo: you can only get there by boat, and you need a free QR code, booked for a time slot, to set foot there. Everything is in our Blue Lagoon Malta guide, and the boats that go there are on the page of boat trips to Comino and the Blue Lagoon.
The Blue Grotto boat trip into the caves
Blue Grotto Boat Service: who runs it and where it leaves from
The boats belong to the boatmen of Wied iż-Żurrieq, grouped since 1968 in the Blue Grotto Boat Service. They leave from the quay, where the boatmen have their ticket kiosk (Lovin Malta, 21 April 2026). According to Visit Malta, several caves can be visited this way, and the Blue Grotto is the biggest. The boatmen's website shows eight: Cat's Cave, Reflection Cave, Window Cave, Blue Grotto, Circle Cave, Elephant Foot, Honeymoon Cave and Blue Window Cave. Ask the boatman which ones the trip visits that day.
Price, times and length of the trip
As of 19 October 2026, neither Visit Malta nor the boatmen's website publishes the price, the times or the length of the trip. That website has no online booking, but it gives the ticket booth's phone number on the Blue Grotto Boat Service contact page. Ask the price at the kiosk before you get on board, and bring some cash: the website does not say whether cards are accepted.
When the boats do not go out
According to their website, the boatmen do not work when a southerly wind makes the sea very rough at Wied iż-Żurrieq, and their committee decides whether the weather allows it. On those days, call the ticket booth before you set off, or keep the day for Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra.
How to get to the Blue Grotto
By bus
Two Malta Public Transport routes stop at “Grotto”, “Panorama” and “Wied”, according to their pages read on 19 October 2026: route 74 from Valletta and route 201 between Rabat and the airport. According to the timetable shown, route 201 stops at “Grotto” roughly every hour, from about 9:00 to 21:00. Ask the driver for the stop nearest the boats.
In 2025, route 74 only went as far as the Blue Grotto in season, until 31 October: out of season, check the day's timetable. A ticket costs €2.00 from 18 October 2026 to 12 June 2027 (valid for 2 hours), and €2.50 in summer.
By car
Space is short at the bottom: in 2024, divers were already complaining about limited parking and steep stairs (MaltaToday, 8 October 2024). On 21 April 2026, Lovin Malta reported an approved project: a redesigned jetty, an upgraded ticket kiosk, public toilets and storage for boatmen and fishermen. Work was due to start after the summer season and finish the following summer: check before you go.
Can you swim at the Blue Grotto?
You get into the water from a small quay at Wied iż-Żurrieq. According to Visit Malta's diving page, the steep slope of the valley carries on underwater and the seabed drops to more than 30 m: the water gets deep quickly. The new jetty is also meant to give divers and swimmers safer ways into the water (Lovin Malta, 21 April 2026).
Stay close to the quay. On 3 September 2026, five swimmers got lost in the Blue Grotto area: three made it back to shore on their own, and the Civil Protection Department took the other two on board one of its boats (Newsbook, 3 September 2026). Keep children close to you.
Seeing the Blue Grotto from the sea
Our partner Sips Watersports, at St Thomas Bay (Marsaskala), runs a 2-hour guided jet ski safari along the south coast to the Blue Grotto; you must be 18 to drive. It is on our page for jet ski rental and safaris in Malta.
On a private boat with a skipper, the Blue Grotto is one of the destinations of some of our private catamarans, leaving from Ta' Xbiex or Sliema: see private boat hire in Malta. For other trips at sea, look at our boat trips in Malta, and for the rest of the island, our Malta tours and day trips.
Nearby: Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra
The Ħaġar Qim (Hagar Qim) and Mnajdra temples form an archaeological park in Qrendi, on Triq Ħaġar Qim. According to Heritage Malta, which runs the site, they are more than 5,000 years old (late Neolithic) and have been UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1992. Mnajdra is about 500 m from Ħaġar Qim. Heritage Malta mentions parking close to the site and the nearest bus stop 3 minutes away on foot; on routes 74 and 201, the stop before “Grotto” is called “Hagar”.
Entrance prices on 19 October 2026, from the Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra page on Heritage Malta's website:
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Adults (18 and over) | €10.00 |
| Senior citizens (60 and over) | €7.50 |
| Youths (12 to 17) | €7.50 |
| Students and concessions | €7.50 |
| Children (6 to 11) | €5.50 |
| Infants (1 to 5) | free |
Opening times change with the season: see Heritage Malta's opening hours page. Last admission is 30 minutes before closing; Heritage Malta sites are closed on 1 January, Good Friday and 24, 25 and 31 December.
FAQ: Blue Grotto Malta
How much is the Blue Grotto boat trip?
As of 19 October 2026, no official website publishes the price. You buy your ticket at the boatmen's kiosk in Wied iż-Żurrieq: ask the price before you get on board.
Do the boats go out every day?
No: according to the boatmen, there are no trips when a southerly wind makes the sea very rough, and their committee decides. On those days, call the ticket booth before you set off.
What is the best time to visit the Blue Grotto?
Neither Visit Malta nor the boatmen's website recommends a time of day. What matters is the sea: in a southerly wind, the boats do not go out.
Can you swim at the Blue Grotto?
You get into the water from the small quay at Wied iż-Żurrieq, but the seabed quickly drops to more than 30 m. Stay close to the quay: in September 2026, the Civil Protection Department had to rescue swimmers who got lost in the grotto area.
Blue Grotto or Blue Lagoon: what is the difference?
The Blue Grotto is a group of sea caves on Malta's south coast, visited by boat from Wied iż-Żurrieq. The Blue Lagoon is on Comino, between Malta and Gozo: see our Blue Lagoon guide.
Can you see the Blue Grotto by jet ski or private boat?
Yes. Sips Watersports' 2-hour guided jet ski safari leaves from St Thomas Bay, in Marsaskala, and follows the south coast to the Blue Grotto; some of our private catamarans with a skipper also list it among their destinations.
What is there to see near the Blue Grotto?
The Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra temples, in Qrendi, UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1992. As of 19 October 2026, an adult ticket costs €10.00, according to Heritage Malta.
Jet ski in Malta: hire and safari
No licence needed, from St Julian's or Marsaskala
See jet ski hire →