Most people know Comino for one thing: the Blue Lagoon. Turquoise water, Instagram photos, and roughly 400 people crammed onto a beach the size of a living room. In August, it looks like a music festival without the music.
That's not the Comino I'm talking about.
Come in March, April, or October — shoulder season — and you'll find an entirely different island. No boat parties. No floating bars. No queues for anything. Just 3.5 square kilometres of wild garigue, abandoned military buildings, cliff edges with no railings, and a hiking loop that takes you around the whole thing in under three hours.
This is the Comino hike without tourists, and it's one of the best things you can do in the Maltese Islands.
The Full Island Loop: What You're Getting Into
The trail is roughly 8.5 kilometres and circles the entire island. Budget 2.5 to 3.5 hours depending on how often you stop to stare at the water (you will stop often).
Difficulty: Moderate. The terrain is rocky and uneven in places, with some sections where the "path" is more of a suggestion than a trail. No scrambling, no ropes, nothing dangerous — but forget about flip-flops. Trainers at minimum, hiking shoes if you have them.
Navigation: There's essentially one trail. You start at the Blue Lagoon jetty, pick a direction (clockwise or anticlockwise — doesn't matter), and follow the coast. You genuinely cannot get lost. The island is small enough that if you lose the trail, you just walk toward the sea and you'll find it again.
Elevation: Minimal. Maybe 100 metres of total gain across the whole loop. Some short climbs on the south side, but nothing that'll have you gasping. This isn't Dingli Cliffs — it's a coastal stroll with attitude.
Getting There in Shoulder Season
The Comino ferry runs year-round from Ċirkewwa (Malta) and Mġarr (Gozo), but outside summer the schedule thins out. In shoulder season you'll typically get departures every hour or two. Check the schedules the night before — they change without much warning.
The golden rule: catch the first ferry out. In shoulder season that's usually around 9am. You'll have the island essentially to yourself until around 11am when the day-trip boats start arriving. By then you'll already be halfway around the loop, deep in the south side where nobody goes regardless of season.
Cost: Around €10-15 return. Some operators offer a deal where they drop you off and pick you up at a set time — perfect for the hike.
From Gozo: The crossing is shorter (about 10 minutes from Mġarr). If you're already in Gozo, this is the easier option. The Malta crossing from Ċirkewwa takes about 25 minutes.
Interactive Map: Comino Full Island Loop
Blue Lagoon Jetty GPS: 36.0117°N, 14.3262°E — open in Google Maps.
The Route: Clockwise From Blue Lagoon
I go clockwise. No special reason — I just like hitting the wild south side first while my legs are fresh and the island is empty.
Blue Lagoon to Santa Marija Tower (30 minutes)
You land at the jetty, walk past the Blue Lagoon (which in shoulder season might actually be empty enough to swim in — note this for later), and head inland toward the tower. The path is clear and flat here, cutting through low scrubland.
Santa Marija Tower sits at the highest point of the island. Built in 1618, it's one of the Lascaris watchtowers — part of the chain that communicated between Malta and Gozo using fire signals. In shoulder season it's sometimes open. The views from the base are worth the stop either way: Gozo to the north, Malta to the south, and the full sweep of the Comino coastline below you.
Tower to the South Cliffs (45 minutes)
This is the section most people never see. The trail drops south along the cliffs, past the old isolation hospital (abandoned, crumbling, atmospheric), and along the Battery — an 18th-century fortification built to defend the channel between Comino and Malta.
The south side is wilder. The scrub is thicker, the path less defined, and the cliff edges are unguarded. The sea below is deep blue-black, not the tourist-friendly turquoise of the north. You might see a fisherman's boat. You probably won't see another hiker.
This is the part where Comino stops feeling like a day-trip destination and starts feeling like a place.
South Cliffs to Santa Marija Bay (30 minutes)
The trail swings east along the south coast, past a series of small inlets where the water is impossibly clear even in winter. You'll pass the Chapel of the Return of the Holy Land — a tiny, usually locked church that's been here since the 13th century. Several hermits chose this spot over the centuries. Can't blame them.
