The Blue Lagoon is one of the best-known swimming spots in Malta: a strip of shallow, clear, turquoise water between the island of Comino and the islet of Cominotto. It is not on the main island, so every visit starts with a boat. It has nothing to do with the Blue Lagoon in Iceland.
Entry is free, but since 1 May 2025 you need a free booking for a time slot to step on land: a QR code, often called the Blue Lagoon pass.
Updated on 9 October 2026: pass rules re-read on the official booking site, ferry fares and times read on the operators' own sites.
Blue Lagoon Malta at a glance
- Where: on the island of Comino, not on the main island of Malta.
- Entry: free. No ticket is sold for the lagoon itself.
- Pass: a free QR code for a time slot, compulsory to go ashore.
- Time slots: 08:00 to 13:00, 13:30 to 17:30, 18:00 to 22:00.
- Limit: 4,000 visitors at any one time.
- Getting there: by boat only.
- Cost of the boat: by ferry from Ċirkewwa or Marfa, €13 to €15 return per adult and a 20-minute crossing; by speedboat from Sliema or St Julian's, €40 per adult and a 45-minute ride (prices on 9 October 2026).
Book the free pass: official booking site, blcomino.com. Book a boat: all our Blue Lagoon and Comino boat trips.
Where is the Blue Lagoon? On Comino, between Malta and Gozo
The Blue Lagoon is on Comino, the small island between Malta and Gozo. Comino covers about 3.5 km², has no cars and is almost uninhabited. The lagoon is the channel between Comino and Cominotto, an uninhabited islet just off its coast: shallow, transparent water over white sand, sheltered by the two shores.
View a larger map · © OpenStreetMap
The area is part of a Natura 2000 protected site, which is why access is now managed with a booking system.
Blue Lagoon Malta pass: booking, time slots and QR code
Since 1 May 2025, anyone who wants to set foot at the Blue Lagoon has to book a time slot first. The system, called "Book. Protect. Enjoy.", is run by the Malta Tourism Authority. The details below were checked on the official booking site on 9 October 2026. Rules can change, so check before you go.
Is the Blue Lagoon free? Tickets, pass and reservation
Yes. The booking costs nothing and no ticket is sold for the lagoon itself. "Tickets", "pass", "reservation" and "QR code" all mean the same thing: the free landing pass. What you pay for is the boat. The official site never charges for the pass.
Where and how to book
- Go to the official booking site, blcomino.com. Official announcements also give the address bluelagooncomino.mt.
- Pick a date and one of three slots: morning (08:00 to 13:00), afternoon (13:30 to 17:30) or sunset (18:00 to 22:00). The booking form shows them up to 30 minutes wider: the official FAQ explains this as an allowance for boats to manoeuvre.
- Enter the number of people, up to 4 per booking, and your email address. The QR code arrives by email.
- You can book up to 2 months ahead, and the official site advises booking early. On the day, it works only if places are left.
- A booking cannot be changed: check your boat times first.
- You can give your QR code to someone else, as long as it has not been scanned.
- Lost your QR code? It cannot be retrieved from the system, only from the email you received, so keep that email. If it never arrives, check your spam folder, then write to the site's support.
- Two slots on the same day? The official site says nothing about it, either to allow it or to forbid it.
Who needs the pass
Everyone who steps on land at the Blue Lagoon, tourists and locals alike, by ferry, tour boat or private boat. The official site lists a few exceptions:
- children under 5 with a parent or guardian;
- as a rule, people who go ashore only to buy food or a drink and go straight back to their boat;
- people who only walk through on the paths to another part of Comino.
The rule covers the Blue Lagoon area only: landing elsewhere on Comino, at Santa Marija Bay for example, needs no booking.
Do you need the pass if you stay on the boat?
The official rule is written for people who step on land: each of them needs a QR code, including those who arrive on a private boat or a tour boat. As long as you stay on board, you do not step on land, so the rule as written does not apply to you. The official site has no sentence, however, about swimming from a boat. If you swim to the shore and get out of the water, you are stepping on land and you need the pass. Ask your boat operator what they plan.
Is the pass included in your boat ticket?
