By Rowan Ellis · Updated · Affiliate links, explained in my disclosure
Hornblower Cruises
Blue Lagoon & Comino Cruise – Snorkeling, Slide & Swim Stops
4.7 (3,473) · from $34
Snorkeling in Malta by boat means a day around Comino, the small island between Malta and Gozo, where the Blue Lagoon and Crystal Lagoon sit. I compared 8 snorkeling trips, from $16 to $784, and most of them also appear in my full list of boat tours in Malta. Prices are in US dollars, checked in October 2026, and the booking links are affiliate links, as I explain on my about page.
My pick for snorkeling in Malta is the Hornblower Blue Lagoon and Comino cruise: $34, 7 hours, rated 4.7 from 3,473 reviews, with 4.5 hours at the Blue Lagoon. For a private option with wine and gear included, I’d choose the Sea Liberty Comino tour: $184 and 3 hours, with no reviews yet.
Hornblower Cruises
My pick: My snorkeling pick: $34, 4.5 hours at the Blue Lagoon, a waterslide and a jumping platform, 4.7 from 3,473 reviews.
Sea Libery Boat Charters
My pick: A private three-hour Comino trip with snorkeling masks and a bottle of wine: $184, no reviews yet.
You can snorkel in Malta from a boat, from the shore or on a dive-centre trip, and this page covers only the boat trips I could compare. They fall into three groups. The big shared cruises, Hornblower and Amazing Boat Trips, take dozens of guests to Comino and give you a set time in the water. The private boats, Serenity, Sea Liberty and the two I Love Comino listings, take only your group and include or hire out the gear. The sailing charters from Island Quest put a skipper, snorkeling equipment and a paddle board on a sailboat for the day.
Equipment differs more than you’d expect. On the Hornblower cruises you rent a mask and snorkel on board for €5 with a €15 deposit, of which €10 is refunded. Serenity lists snorkeling gear in the price, I Love Comino lists a mask and snorkel, and Sea Liberty supplies masks and charges €20 for a lost one. For a family, I’d count the rental fees before comparing prices.
Snorkeling in Malta costs $34 on the shared Hornblower cruises and $39 with Amazing Boat Trips. A private boat starts at $16 for one hour, $53 for one to two hours, $174 for two to four hours and $184 for three hours with wine. The sailing charters are $533 for four hours and $784 for seven hours.
Private prices come with cash extras. The Serenity listing says fuel is paid in cash to the skipper: €69 for 2 hours, €79 for 3 and €89 for 4. Sea Liberty asks for €70 in cash. The two I Love Comino listings name a skipper and fuel at €39 each (one to two hours) and €44 each (one hour). Check the booking page to see how the price is counted for your group.
I can’t measure water quality, so I use the listings and review snippets. A Hornblower reviewer wrote that the boat stops in one of the best parts of the Blue Lagoon, that there is a chance to snorkel and that they saw a lot of fish. Another wrote that the lagoon was a beautiful area for swimming and snorkeling. The listing itself says the boat moors in a more secluded swimming area away from the crowds.
My practical advice is to pick the longest swim stop you can. The Hornblower snorkeling cruise has 4.5 hours, Amazing Boat Trips has one hour at each lagoon, and the Gozo cruise has 1.5 hours, because it spends three hours on Gozo. Conditions change with wind and season, so check the weather forecast for the day and ask the operator what the plan is if the sea is rough.
The snorkeling spots named in the listings are the Blue Lagoon, the Crystal Lagoon, Cominotto and the sea caves of Comino. The Santa Maria caves and Santa Maria Bay appear on the stop lists of both Hornblower cruises. Amazing Boat Trips adds St Nicholas Bay, the Crystal Lagoon caves and a one-hour stop at Paradise Bay. The private I Love Comino trip names Lantern Point, the Roofless Cave and Cominotto.
Straight-line, Hornblower’s base at St Paul’s Bay is about 10 km from the Blue Lagoon, and the Santa Maria caves are 9.6 km away. The sailing charters leave from Marfa Jetty or Mgarr Harbour in Gozo. For the sailing option, see my page on sailing in Malta.
Malta snorkeling at the Blue Lagoon now involves a booking step. The official Blue Lagoon site says its Access Management System issues a free QR code for timed access, nobody can step on land without it, and the slots are morning (08:00 to 13:00), afternoon (13:30 to 17:30) and sunset (18:00 to 22:00). You can book up to two months ahead, and children under 5 with a parent or guardian do not need a pass. The details are on the Blue Lagoon FAQ.
How this works on a boat trip depends on the listing. The Hornblower Gozo cruise tells you to redeem the QR code at blcomino.com before boarding and to choose the morning slot. The Hornblower snorkeling cruise lists a Blue Lagoon access pass as included. The other operators do not say, so ask before you pay. Rules at a popular lagoon can change, so confirm the current rule before you travel.
