The island of Malta has become one of the most popular German travel destinations in recent years. This has to do not only with the fact that the island was a popular refuge with open borders, especially in times of the pandemic, but also with the fact that the tourist infrastructure here has been massively expanded. The capital Valetta in particular attracts visitors with a beautiful old town and Mediterranean climate all year round. In addition to the main island of Malta , there are various other sights on the surrounding islands. A special little treasure is the island of Comino, which is officially inhabited by only two people today.
Malta’s little sister with its own nature
Malta is of course best known for the many sights from the Middle Ages. In addition, the island offers an insight into the nature of the Mediterranean island. Comino, as Malta’s little sister, is not much different, except that you won’t meet tourists from all over the world here. With an area of just 3 km², the island has never really been of strategic importance, but over the years it has become an important refuge for pirates. This is mainly due to the many caves and lagoons that can still be found on the coast today.
In the best time of the island, the settlement was 200 people, today officially only three people live here, who mainly take care of the administration for tourists and nature conservation. In the present day, the importance of the island declined and it was only with the emergence of tourism to Malta that what once made the island so desirable was rediscovered: the picturesque coastlines and the almost untouched nature, which had the opportunity to develop and thrive here free of Malta’s development.
Over the years, the island has changed in a variety of ways. The traces of the last buildings that can be found here still bear witness to this today. Sometimes it was the aforementioned escape of pirates from the Mediterranean, then it was a quarantine station for sailors who were not supposed to bring the diseases to the main island. Agriculture could only be practiced to a limited extent on the island and yet caraway was the product that determined the economy here for quite a while. Today it is only an island for day tourists who come from Malta by ferry. The last hotel on the island closed in 2019 and therefore there are officially no possibilities for overnight stays on Comino.
What should you see in Comino?
After the end of the last hotel on the island, Camino is actually only a destination for a day trip. From the main island, it is about 15 minutes by ferry, which runs several times a day and heads for the island’s port, which is still maintained today. Even the crossing to Comino is a small sight in itself, because from the ferry you can see the impressive coastline with its caves and bays, where the pirates once hid in the Mediterranean.
The island is particularly famous for its blue lagoon and it is precisely this sight that most ferry services that set off from Malta advertise. In the lagoon you not only have an impressive view of the water, but also several beaches in the immediate vicinity. As a traveler, you can choose between different tours. One ferry heads specifically for the beaches on the island, where you can spend a day and swim in the Mediterranean. It is important that attention is paid to the catering here, because even in the high season there are actually no opportunities for shopping on Comino. Many of the service providers for excursions therefore also offer a package in which the physical well-being is taken care of.
Whether and to what extent the bars and snack stalls are available is therefore always a bit of a matter of luck. Either way, you can pursue various sports in the water. In addition to classic activities such as banana boat or jet skiing, the island has made a name for itself above all for its picturesque landscape below sea level. Many holidaymakers are drawn to the blue lagoon and the sea around the island for diving and snorkelling – it is not for nothing that it is an award-winning area for the underwater world of the Mediterranean.
Exploring the last traces of Comino
The island is not very large, which offers the advantage that the other sights can be explored quickly. Especially those who want to escape the hustle and bustle on the beach will see two traces of the island’s former settlement with the old quarantine station and especially with the Comino Tower. The view from the Comino Tower, which was once part of a fortification and has been restored, is beautiful and extends all the way to the main island.
All in all, Comino is the perfect destination for a trip from Malta for a variety of reasons. If you have decided to travel to the island in the Mediterranean, you should not miss the opportunity to visit the little sister and go diving in the blue lagoon yourself.
