Comino Private Boat Tour in Malta

Comino’s best sights arrive in quick succession on this private boat tour: the Blue Lagoon, Crystal Lagoon, Cominotto Reef, and St. Mary’s Tower. You get time to swim, look through sea caves, and see the island’s old defensive tower without sharing the boat with a larger crowd.

I like the small-group format, which lets your party of up to five use the seating, sun deck, snorkel gear, Bluetooth speaker, and shaded canopy at your own pace. I also like the route itself. In only about an hour, you see Comino’s clearest water, a quieter sheltered lagoon, a reef with a swim-through cave, and a landmark from Malta’s knightly past.

The main caution is safety and pricing clarity. One account described the captain as too relaxed and the trip as uncomfortable from a safety point of view. The advertised price is also not the full operating cost, since fuel and a professional skipper are listed separately at €40 each, so confirm the final total before you pay.

Key points at a glance

• Four Comino stops in about an hour: Blue Lagoon, Crystal Lagoon, Cominotto Reef, and St. Mary’s Tower all fit into a compact route.
• Private boat for up to five: You share the experience only with your own group, not a large ferry crowd.
• Swimming is central: The Blue Lagoon and Crystal Lagoon each receive about 20 minutes, while Cominotto Reef offers a small beach and a swim-through cave.
• Useful boat comforts included: Expect shade, comfortable seating, a sun deck, a cooler, WiFi, safety equipment, and snorkeling gear.
• Extra charges need attention: Fuel is listed at €40 and a professional skipper at €40, separate from the $70.89 group price.
• Weather matters: Poor conditions can lead to a new date or a full refund, and free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before departure.

A fast, scenic circuit around Comino

This is not a full-day cruise. It is a short, focused outing built around swimming and coastal views. The boat spends roughly 20 minutes at the Blue Lagoon, 20 minutes at the Crystal Lagoon, 10 minutes at Cominotto Reef, and 10 minutes at St. Mary’s Tower.

That schedule works best if you want a taste of Comino rather than a slow day on the water. You will not have long at each stop, but you also avoid spending most of your time getting from one place to another. The private setup makes the short timing more useful because your group can settle into the boat without the shuffle of a large passenger ferry.

The tour is offered in English, includes private transport, and provides a mobile ticket. Since the booking page says it is often reserved about 15 days ahead, I would not leave it until the last minute if your Malta dates are fixed.

Blue Lagoon: Malta’s famous natural swimming pool

The Blue Lagoon is the main event. Its water is intensely clear and blue, with a sandy bottom and rocky cliffs around parts of the shore. The shape makes it feel more like a natural swimming pool than an open stretch of sea.

You receive about 20 minutes here, with admission included. That is enough for a quick swim and a look at the water from the boat, but it is not a long beach session. If swimming is your top reason for booking, keep your towel, swimsuit, and snorkel gear easy to reach rather than packed away.

The setting also carries a small piece of Comino’s past. In the 1500s, the Knights of St. John used the island for leisure and hunting hares and wild boars. That is a striking contrast with the modern Blue Lagoon, now one of Malta’s best-known coastal stops.

I like the way this stop combines a simple activity with a memorable setting. You are not just looking at the water from a viewpoint. You can get in it, see the sandy bottom, and swim beside the cliffs. The drawback is time. Twenty minutes can pass quickly, especially if several people in your group want to swim.

Crystal Lagoon: a quieter setting for a sea swim

The Crystal Lagoon is another sheltered inlet, with several shades of blue across the water. Like the Blue Lagoon, it can only be reached by boat, which gives this stop a more enclosed and coastal feel.

The tour allows about 20 minutes here. The stop is also described as a good place for cliff jumping, but you should make your own decision based on the conditions, your comfort, and the skipper’s instructions. The tour information does not promise that jumping will be suitable on every departure.

For me, the value of the Crystal Lagoon is that it adds a second swimming location rather than simply repeating the first. The two lagoons have a similar basic appeal, but seeing both gives you a better sense of Comino’s sheltered coves. You can swim, use the provided snorkeling equipment, or stay aboard and enjoy the view from the comfortable seating or sun deck.

