With a lot for households to do on Malta, it’s straightforward to miss sister islands Gozo and Comino – but it surely may hardly be simpler to go to them, with a large selection of journeys if you happen to’re planning a Malta boat journey with children.
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You possibly can additionally simply spend longer than sooner or later on Gozo – though little Comino’s one large attraction is the Blue Lagoon and there’s a restrict to how far more you could possibly do on the small island – but it surely’s additionally straightforward to hitch a ship tour to Gozo and Comino to get a style of them each.
And whereas among the large identify firms like I See Malta additionally run boat excursions to Gozo and Comino from Malta, we determined to e-book with Luzzu Excursions, departing from the harbour at Sliema, only a few minutes’ stroll from the place we had been staying.
Malta boat journey with children: visiting Gozo and Comino
We’d been umming and aahing about which day would have the perfect climate for a ship journey to Gozo, however in the long run, the solar shone all day – heat sufficient to discover, though not fairly heat sufficient in early April to wish to swim within the Blue Lagoon.
Settled in at one of many cozy indoor tables on the boat, we had a fast commentary as we cruised up the east coast of Malta, crusing boats on the horizon and jetskis zipping previous.
Alongside the way in which, you possibly can see a string of sixteenth century watchtowers, dotted alongside the coast to protect towards invasion – initially they’d have had enormous bonfires to mild if an attacking pressure was noticed.
You can even see Valletta’s golden buildings, Malta’s tallest constructing (all of 32 storeys excessive), Malta’s aquarium, a desalination plant and tuna farm, and Malta’s longest sandy seashore at Mellieha Bay (or Ghadira Bay) which stretches for barely lower than a kilometre.
All repeated in a number of languages, there’s sufficient to maintain your consideration however if you happen to’d slightly chat, have a look at the views, play a sport or do one thing else fully, you received’t be lacking an excessive amount of element.
It takes round an hour to succeed in the channel south of Comino, earlier than cruising previous the little island and heading to the principle port at Gozo. We’d booked the extra bus switch to the island ‘capital’ Victoria (or Ir-Rabat) which was positively a great transfer.
Technically it’s a bus tour, and it does additionally take you to one of many beautiful viewpoints at Xlendi Bay, however realistically it’s straightforward transport to get you from the port to most important city and again – saves ready within the enormous line for a bus or checking out different transport (although you possibly can) as we had been whisked onto a minibus and on the outskirts not a lot later.
You get nearly 2 hours to discover, and the Citadel itself is barely a 10-minute stroll (uphill) from the bus station the place we had been dropped off. When you’ve bought children who don’t fancy the hill, there’s additionally a little bit vacationer practice which departs close by.
As we had been visiting on a Sunday (since that appeared greatest weather-wise), a couple of locations had been shut, together with the cathedral and among the little outlets, however the principle spotlight of the Citadel is wandering by the slim previous alleys and having fun with the views out throughout the island and to the coast.
The primary fortifications had been constructed right here in round 1500, though the current golden stone fortress dates from the early 1600s, and you may climb excessive up onto varied elements of the previous battlements, with Malta’s flag flapping within the breeze above the cathedral.
On a Sunday it appeared very quiet, however that made it all of the lovelier to wander round – elsewhere, it’s straightforward to think about this being too busy to maneuver.
You can even head into the Customer Centre which provides some background info on the historical past – closed on Mondays, permit round half-hour to go to.
The joint ticket additionally offers entry to the Gozo Archaeology Museum, the Previous Prisons, Gran Castello Historic Home and the Nature Museum, though you’d wrestle to suit all of these in to your time.
On the base of the citadel, the previous city is house to all of the memento outlets you could possibly need in addition to a number of locations promoting ice cream, someplace promoting pizza by the slice and varied cafes. Look out for the beautiful theatres as you stroll round too.
It’s shocking how briskly the time goes simply strolling round and earlier than we knew it, it was time to go again all the way down to seize a fast lunch within the park close to the bus station, then hop again on the minibus.
