The short verdict
Book the boat, not the destination. Almost every Comino circuit lists these caves, and what you actually get ranges from nosing into a cave mouth with the engine off to floating outside it looking at a hole in a cliff. The caves are the same; the boats are not. Get that right and this is the best twenty minutes of a Comino trip. Get it wrong and you will wonder what the photographs were of.
What it actually is
A run of sea caves cut into the north coast of Comino, near Santa Marija Bay, where the rock has been undercut into arches, tunnels and open-roofed pools. The water is deep right up to the walls and unusually clear, because there is no sand to stir and very little boat traffic compared with the lagoons around the corner.
It works as three different things depending on what you booked. It is a photo stop on a sightseeing circuit, a snorkelling stop on a swim-focused trip, and a genuine dive site with caverns and swim-throughs that dive centres run to from the north of Malta.
The boat decides your visit
This is the part worth knowing before you pay. Small open boats, the kind that take a dozen people, can pass through the larger openings, and being inside one with the engine cut is the thing people remember. The large multi-deck cruisers that carry a hundred cannot fit and do not try. They hold position outside and put a ladder down.
Both are legitimate and the second is often cheaper and steadier. But a listing that says “visit the caves” over a photograph taken from inside one is not promising you the inside of one. If entering the caves matters to you, look for a small boat and for wording that says so.
Light, and why the time of day matters here
More than at an ordinary swim stop. The caves are lit through their openings, so the water inside glows only when the sun is at the right angle to reach it. Too early and it is flat and grey; the middle of the day tends to be best for colour, which is the opposite of the advice for most Maltese sites.
Sea state matters more than at the lagoons too. These face north, and a northerly wind turns a calm swim into a boat rocking against rock, which is when skippers skip the stop altogether. If the forecast has any north in it, expect the itinerary to change.
Swimming here
Deep water, entry and exit from the boat, nowhere to stand. Take your own mask if you have one, because visibility is the whole appeal and shared gear eats a short stop. There is no beach, no shade and no facilities of any kind: this is a stop, not a destination you spend a day at.
What is actually bookable here
- 1 bookable option via Tiqets
- about €35 per person at the time of checking
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead on 1 of the 1
- 1 listed as wheelchair accessible
- Rated 4.5/5 by 128 travellers on the partner sites, across the 1 listings that carry ratings.
Taken from the operators' own listings, checked 15 September 2026. Ratings are theirs, not ours, and we do not host reviews.
Combine it with
Crystal LagoonThe other boat-only stop on Comino
Blue LagoonThe famous one, and when to avoid it
Ċirkewwa divingWhere the dive boats and the ferry leave from
Gozo in a dayComino sits between Malta and Gozo
Common questions
Do the boats actually go inside?
Small ones can. The large multi-deck cruisers cannot fit and hold position outside instead. Both are sold as visiting the caves, so if being inside one matters, book a small boat and check the wording rather than the photograph.
Can you swim there?
Yes, and it is the point of stopping. Deep, clear water, in and out from the boat. No beach and no shallow ledge, so it suits confident swimmers.
Is it worth it after the Blue Lagoon?
They are not the same experience. The Blue Lagoon is a shallow turquoise bay with a crowd; this is deep water, rock and light through cave mouths. Most circuits include both, so it is rarely an either-or.
What if the sea is rough?
The caves face north, so a northerly is the one to watch. Skippers drop the stop when it is not safe to hold position, and that is the right call. Build a little flexibility into the day rather than booking your only chance for a windy afternoon.
Can you dive there?
Yes. It is an established site with caverns and swim-throughs, and dive centres in the north of Malta run trips to it. That is a separate booking from a sightseeing circuit.
Last checked: 14 September 2026. Boat itineraries, stop lengths and cancellations for weather change constantly. Confirm what is included before you book.
