Blue

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Geo: 36.0149, 14.3389

Official Population of Comino: 3. So you'd think this tiny little island would be a quiet getaway, but nope! Hordes of tourists come by the boatload every morning for the famed Blue Lagoon, perhaps the most beautiful spot in all the Maltese Islands, except when it's swarming with hordes of tourists!

With Mellieha a short distance away from Cirkewwa, departure point for the Comino ferries, we could've easily done Comino as a day trip, but decided to spend the night on the island at its lone hotel, in order to enjoy the island without the hordes, at least for a short time. However, that wasn't the case at the Blue Lagoon, as the last of the day trippers didn't leave until nearly 7 PM, when it was too late to properly enjoy the place. But no matter, as Santa Marija Bay was wonderfully deserted, and where we spent most of the afternoon - though nowhere near as photogenic as the Blue Lagoon, it was a more than adequate consolation prize.

There really isn't much to do on Comino, which is the appeal of the place - people come here to relax and possibly do some scuba diving nearby, but little else. At night, it's wonderfully tranquil, as the hotel guests are the only people still on Comino - a far cry from Malta and Gozo, where most places are abuzz at night with both locals and tourists.

While I don't think it's a place we'd ever return to, spending an evening here was definitely worthwhile, as it gave us a bit of a break from our intense itinerary - between the heat and the early mornings, we're both feeling a bit tired. But perhaps more importantly, it gave us a break from our gorging - there are no gourmet restaurants or gelato stands to be found on Comino!

Gelato Withdrawal Symptoms: The relaxing atmosphere in Comino seems to have counteracted most of our symptoms, meaning we weren't desperate enough to resort to sampling the hotel buffet's sad-looking ice cream selection. Of course, it may also be because we've found a new addiction in Malta - Bajtra, a Maltese prickly pear liqueur - so sweet, and soooooo good ...

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Photos

San Niklaw Bay ...
... the hotel's tiny private beach.

Nothing Special, But Good Enough ...
... not an overly-memorable dinner, especially when compared to some of the gourmet meals we've had in Malta so far, but not bad for a hotel buffet. Roast beef was tender, and the pork ribs were tasty, though a bit tough. Decent selection.

Brilliant ...
... why didn't they come up with this sooner - Gin and Tonic in a can!

Duct Tape to the Rescue, Yet Again ...
... things take a beating when you backpack for over a month - thank goodness for the ultimate repair tool.