From right here, it was one other brief drive to Xlendi Bay for a fast cease to look out over the ocean to the dramatic cliffs (and spot a couple of little inexperienced Maltese lizards basking within the solar and scuttling underneath the flowers). We noticed a couple of folks kayaking and snorkelling within the extremely clear water too.
The bay itself is simply down the coast from Dwejra Bay, as soon as house to Gozo’s well-known Azure Window, a rock arch which collapsed again into the waves in 2017.
Then it’s only a brief cruise to Comino. From my earliest visits to Malta, I bear in mind it being quiet and unspoiled, with a couple of folks swimming within the dramatically turquoise water – there’s a cave and a little bit seashore on a small island simply reverse the Blue Lagoon itself, which I swam over to.
So I used to be in for a little bit of a shock this time. Admittedly it’s nearly 20 years since I used to be final there, however there’s no manner you’d name it unspoiled any extra.
The water remains to be the identical glowing aquamarine, the island remains to be dotted with wildlflowers and fairly rock formations – however there are additionally a string of kiosks promoting meals and cocktails, largely served in a pineapple.
I’d thoughts it much less if folks really threw their pineapples away within the bins supplied slightly than posing for pictures and dumping them on the cliff edge. Sure, I do know, I’m previous and grumpy, however that is such a ravishing place, littering appears twice as dangerous.
We had debated swimming however the little seashore was packed and because it was early April, mixed with a robust breeze, we determined to take a stroll across the island as a substitute.
On a earlier journey, I walked across the complete coast however you want round two hours to do this, so we headed up the hillside and walked round to the opposite facet of the harbour the place a lot of the boats docked, and the place there are some fairly rock arches, beautiful clear blue-green water and a fraction of the folks (plus extra entertaining Maltese lizards).
There’s just one set of steps to the realm the place the larger boats dock, so we determined to go again a little bit early and calm down with a non-pineapple drink again on the boat.
From a sensible viewpoint, it imply we additionally prevented the scrum getting again down and on board – if you happen to’re unfortunate, as we had been on arrival, we moored up concurrently one other boat, so there was a queue to climb up. It’s price being conscious that you could possibly simply discover a comparable state of affairs going again.
Our route again took us previous Comino’s caves – they’re solely accessible by boat however realistically if you’d like a close-up view, you’ll want a smaller boat tour, as we cruised previous slightly than going inside or shut by.
When you want the concept of a non-public boat journey round Comino, Gozo and the Blue Lagoon, iMalta boat journeys are nice for households and best for getting away from the crowds – the three hour journey contains loads of time for swimming, plus snorkelling tools included. There are additionally longer boat journeys which might be best for teenagers, or shorter journeys, small measurement life-jackets and shady spots on board to go well with youthful children
You then retrace your steps alongside the shoreline again to Sliema – or, within the case of fairly a couple of folks on board, have a nap! I’m unsure if it’s the pineapples, the ocean air or the totally relaxed feeling, however for a chilled-out day exploring, this positively did the trick…
Which simply left our beautiful crew to show us the Maltese phrase for bye – ‘sahha’, which additionally interprets as wishing somebody good well being – as we disembarked again into the bustle of Sliema once more.
Luzzu Cruises Malta boat journey with children: must know
Reserving tickets
You possibly can e-book tickets with free cancellation, in addition to ‘reserve now pay later’ choices, on Get Your Information – this got here in very helpful for us because the climate forecast was a bit unpredictable for our vacation in early April. That meant we may make a selection once we had a greater concept of whether or not it actually would possibly rain – the tour sticks to the schedule regardless (except it’s so dangerous it must be cancelled)
As we had been making an attempt to get the perfect climate, we ended up reserving on Sunday, so it’s price being conscious that fairly a couple of locations on Gozo itself had been closed, together with the cathedral and a number of the little outlets inside the Citadel.
I think Comino was additionally a bit busier than it may need been on a weekday, though as Comino was a LOT busier than the final time I visited (and shall be even busier in the summertime months), perhaps that didn’t make a number of distinction.
