Malta – Page 2

At just 1.4 square miles, Comino is the smallest of the three inhabited islands of Malta, and the least densely populated with a permanent population of three. It also is a nature reserve and bird sanctuary and boasts some amazing scenery to engage the walker.

There are two ways to experience Comino: 1) as an overnight stay, either at the one hotel or camping ground on the island or 2) as a day trip taking one of the many ferry services or cruises from Malta or Gozo that land at the Blue Lagoon. My brother and I chose the latter, but unlike the overwhelming majority of the people, we quickly left the lagoon to circumambulate the island, a walk of about 8 km (5 miles), easily accomplished in 3 hours. The nine photos below capture our experience of this amazing day hike around Comino. Enjoy!

The famous Blue Lagoon in the morning. All boats land here. The islet of Cominotto is in the background.

Natural windows on a rock near the Blue Lagoon

St Mary’s tower, on the west coast of the island

St Mary’s battery and natural arch on the south coast, facing the island of Malta.

View towards Malta from St Mary’s battery

Scarlet pimpernel macro. These nearly microscopic flowers were particularly common on Comino (photo courtesy of Clifford).

View along the northeast coast of Comino from out lunch spot.

Blue Lagoon in the afternoon. This photo highlights the necessity of getting an early start on a day trip to Comino. Or not, depending on one’s proclivities.

The Vagabond Hiker

In case you’re wondering, the country of Malta is located about 60 miles off the coast of Sicily, Italy, and consists of three main islands: Malta, Gozo, and Comino. Among the 49 European countries, Malta is the 5th smallest. (The smaller countries are all city-states). It also has the dubious distinction of being the third most densely populated country in Europe.

A map of the country of Malta, situated about 60 miles south of Sicily.

Despite its petite size, Malta boasts some particularly good walks, most all of which are either along the coast of the three islands or along rural (yes, there are rural areas) back roads. The first of my almost 7 weeks here was spent on the island of Malta with my brother Mark and his wife Norma. We stayed at an AirBNB apartment in il-Rabat, near the old capital of Medina. In the middle of the island and away from the east coast conurbation, it proved an ideal location for day hikes as well as archeological excursions in the rural areas of the island. This post (one of three from Malta) highlights some of the walks we did on the island of Malta. In the next couple of weeks I will post blogs of my hikes on the islands of Gozo and Comino. Enjoy this often over-looked corner of Europe!

Terrain with walking paths in the Dingli Cliffs area of the west coast of Malta

Vista west from Dingli Cliffs. Tunisia is about 300 miles away.

Moorish Gecko on a rural rubble wall. One of two gecko species found on Malta (the other being the Turkish gecko), I only saw this one my entire time here.

Red Tower, Marfa Peninsula. Overlooking the north coast of Malta, it is the most photographed defensive watchtower in Malta.

Norma and Mark at our Marfa Peninsula lunch spot, on the north coast of Malta. The island of Gozo is in the background.

The Vagabond Hiker on a natural arch, Marfa Peninsula. Gozo is in the background here too.

Looking through some of the Mnajdra temple megaliths toward the islet of Filfla. Neolithic megaliths on Malta are the oldest free-standing structures in the world.

Marsaxlokk harbor, with some traditional fishing boats known as ***luzzu***. Marsaxlokk is now more centered on tourism, but boasts many harbor-side seafood restaurants offering great value on fresh fish.

Next week: Walking Marta Part 2: The Island of Gozo.

The Vagabond Hiker

Walking Malta, Part 2: A short walk on Comino

Walking Malta, Part 1: The Island of Malta

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