Private Boat Charter Comino, Blue Lagoon, Crystal Lagoon, Gozo

The best part of this private Malta boat charter is the freedom to reach small caves and quiet swimming spots that larger boats cannot. From Sliema, you cruise past the coast to Comino’s Santa Maria Caves, Blue Lagoon, and Crystal Lagoon, with time in the water instead of rushing from one crowded stop to the next.

I like the small group limit of seven, and I like having a captain who can help shape the day around swimming, snorkeling, and scenery. Captain Bufon is praised for making the trip both relaxing and interesting. The main drawback is the price: $786.40 per group is good value for six or seven people, but expensive for a smaller party.

Key details before you book

• Santa Maria Caves by small boat: The private boat can enter narrow cave passages that larger vessels cannot reach.
• Two Comino swimming stops: Blue Lagoon offers about 1.5 hours, while Crystal Lagoon brings clear water, rocky cliffs, and marine life.
• Choose your route: The Comino option gives more time at the lagoons. The Gozo and Comino option adds roughly two hours around Gozo.
• Private for up to seven: Your group does not share the boat with other passengers.
• Seven hours for the full route: The Gozo and Comino plan allows time for swimming at Gozo before returning to Sliema.
• Weather matters: Poor weather can lead to a new date or a full refund, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours before departure.

Starting at Sliema Promenade

You meet at Ferries 2Malta on the Strand in Sliema. The first 35 minutes are spent cruising from Sliema along Malta’s coast, which gives you time to settle in and enjoy the views before the swimming stops begin.

A private charter feels different from a standard group cruise. You are not tied to the needs of a full boatload of strangers, and the small size makes the day feel more personal. You can ask questions, settle into the pace, and spend more time doing what matters most to your group.

The exact rhythm still depends on the captain and the sea. This is a seven-hour experience for the full Gozo and Comino route, not a quick transfer from one beach to another. Bring patience, swimwear, and a willingness to spend most of the day outdoors.

Marks and Dukes Window, then Smugglers Cave

The boat passes Marks and Dukes Window and makes a stop at Smugglers Cave. Together, these sights give you a first look at Malta’s weathered rock formations before the main Comino stops.

This section is partly about the view from the boat. You are not simply being delivered to a lagoon. You are seeing openings in the cliffs and coastal formations from the water, where the shapes make more sense than they do from land.

Smugglers Cave receives about 45 minutes in the schedule. Since it is a boat-based stop, ask the captain how much time you will spend close to the cave and whether conditions allow the boat to approach comfortably. Sea conditions can affect how much of a cave you can see, so keep your expectations flexible.

Santa Maria Caves by a smaller boat

The Santa Maria Caves are one of the strongest reasons to choose a private charter. The boat can enter the caves and pass through narrow sections that larger boats cannot manage.

Inside, you get a close view of the rock formations, clear turquoise water, and marine life near the cave walls. The setting is especially useful for photography because you are close to the cliffs rather than viewing them from far out in the channel.

This is also one of the places where a private boat earns its higher price. A large vessel may show you the general area, but a smaller craft can get into the natural spaces themselves. The cave passages are narrow, so the captain’s judgment and sea conditions matter. The experience is scenic rather than a long walking visit, and all access is from the boat.

Blue Lagoon: the longest Comino stop

Blue Lagoon is scheduled for about 1.5 hours on the Comino option, or about one hour when the day includes Gozo. The boat anchors, giving you time to swim, snorkel, sunbathe, and enjoy the water without immediately moving on.

The lagoon is known for clear water, which makes it a natural place to bring a mask and look below the surface. You can also stay on the boat and enjoy the scenery if you would rather not swim.

The time difference between the two routes matters. If swimming is your main goal, the Comino-only plan gives you more time at Blue Lagoon and Crystal Lagoon. The Gozo route offers a broader day, but each Comino stop becomes shorter.

Blue Lagoon is also the stop most likely to shape your expectations. The water may be beautiful, but the area is a major attraction, and a private boat does not turn Comino into a private island. Your advantage is having your own boat and a flexible base on the water, not guaranteed solitude.

Crystal Lagoon for snorkeling

Crystal Lagoon gets its name from its clear turquoise water. Rocky cliffs and vegetation surround the swimming area, and the shallow water supports fish and sea urchins.

For snorkeling, this can be the more rewarding of the two Comino lagoons. The water is shallow enough for a closer look at marine life, while the cliffs give the stop a more enclosed feel. You can swim, float, take photographs, or stay aboard and enjoy the view.

The scheduled time is about 1.5 hours on the Comino option and about one hour on the Gozo and Comino option. If you want a relaxed swim rather than a quick dip, choose the route with care. An hour passes quickly once you have anchored, entered the water, snorkeled, and dried off.

You should also remember that snorkeling conditions depend on the day. Clear water is part of the appeal, but wind, waves, and visibility can change. The good-weather requirement protects the basic quality of the outing, though it cannot guarantee perfect water conditions.

Adding Gozo to the day

The Gozo and Comino option adds about two hours around Gozo. After Comino, the captain takes you toward Ramla Bay and San Blas Bay, or to Mgarr ix-Xini.

This portion is about Gozo’s coastline rather than an inland island tour. You have time to swim, snorkel, sunbathe, and see the coast from the boat. It is a good choice if your group wants a full day on the water and would rather sample several coastal areas than spend the whole day at Comino.