When you’re staying within the north of Malta, you’re a lot nearer to the ferry port at Cirkewwa to Gozo with ferries (together with automotive ferries) crossing the slim stretch of sea, so it could be straightforward to go to Gozo independently. There’s additionally a quick ferry from Valetta to Gozo and boat excursions from Bugibba to Gozo and Comino. Or you possibly can select personal boat excursions, that are nice for households, comparable to these from iMalta boat journeys.
Buses run from the ferry port to Victoria or you possibly can decide up a cab with Bolt (or comparable) for about 10 Euros to Victoria or Ramla Bay.
Assembly Level
The assembly level for the cruise is on Sliema Harbour, and we got fairly exact instructions the place to go and which boat to look out for. There have been employees round to make sure we had been queueing for the correct one too.
You’re requested to reach half-hour early at 9.30 for the 10am journey – we turned up round 9.20 and round half the folks appeared to have boarded already.
Exterior seats on the highest deck had been hottest, and as we wished a desk inside, we didn’t wrestle to get one. The boat additionally left barely early (presumably everybody who had booked had been counted on board!) so do be on time.
The place to sit down
There are seats up high however be ready for robust solar if you happen to’re travelling in the summertime, and for it to get fairly breezy (as I found once I went as much as take pictures). The within has home windows you possibly can open and comfortable seats by tables, so for a Malta boat journey with children, I’d vote for that myself.
For the perfect views, it pays to sit down on the left hand facet of the boat on the way in which to Gozo and on the correct hand facet on the way in which again. At Comino, the perfect views are from the land anyway.
Services
There are bathrooms on board (one male, one feminine) which had been nicer than your common boat bathrooms – unsurprisingly they had been in demand at occasions.
There’s additionally a bar on board which bought some scorching meals, tender drinks, alcohol and chilly drinks – a beneficiant glass of wine was 2,50 Euros. Deliver money although to pay for it.
What the day contains
Departing from Sliema, it takes simply over an hour to get to Gozo, with some commentary in a number of languages alongside the way in which, declaring a couple of landmarks and key points of interest, earlier than arriving round 11am on the busy ferry port.
There’s an possibility to purchase tickets together with a bus ‘tour’ whenever you e-book, plus it was additionally being provided for five Euros on the day (though there could also be a restrict to numbers) – you’ll get a unique colored wristband relying if you happen to’ve booked the bus or not.
Whereas it’s not a tour as such, it made attending to the capital Victoria (additionally recognized by its older identify of Ir-Rabat) very straightforward, plus there’s a cease to take a couple of pictures at Xlendi Bay as nicely. We had nearly two hours to discover earlier than we needed to be again on the minibus, then time to go to Xlendi Bay and return to the boat earlier than 2pm.
If you wish to discover the Citadel and Ir-Rabat, that is positively the best possibility and there’s time to wander round, seize a couple of souvenirs and cease for lunch.
When you significantly wish to go to the seashore at Ramla Bay or the temples at Ggantija (or aren’t bothered about exploring Gozo in any respect, though that may be a disgrace), you’re dropped off later however nonetheless have a number of hours to discover underneath your individual steam – simply be sure to’re again to board once more in time.
They do depend numbers on and off, however we left barely early once more, so I wouldn’t anticipate them to hold round.
It’s then only a brief cruise to Comino the place you’ve round 90 minutes to swim, wander around the island or calm down – or you possibly can keep on board if you happen to want. The boat stays moored, so you possibly can come again if it’s essential to as nicely throughout the 90-minute interval.
To complete, you cruise previous among the caves alongside the coast of Comino, then reverse your route down Malta’s east coast again to Sliema. In all, the tour takes round 7 ½ hours and – unsurprisingly! – we had been again barely early.
For extra of the perfect issues to do in Malta with children, try my high picks
*first printed 2025, final up to date 2026*
Disclosure: This publish accommodates affiliate hyperlinks – any purchases you make are unaffected however I could obtain a small fee. I paid for my Malta boat journey with children myself, and all opinions are my very own
Photographs copyright MummyTravels
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