A Malta snorkeling trip for a family is easiest on the Hornblower snorkeling cruise: toilets on board, a 10-metre waterslide, a 5-metre jumping platform, lunch and drinks to buy on board and a speedboat ride into the Comino caves for €15 paid on site. The listing says people with mobility impairments are not suitable. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before.
For couples, the private trips are better. Sea Liberty gives you three hours with wine, water, masks and an ice cooler. Serenity includes a skipper and guide, life jackets, a fresh-water shower and an ice box. I’d choose by reviews: Serenity has 5.0 from 145, and the I Love Comino one-to-two-hour trip has 4.9 from 139.
What to bring is clear from the inclusions. The Gozo cruise lists towels and swimwear as bring-your-own, and its lockers cost €2 with a €10 deposit, of which €8 is refunded. Food and drinks are sold on board on the big boats, while the private trips mostly give you an ice box, so I’d pack your own snacks for a day of snorkeling in Malta on a charter. Amazing Boat Trips lists a fresh-water shower, which is handy after a salt-water morning. The listing for that trip also says it is not suitable for people prone to seasickness, so think about that before you choose a small boat for your Malta snorkeling day.
| Trip | Operator | Price | Duration | Snorkel gear | Rating | Cancellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Lagoon and Comino cruise | Hornblower | $34 | 7 hours | Rent for €5 plus deposit | 4.7 (3,473) | Free up to 24 h |
| Gozo, Comino and Blue Lagoon cruise | Hornblower | $34 | 7 hours | Rent for €5 plus deposit | 4.7 (7,667) | Free up to 24 h |
| Comino private boat with wine | Sea Liberty | $184 | 3 hours | Masks included | No rating | Free up to 24 h |
| Private Bluelagoon and sea caves | Serenity | $174 | 2 to 4 hours | Included | 5.0 (145) | Free up to 24 h |
| Private Comino and Blue Lagoon | I Love Comino | $53 | 1 to 2 hours | Mask and snorkel | 4.9 (139) | Free up to 24 h |
| Comino private boat tour | I Love Comino | $16 | 1 hour | Mask and snorkel | 4.7 (45) | Free up to 24 h |
| Half-day sailing charter | Island Quest | $533 | 4 hours | Included | 5.0 (29) | Free up to 24 h |
| Seven-hour sailing charter | Island Quest | $784 | 7 hours | Included | 5.0 (25) | Free up to 24 h |
If you want the most swim time for the least money, I’d book the Hornblower snorkeling cruise. If you want a small group and a quiet bay, I’d choose Serenity or Sea Liberty. For a full day under sail, see sailing in Malta. Every Malta boat trip I compared, with harbour cruises and the Three Cities tour, is on my page of Malta boat tours. The national tourism board, Visit Malta, has the wider island guide, and my home page lists the other cities.
Yes. Eight of the boat trips I compared list snorkeling gear or a snorkel stop, nearly all around Comino and the Blue Lagoon. On the Hornblower cruise you get 4.5 hours at the lagoon and can rent a mask and snorkel for €5 with a €15 deposit. Private charters such as Serenity include the gear in the price.
A shared day cruise costs $34 and includes 4.5 hours at the Blue Lagoon. Private trips start at $16 for one hour and reach $184 for three hours with wine. The Island Quest sailing charters cost $533 for four hours and $784 for seven. Mask hire is extra on the Hornblower cruises, at €5 plus a refundable deposit.
The listings and reviews suggest so. A Hornblower reviewer wrote that the boat stops in one of the best parts of the Blue Lagoon and that they saw a lot of fish. I can't measure water clarity, and conditions depend on wind and crowds, so I'd pick a longer swim stop and an early or late slot.
To step ashore at the Blue Lagoon you need a free timed QR code, according to the official site. Staying on the boat and swimming from it is a different case, so ask your operator. The Hornblower snorkeling cruise lists a Blue Lagoon access pass as included, and the Gozo cruise tells you to redeem your own.
The Hornblower Blue Lagoon and Comino cruise, with 4.5 hours to swim, snorkel and explore, for $34. The Amazing Boat Trips cruise offers one hour at the Blue Lagoon and one at the Crystal Lagoon, and the Gozo cruise gives 1.5 hours at the Blue Lagoon. Private trips let you set the length of each stop.
Some trips can work for them. The Hornblower Gozo cruise offers buoyancy aids for a deposit, Amazing Boat Trips lists life jackets and swimming noodles, and Serenity lists life jackets. Because I can't judge sea conditions, tell the crew about non-swimmers in your group before you book and stay in the shallow, sheltered areas.
My full review of each one, in the order I rank them: