The Blue Lagoon in Comino is the headline of any Malta yacht charter. Here is how local captains run the day to skip the ferry crowd, swim in clear water, and end at sunset with the lagoon almost empty.
The Blue Lagoon between Comino and Cominotto is the most photographed water in Malta. From eleven in the morning until four in the afternoon every ferry boat in the harbour drops anchor here. A private yacht charter changes the day completely. You arrive before the ferries. You stay after they leave. The middle of the day moves to a quieter cove for lunch on board.
This guide walks you through the day the way our Maltese captains run it. The timings work in May, June, September, and October without trouble. In July and August the lagoon fills earlier, so the early start matters more. We charter motor yachts from fifty to ninety feet for this route, and Axopars or SACS RIBs for tighter groups who want speed.
- What time should we leave Malta for the Blue Lagoon?
- Aim for an eight in the morning departure from Sliema or Buġibba. The crossing takes around twenty minutes by motor yacht and you drop anchor by half past eight. That gives you ninety minutes of glass water before the first ferry shows up.
- Is the Blue Lagoon worth visiting on a busy day?
- Yes, with a private yacht. We anchor outside the lagoon and tender the group in for the swim. When the noise builds we lift anchor and move five minutes east to Crystal Lagoon, which is just as clear and almost always quieter.
- Can a yacht anchor inside the Blue Lagoon?
- Yachts under fifty feet usually find space at the marker buoys. Larger motor yachts anchor in the deeper water just outside the channel and run the tender in. The captain decides on the day based on wind and traffic.
Step 1. The early swim before the ferries arrive
We tell guests to be on board by half past seven. Coffee is on the boat. The captain pulls away from Sliema marina or Buġibba waterfront and points the bow toward Comino. Inside twenty minutes you turn into the channel and the lagoon is empty. The water is glass. The colour is the colour the postcards promise.
Drop the swim ladder. Send the paddleboards out. Slide into the water and take the lagoon for yourselves. The light at this hour comes in low from the east, which is also why every photographer asks for an early arrival. Half past nine the first ferry appears around the corner. That is your cue to move.
Step 2. Late morning at Crystal Lagoon
Crystal Lagoon sits five minutes east, around the corner of Cominotto. The water runs deeper blue, the rocks step up higher, and the cove draws a fraction of the crowd. We anchor in the bay and tender the group ashore for a short walk to the cliff edge. The deck stays open for paddleboards and a slow swim until lunch.
Bring water shoes for Crystal Lagoon. The entry has small rocks and a few sea urchins close to the wall. The middle of the cove is sandy and the swim line stays clear all day.
Step 3. Lunch on board at San Niklaw Bay
By half past twelve the captain moves the boat ten minutes south to San Niklaw Bay, the long sandy bay on the eastern side of Comino. The bay sits in a wind shadow most of the summer and the water stays at swimming depth for thirty metres from shore. The chef sets the table on the aft deck. Lunch on a yacht in the Maltese sun is the moment a holiday turns into a memory.
The Blue Lagoon is a one hour stop, not a day. Use the yacht the way it is meant to be used and the day opens up. Crystal in the late morning, San Niklaw for lunch, then back to the lagoon at four when everyone else is leaving.
Step 4. The slow afternoon along the south side of Comino
After lunch the swim platform stays down for an hour while the group rests in the shade. The captain takes the boat on a slow run along the south coast of Comino, past the inner caves and under the silhouette of Saint Mary's Tower. The water here is deep enough that motor yachts can come within metres of the cliff. Bring a phone, the photos take themselves.
Step 5. The five o'clock return to the Blue Lagoon
By half past four the day boats are gone. The lagoon you saw at nine in the morning is empty again, but the light has crossed to the other side of the sky. We anchor for a final swim. The water cools a few degrees and the colour of the sea takes on a deeper tone. This is the moment a private Malta yacht charter earns its place in the day. You step out for a swim that the people on the ferry never get.
What to bring on a Comino yacht charter
- Sunscreen and a wide hat. Comino has almost no shade outside the boat.
- Soft swim shoes for the rocky entrances at Crystal Lagoon.
- A snorkel mask if you want to see the reef. Adult sets are on board, ask about kids' sizes when you book.
- A change of clothes for any waterfront dinner stop in Sliema or Mġarr after the day.
- How many beaches can we visit in one charter day?
- Three is the comfortable number. Four feels rushed. The day is more about staying in the water than ticking off places.
- What is the best month to charter a yacht to Comino?
- June and September are the sweet spot. Calm winds, warm water, fewer ferry boats at the lagoon. July and August work well with the early start.
- Can the captain change the route on the day?
- Yes. Captains plan the route the day before, but small changes are normal. If the wind shifts or the group wants a different anchorage, the captain reroutes. Tell us what matters to your group when you book and we plan the route around it.
Why a private yacht beats the public ferry
The public ferry version of the Blue Lagoon is the version most visitors see. Crowded swim line. Loud music from the next boat. Two hours on a schedule someone else set. The private yacht version is a different day. Empty water in the morning. Lunch on your own deck. Empty water again at five. Most guests who try the private route once stop booking the public one.
Pick a yacht for the day. Send us your dates on WhatsApp. We come back inside ten minutes.
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