Santa Marija Bay is Comino's second beach — smaller and quieter than the Blue Lagoon, with a sandy bottom and shallow water. In shoulder season, you might have it entirely to yourself. This is your lunch spot. Sit down, eat, swim if the water's warm enough (in October, it will be).
Santa Marija Bay to Crystal Lagoon (30 minutes)
The trail heads north along the eastern coast. This stretch has some of the best views on the loop — looking out toward Gozo's cliffs across the channel. The vegetation thins out here and the limestone gets bleached white in the sun.
Crystal Lagoon is a deep inlet carved into the rock on the north side. In summer, boat tours park here and people cliff-jump. In shoulder season, it's just you and the water, which is so clear you can see the bottom at 10 metres. If you brought a snorkel mask, this is where you use it.
Crystal Lagoon back to Blue Lagoon (20 minutes)
Short, flat walk back to where you started. By now the day-trip boats may have arrived at the Blue Lagoon. If the crowd is manageable, grab a swim. If not, you've already had the best of the island.
What to Bring (Non-Negotiable)
Comino has almost nothing. One kiosk operates near the Blue Lagoon in warmer months. In true shoulder season, there may be nothing open at all. Pack like the island gives you zero:
Water — minimum 2 litres. There is no tap water on Comino. None. If you run out, you're stuck until the ferry.
Food — a full lunch. Sandwiches, fruit, whatever you want for your Santa Marija Bay picnic.
Sun protection — hat, sunscreen, sunglasses. Even in March the Maltese sun catches you off guard. There's almost no shade on the trail.
Proper shoes — rocky limestone, loose gravel, uneven surfaces. Trainers at minimum.
Snorkel mask — optional but you'll regret not having one at Crystal Lagoon.
A rubbish bag — carry everything out. Comino has no bins on the trail. Leave it cleaner than you found it.
Why Shoulder Season Changes Everything
In July, Comino gets an estimated 4,000 visitors a day. The Blue Lagoon is shoulder-to-shoulder. Boats blast music. The water churns with propellers.
In October? Maybe 30 people on the whole island. The ferries are half-empty. The Blue Lagoon actually looks like the photos — because there's nobody in the way. The hiking trail, which in summer is unbearable under direct sun with no shade, becomes genuinely pleasant.
The water is still warm enough to swim (the Mediterranean holds its heat well into November). The light is golden instead of harsh. And the wild herbs — thyme, rosemary, the garigue plants that cover Comino — smell stronger in the cooler air.
Dai, it's a completely different island. Same coordinates, different experience.
Comino vs Gozo Day Hikes — Quick Comparison
| | Comino Loop | San Blas Bay Trail | |---|---|---| | Distance | ~8.5 km | ~1 km (trail to beach) | | Time | 2.5–3.5 hours | 15–20 minutes down | | Difficulty | Moderate (rocky terrain) | Moderate (steep descent) | | Facilities | Almost none | Almost none | | Best season | Shoulder (Mar–May, Sep–Oct) | Year-round, best Sep–Oct | | Crowd level | Empty in shoulder season | Always quieter than Ramla | | Swim potential | Crystal Lagoon + Santa Marija Bay | San Blas Bay |
Both are worth doing. Both reward the people willing to earn it.
One Last Thing
Comino without tourists isn't a hidden secret — it's just a timing decision. The island is exactly the same in October as it is in August. The cliffs, the towers, the lagoons, the wildflowers — all still there. What's missing is 3,970 other people.
That's the trade. Slightly cooler water, slightly fewer ferries, slightly more planning. And in exchange: an entire island that feels like it belongs to you, the goats, and the wind.
Allura — see you on the trail.
Planning a Comino hike? Drop me a message with your questions — I'll help you plan the timing.
Looking for more quiet spots? Read my San Blas Bay guide — Gozo's best kept secret, 20 minutes from where your ferry docks.