No. To the question "Is the ferry ticket included in the QR code?", the official site answers no: you choose and pay for your transport separately, and any ferry will do if it takes you there and back within your slot. The site mentions no ferry or tour ticket that would include the pass, so book your QR code yourself, even if you already hold a boat ticket. The operator of our speedboat trips asks the same. The official site also asks you to check that your boat is registered with Transport Malta to go to the Blue Lagoon.
On the day: QR code and wristband
Your QR code is scanned before you leave the boat, on your phone or on paper, and swapped for a wristband valid for your slot. You can go out and come back within that slot. Arrive early and you may have to wait; arrive late and you only get the time left. Hand the wristband back before you leave. Without a valid code you are not let in, and the tourism authority says entering without a booking can lead to a fine.
Where is the check? The official site only says "before disembarkation": it does not name the place. Ebsons, one of the ferry companies, asks in its FAQ that you have your QR code ready before boarding: Transport Malta officials scan it and give you the wristband. So keep your QR code to hand from the departure quay. The area is not fenced, but officers patrol and check; according to the official site, anyone on land without a valid pass may be removed. If you have to leave early, tell a member of staff and hand back your wristband.
Best time to visit the Blue Lagoon in Malta
Season: Malta's official bathing season traditionally runs from the third week of May to the third week of October. July and August are the busiest months. The usual recommendation is May or June; September and October can be good too, with less settled weather.
Time of day: In summer, be there before 10 am or after 4 pm, and avoid the middle of the day.
Winter: The lagoon is quiet and the sea is cold. The boat trips we list stop for the season between mid-October and the end of October (2026 dates): check what is running first. Both ferry companies in the table below describe a daily service (Ebsons adds: depending on demand), and a crossing can be cancelled in bad weather. Visit Malta says Comino is also worth a visit in winter, for walkers and photographers.
What to expect on site
Crowds: The summer before the booking system, the tourism authority counted up to 12,000 people at once at peak hours. The limit is now 4,000 at any one time, and the authority says visitor density has dropped by 68%. July and August are still very busy.
Swimming: The water is shallow and clear, and the latest official classification (2025) rates the bathing water "excellent". Swimming zones were extended in 2025. There is very little sand: a tiny beach, and rock almost everywhere else.
Facilities: In season you will find kiosks selling food and drinks, and toilets. Deckchairs and umbrellas are rented by private operators on part of the site, but you do not have to rent one: the tourism authority said in June 2026 that the lagoon and its bathing areas remain public land. In summer the authorities also announce lifeguards and patrols. Shade is hard to find, and Comino has no shops.
Prices and facilities on site: sunbeds, lockers, toilets, kiosks
None of the official pages we read gives a price for sunbeds or kiosks at the Blue Lagoon. Here is what dated sources say, re-read on 9 October 2026.
- Sunbeds and umbrellas: rented by private operators, on part of the rocks. According to the head of the tourism authority, quoted by Newsbook on 25 June 2026, they are no longer set up on the small beach. On price, the Maltese press reported €12.50 for a deckchair (Newsbook, 11 June 2022), then €25 for sunbeds, according to a visitor quoted by Newsbook on 6 June 2025. Ask the price before you sit down.
- Lockers: a private company, Blue Lagoon Lockers, listed by Visit Malta, rents lockers a few metres from the beach and the ferry stop. According to its website: from €5 for a full day, credit cards accepted, and until 1 May opening depends on the weather.
- Toilets: yes. The tourism authority announced additional toilets from summer 2025.
- Showers: none of the official pages we read mentions any. Do not count on one.
- Food and drink: kiosks, in peak season only according to Visit Gozo. On 24 June 2026 Newsbook counted about 15 of them: mostly cocktails served in pineapples, plus burgers and hot dogs. No official price list.
- Paying: the lockers take cards. For kiosks and sunbeds we found no official information: bring cash.
Safety in the water: lifeguards, flags, current
- Lifeguards: announced for summer. The Emergency Response and Rescue Corps (ERRC), a voluntary rescue organisation, says on its website that it provides the lifeguards at the Blue Lagoon "during the Summer", on behalf of the Malta Tourism Authority. It gives no months and no hours: outside summer, assume nobody is watching.
- Flags: according to the tourism authority, green means calm water, yellow a medium hazard and red a high hazard; two red flags mean the water is closed to the public, and a purple flag warns of stinging creatures such as jellyfish. A red-over-yellow flag marks the edge of the lifeguarded area.
- Current: the lagoon is a channel between two islands. The ERRC's sea rescue supervisor explained it on the public broadcaster TVM on 8 September 2020: because the sea passes between the two islands, the current is strong. Check the flags and the warning signs before you swim.
- Swimming zones: enlarged by 12% for summer 2025 according to the tourism authority's German site, with two neighbouring bays reserved for swimmers and closed to boats and jet skis. Stay inside them.
- Jellyfish: none of the official pages we read gives information specific to the Blue Lagoon. A purple flag means they are around.
- Depth: the official bathing water profile describes shallow, transparent water, without giving a figure. None of the official pages we read gives the depth in metres. Keep an eye on children.
Crystal Lagoon, Santa Maria Caves and Cominotto
- Crystal Lagoon: a rocky inlet a little south of the Blue Lagoon, with clear water for swimming and snorkelling. It is reached mostly by boat.
- Santa Maria Caves: sea caves on the north side of Comino, known to snorkellers and divers. Our speedboat trips pass them on the way back.
- Cominotto: the uninhabited islet facing Comino. The Blue Lagoon is the channel between the two.
On foot from the lagoon: Visit Gozo describes a loop of nearly three hours that starts and ends at the Blue Lagoon and passes Crystal Lagoon ("next door"), Santa Marija Tower and Santa Marija Bay. None of the official pages we read gives the walking time between two of these places. The ground is rugged: wear good walking shoes.
How to get to the Blue Lagoon, in short
No bridge, no road: you need a boat.
- Ferry from the north of Malta: Small passenger ferries leave from Ċirkewwa and Marfa, and from Mġarr in Gozo. The ferry ticket does not include the pass, and your return has to fit your slot. Fares and timetables change: check the operator's site before you go. The fares and times we read are in the table below.
- Boat trip from Sliema, St Julian's or Buġibba: A return trip with fixed times. The Blue Lagoon speedboat trip from Sliema and the Blue Lagoon speedboat trip from St Julian's take 45 minutes along the east coast, with free time to swim and snorkel: €40 per adult, €30 per child under 10 (prices can change). The operator asks each passenger to book their own free pass, for the morning or afternoon slot. Larger cruise boats leave from Buġibba.
👉 See all Blue Lagoon and Comino boat trips, with departure points, times and prices.
Two islands in one day? See the Gozo and Comino day trip from Sliema or the Gozo and Comino day trip from St Julian's, or our Gozo tours. To go on your own, read our guide How to get to Gozo.
Going on your own: ferry prices and times
Two companies publish fares and a timetable for small passenger ferries between the north of Malta and the Blue Lagoon. We read their sites on 8 and 9 October 2026: Comino Ferries Co-Op timetable and Ebsons Comino Ferries timetable.
| Compare | Comino Ferries Co-Op | Ebsons Comino Ferries |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves from | Marfa and Ċirkewwa, at the northern tip of Malta | Ċirkewwa, at the jetty below the kiosk |
| Return fare | €15 per adult, €7 per child under 10, with a trip to the caves included. Reduced rate online, according to the operator | Online, with the caves tour: €13 per adult, €6.50 per child aged 5 to 11, free under 5 |
| Crossing time | About 20 minutes | About 20 minutes |
| Frequency | Every 30 minutes | Every hour |
| First and last departure | From Marfa: 8:30 and 16:00. From Ċirkewwa: 8:40 and 17:00 | 9:30 and 17:30 |
| Last boat back from the Blue Lagoon | 17:00. First boat back at 9:30 | 17:00, or 18:00 in summer only. Other returns shown: 12:15 and 14:00 |
| Season | Every day. In summer, extra crossings at the operator's discretion | Every day, depending on demand |
Know before you go: with Ebsons, the 17:30 departure has no return shown outside summer. With Comino Ferries Co-Op, the last boat leaves the Blue Lagoon at 17:00, the same time as the last departure from Ċirkewwa: before taking one of the last departures, ask at the quay when the last boat comes back. No return is shown after 18:00, so these timetables do not cover the sunset slot (18:00 to 22:00). For that slot, ask the operator before you book your pass. The timetables carry no date and a crossing can be cancelled in bad weather, so check the operator's site that morning. If you miss your ferry, your transport is your own responsibility, according to the official pass site.