The short visit means you should not expect a long snorkeling session. This is a sampler of Comino’s water, not a dedicated underwater trip. The included gear is useful, though the tour does not provide bottled water, soda, snacks, or meals, so plan around those omissions.

Cominotto Reef and its swim-through cave

Cominotto Reef sits across from the Blue Lagoon. Its rocky shape includes a small sandy area and a cave that you can swim through to reach the open sea. That cave is one of the most distinctive details on the route.

You receive about 10 minutes here. That is a tight window, but the reef stop is less about settling in for a full swim and more about seeing a different kind of shoreline. The cave adds a little adventure to the circuit, while the small sand patch gives you a glimpse of how varied the coast can be within a short distance.

I would treat this as a place to follow the skipper’s guidance closely. The boat includes safety equipment, but the tour data does not provide details about water conditions, cave dimensions, or the best approach. You might find the swim-through easy in calm weather, while rougher conditions could make it less appealing.

Because the stop is brief, you will want to be ready before the boat arrives. Have your snorkel equipment nearby and listen for instructions about where to enter and exit the water. The experience is more rewarding when you do not spend half the 10 minutes searching through bags.

St. Mary’s Tower and Comino’s defensive past

The final stop is St. Mary’s Tower, also called Comino’s Tower. Grand Master de Wignacourt had it built in 1618 as part of Malta’s coastal defense system.

The tower helped link Mdina and the Ċittadella in Gozo through defense and communication. Its purpose was also to warn off pirates and corsairs. After two swimming stops and a rocky reef, this tower gives the trip a welcome change of pace.

The tour allows about 10 minutes here. The interior has no admission charge, though donations are welcome. That makes the stop easy to add, but the short visit means you should think of it as a quick historical look rather than a full museum visit.

I like this part because it gives Comino a human story. The lagoons are beautiful, but the tower explains why the island mattered beyond its water. You see how the Knights of St. John treated the area as both a leisure spot and a defensive position.

What the private boat adds

The biggest practical benefit is control over your group’s space. Only your party participates, with room for up to five people. That suits families, couples traveling together, or friends who want a more personal outing.

The boat has a canopy for shade, comfortable seating, and a sun deck. Those features matter in Malta, where you may want to switch between shelter and direct sun during a short trip. A Bluetooth speaker lets your group provide music, while WiFi is available onboard.

An ice cooler is included, but bottled water and food are not. Do not assume the cooler comes stocked. Breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, snacks, and soft drinks are all excluded, as are alcoholic beverages.

Snorkeling equipment is included, along with safety equipment. That saves you from arranging basic gear separately, though you still need to bring your own personal items and drinking water unless you purchase them elsewhere.

The private format is especially useful if your group has different interests. One person can sit in the shade, another can use the sun deck, and others can swim or snorkel during the lagoon stops. On a large ferry, you usually have less say over where you sit and how the group spends its time.

The price needs a close look

The listed price is $70.89 per group of up to five. On the surface, that can be strong value for a private boat, especially if you fill all five places. Split among five people, the base price works out to about $14.18 per person.

But the price details deserve careful attention. Fuel consumption is listed separately at €40, and a professional skipper is also listed separately at €40. That adds €80 before you consider drinks or food. The listing does not explain whether these charges are mandatory in every case or how they are collected, so you should confirm the complete price before booking.

If the two €40 charges apply, the value still depends on your group size. Five people can share the added cost more comfortably than two people. For a couple, the private setting may still be worth it, but a larger shared boat could cost less.

I also would not compare the base price directly with an all-inclusive cruise. This tour includes the boat, equipment, seating, shade, private transport, and port fees, but it does not include meals, drinks, fuel, or the professional skipper charge. A clear final quote is essential.

Safety, comfort, and the captain question

The boat includes safety equipment, which is reassuring, but equipment alone does not decide how safe a trip feels. One account raised concern about a captain who seemed too laid back and not fully professional. That is a fair point to take seriously, especially when the route includes open-water swimming, a cave, and possible cliff jumping.