The trade-off is simple. Gozo gives you another setting and more total time on the boat, but it reduces the time available at Blue Lagoon and Crystal Lagoon to about one hour each. You should pick Gozo and Comino for variety, not because it gives you a longer stay at any single swimming stop.

Ramla Bay, San Blas Bay, and Mgarr ix-Xini are presented as possible Gozo locations, so the final choice is not fixed in the information provided. The captain’s decision may depend on the day and conditions. Ask at the start which Gozo stop is planned and how the two hours will be divided.

What the private format is really worth

The cost is $786.40 for a group of up to seven. For seven people, that works out to about $112 per person. For six, it is roughly $131 each, while a couple would pay the full group price between them.

That makes the charter easiest to justify for a family or group of friends. You are buying a private boat, not simply a seat on a scheduled cruise, and you get a full day focused on your own group. The small size also lets the boat reach Santa Maria Caves and quieter areas that may not suit a large vessel.

For two or three people, the price is much harder to defend unless privacy matters a great deal. A shared trip may cost less, though this experience’s main advantage is precisely that you are not sharing the boat.

There is also value in the captain’s local input. Bufon is praised for making the day relaxing and interesting while helping the group find peaceful places to swim and snorkel. That matters because the captain controls the route, timing, and approach to the caves and lagoons.

Timing, comfort, and what to bring

The full route lasts about seven hours, including the return cruise to Sliema. The return journey takes about 40 minutes from the final stop, giving you a calm finish along the Maltese coast.

The schedule includes several periods in the sun. Bring sun protection, water, a towel, swimwear, and snorkeling equipment if you have your own. The supplied details confirm swimming and snorkeling opportunities, but they do not specify what equipment is provided, so ask A1 Boat Charters Malta before departure if you need gear.

This is not a tour built around long walks. Most of the day is spent on the boat or in the water, and most people can take part. You do need to be comfortable with a boat outing and swimming stops.

The meeting point is near public transportation in Sliema, and the activity ends back at the same point. That makes it simple to build into a day based in Sliema, though you should allow time to find Ferries 2Malta and arrive ready for departure.

Comino only or Gozo and Comino?

Choose Comino only if you want the most relaxed swimming day. You get around 1.5 hours at Blue Lagoon and 1.5 hours at Crystal Lagoon, plus the caves and coastal sights. This route gives you time to snorkel properly and enjoy the boat without trying to cover too much ground.

Choose Gozo and Comino if your group values variety. You still visit the Comino lagoons, then add around two hours at Gozo for swimming, snorkeling, sunbathing, and coastal views. The price of that wider route is less time at each Comino lagoon.

For families or mixed groups, the Gozo route may work well because people can spread their time among different bays. For confident swimmers and keen snorkelers, the Comino-only plan may feel less rushed.

The best choice depends less on which island sounds more famous and more on how you want to use the day. One route gives you more time in the water at Comino. The other gives you a wider coastal sampler.

Weather and cancellation details

The charter requires good weather. If poor weather forces a cancellation, you can choose another date or receive a full refund.

You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the local start time. Cancellations and changes inside that 24-hour window are not accepted for a refund.

That policy is worth noting because a boat day depends on conditions more than a museum visit does. Check the forecast before you go, but keep the final decision with the operator and captain.

Who should book this boat charter?

I would recommend it most to a group of friends or family members who can fill much of the seven-person capacity. The cost becomes more reasonable, and the private setting makes it easier to match the day to different swimming abilities and interests.

It also suits anyone who cares about seeing Santa Maria Caves from close range. The ability to enter narrow cave passages is a specific advantage of the smaller boat.

You should think twice if you dislike long periods in the sun, are looking for an inland tour of Gozo, or want a low-cost way to see Malta’s coast. This is a boat day first. Gozo is visited from the water, and the main activities are swimming, snorkeling, sunbathing, and coastal viewing.

Should you book it?

Book this charter if your group can share the cost and wants a private day built around clear water, caves, and swimming. The strongest combination is the small boat, access to Santa Maria Caves, and the chance to spend real time at both Comino lagoons.

Choose the Comino-only version for a slower swim-focused outing. Choose Gozo and Comino for more variety and a full seven-hour coastal day. If your party is small, compare the price carefully. If you have six or seven people, the private format offers much better value and a quieter, more personal way to see Malta from the water.

FAQ

Where does the boat charter start?

The meeting point is Ferries 2Malta on the Strand at Sliema Promenade.

Where does the activity finish?

The boat returns to the same meeting point in Sliema.

How long does the boat charter last?

The full experience lasts about seven hours, including the return journey. The exact schedule depends on the route you choose.

How many people can join the private boat?

The charter is private for your group and allows up to seven people.

Does the boat visit Santa Maria Caves?

Yes. The boat can enter Santa Maria Caves, including narrow passages that larger boats cannot reach.

How long is the Blue Lagoon stop?

You get about 1.5 hours at Blue Lagoon on the Comino option and about one hour on the Gozo and Comino option.

How long is the Crystal Lagoon stop?

You get about 1.5 hours at Crystal Lagoon on the Comino option and about one hour on the Gozo and Comino option.

Does the charter visit Gozo?

The Gozo and Comino option includes Gozo, with about two hours around Ramla Bay and San Blas Bay, or Mgarr ix-Xini.

Can I swim and snorkel during the trip?

Yes. Swimming and snorkeling are offered at Blue Lagoon, Crystal Lagoon, and the Gozo stops included in the Gozo and Comino option.

What happens if bad weather cancels the charter?

You can choose a different date or receive a full refund if the activity is canceled because of poor weather.