Getting to the quay: buses 41, 42 and X300 from Valletta, 222 from Sliema, 221 from Buġibba and TD1 from the airport run to the Ċirkewwa terminal. A single ticket costs €2 in winter and €2.50 in summer (€3.50 on TD1), according to Malta Public Transport on 9 October 2026. The route from each town, the boats from Gozo and the boat trips from Sliema, St Julian's and Buġibba are detailed in our guide How to get to Comino.
What to bring to the Blue Lagoon
- Your QR code, on your phone or printed.
- Water, and a snack if you do not want to rely on the kiosks.
- Sun protection: hat, sunscreen, something to cover up.
- Swimwear, a towel, and a mask and snorkel if you have them.
- Shoes with grip: the ground is rock and sand.
- A bag for your rubbish: the site is protected.
- Some cash for the kiosks and the sunbeds.
FAQ: Blue Lagoon Malta
Is the Blue Lagoon in Malta free, or do I need tickets?
It is free. No ticket is sold for the lagoon: to go ashore you need the free QR code for a time slot. You pay for the boat, and for anything you buy or rent on site.
Where do I book the Blue Lagoon pass?
On blcomino.com, the official site run by the Malta Tourism Authority: up to 2 months ahead, up to 4 people per booking.
Is the Blue Lagoon pass included in the ferry or boat trip ticket?
No: according to the official site, you choose and pay for your transport separately. Book your QR code yourself, even if you already have your boat ticket.
Do I need a pass if I stay on the boat?
The official rule covers people who step on land: staying on board is not part of it. The official site has no sentence about swimming from a boat, and if you get out of the water onto the shore, you need the pass.
Is the Blue Lagoon suitable for children?
The water is shallow and clear, but there is very little sand, little shade and a lot of people in summer. Under 5, a child with a parent or guardian needs no pass; from age 5, the general rule applies. For a sandy beach, Visit Gozo describes Santa Marija Bay, elsewhere on Comino, as suited to younger children.
Is the Blue Lagoon in Malta worth it?
The facts: shallow, transparent water over white sand, rated "excellent" in the latest official classification (2025). On the other side: very little sand to sit on, little shade, up to 4,000 people at once, a slot to book and a boat to pay for. July and August are the busiest months; the usual recommendation is May or June, before 10 am or after 4 pm.
How long do you need at the Blue Lagoon?
Half a day: a slot lasts 4 to 5 hours, and our speedboat trips take 3.5 to 4.5 hours in all. By ferry, allow about 20 minutes each way, plus the journey to Ċirkewwa. To walk around the island as well, Visit Gozo allows nearly three hours more.
Can I go to the Blue Lagoon in winter?
Yes, if a boat is running: both ferry companies named in this guide describe a daily service, cancelled in bad weather, and the boat trips we list stop between mid-October and the end of October (2026 dates). The sea is cold, the official bathing season runs from the third week of May to the third week of October, and lifeguards are only announced for summer. The official site gives no period without a pass: check it before you go.
Are there toilets and showers at the Blue Lagoon?
Toilets, yes: the tourism authority announced additional toilets from summer 2025. Showers: none of the official pages we read mentions any, so do not count on one.
Can I sleep on Comino?
Not in a hotel: the island's only hotel is closed, and we found no opening date for the resort planned in its place (on 8 October 2026). Camping is allowed only at the Tal-Ful campsite, close to Santa Marija Bay, under the rules of the environment authority (ERA).
Comino boat tours & Blue Lagoon Malta boat trips
From Sliema, St Julian's and Bugibba
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