You should ask who will skipper the boat and confirm that a professional skipper is included in your final arrangement. Since the skipper is listed as an extra €40, do not assume the base booking automatically covers the person operating the boat.

At each swimming stop, follow the captain’s instructions about entry points, current conditions, and how far to swim from the boat. If the water or cave does not look right to you, staying aboard is a sensible choice. The private format should never mean ignoring basic safety rules.

The overall score is 4.6 from 17 ratings, which suggests a generally strong response but not a perfect record. The most convincing part of the experience is the route and the chance to see impressive coastal sites in a small group. The weakest point is the need for clear communication about captain standards and extra costs.

Timing, weather, and what to bring

This experience requires good weather. If poor conditions cancel the trip, you are offered another date or a full refund. That is useful in Malta, where wind can affect a short boat outing as much as rain does.

You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the start time. Inside 24 hours, the payment is not refunded, and changes are not accepted. Cut-off times use local time, so check the timing carefully if you are booking from another country.

The tour is near public transportation, and most people can participate. No specific accessibility details are provided, so anyone with mobility concerns should ask for more information before booking.

For the boat, I would bring:

• Bottled water, since it is not included
• A swimsuit and towel
• Sun protection
• Any food or snacks you want
• A dry bag or secure place for valuables

The cooler, canopy, seating, sun deck, WiFi, and snorkeling equipment are already provided. You do not need to pack meals unless you want them, but no food service is part of the tour.

Who will get the most from this trip

This outing suits you if your priority is seeing Comino’s main coastal sights quickly and privately. It works well for a small group that wants swimming, short scenic stops, and some historical context without committing to a longer cruise.

It is also a good fit if you value personal space. Five friends or family members can split the base cost and use the boat’s features without sharing with strangers. The private transport and included equipment make the arrangement simpler than building your own day around several separate activities.

I would think twice if you want a long, relaxed beach day. The Blue Lagoon and Crystal Lagoon each receive about 20 minutes, and the reef and tower stops are only about 10 minutes apiece. This is a brisk circuit, not a slow afternoon anchored in one bay.

I would also compare it with a larger ferry if captain professionalism is your chief concern or if the extra fuel and skipper charges push the total beyond your budget. A shared boat may offer less privacy, but it can provide a clearer operating structure.

Should you book the Comino private boat tour?

Book it if you want a compact private trip with four strong stops, especially if you can fill all five places and confirm the final price in advance. The Blue Lagoon, Crystal Lagoon, Cominotto Reef, and St. Mary’s Tower give you a useful mix of swimming, coastal scenery, a cave, and Maltese history.

Before committing, ask for the complete cost, including the €40 fuel charge and €40 professional skipper charge. Also confirm who is operating the boat and what safety instructions apply to swimming and cliff jumping.

For a small group that values privacy and can accept a fast pace, this is a practical way to see Comino. For a longer swim, lower total cost, or stronger preference for a large established operator, choose a shared cruise instead.

FAQ

How long does the Comino private boat tour last?

The tour lasts approximately one hour. The scheduled stops include 20 minutes at the Blue Lagoon, 20 minutes at the Crystal Lagoon, 10 minutes at Cominotto Reef, and 10 minutes at St. Mary’s Tower.

How many people can join the private boat?

The private boat is for a group of up to five people. Only your group participates in the activity.

What locations does the tour visit?

The route visits the Blue Lagoon, Crystal Lagoon, Cominotto Reef, and St. Mary’s Tower, also known as Comino’s Tower.

Is snorkeling equipment included?

Yes. Use of snorkeling equipment and safety equipment is included.

Are fuel and a professional skipper included in the listed price?

Fuel consumption is listed separately at €40, and a professional skipper is also listed separately at €40. Confirm how these charges apply and ask for the full price before booking.

What happens if bad weather cancels the trip?

If the experience is canceled because of poor weather, you are offered a different date or a full refund. You can also cancel up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund.