Santa Marija Tower plateau, Comino

Why practise here

The official walk sheet recommends sunset from these cliffs, and from map data the sun sets over the sea from about September to March. The sheet says few people go along the coast or into the heart of Comino, and this point is about 106 metres from the cliff line on map data. Keep to rock and off the vegetation, as the sheet asks, because Friends of the Earth Malta reports trampling where walkers leave the paths.

Getting there

Start: Bejn il-Kmiemen (Blue Lagoon), walking anticlockwise on the official Comino Walk of 7 km in all. Visit Gozo gives about three hours for hiking the whole island.

The walk: Easy, with some tricky stretches..

Surface: Coastal and valley main pathways.

Transport: Boats run from Ċirkewwa, Marfa and L-Imġarr. Visit Gozo gives about 15 minutes from L-Imġarr and 35 from Ċirkewwa.

Directions

What to watch for

• Cliff edge, collapsing in parts on the eastern cliffs.
• Transport Malta warns that rockfall can happen anywhere near cliffs or overhangs. Stay back from edges and out from under overhangs.
• Very little shade, and even cool months can be hot. Carry water and sun protection.
• No supplies in winter.
• Do not go near the shore in strong winds or wild seas.
• Rusting iron fragments from old target practice lie on the eastern garrigue.
• A 20 metre collapsed cave lies open off route in the Skalanova valley slope.

Rules

• Keep to the paths, light no fires, leave no litter, and keep away from the cliff edge.
• Do not lay a mat on vegetation, and do not practise in or against the tower.
• Camping needs a permit.
• Some coast past Santa Marija Bay is reported as private, and map data marks many roads near the closed hotel as private.
• Visitors to the Blue Lagoon, where the walk starts, need a free online booking, capped at 4,000 people. A June 2026 report says it is in force and that unauthorised access may be fined, so check before you travel.
• Contact ERA ([email protected]) before running any organised or paid class here, because this is a Natura 2000 site. Do not assume small groups are exempt.
• ERA's current page asks for at least one month's notice for groups under 50 and an environmental permit for 50 or more. Its published figures vary, so confirm with ERA.

A Natura 2000 site, classed as both a Special Protection Area and a Special Area of Conservation, and a listed bird sanctuary. Friends of the Earth Malta also reports nature reserve status.

Sunrise and sunset through the year

Calculated for this location, in Malta time. Cliffs and hills can hide the sun for a little longer.

What we haven't confirmed

• We haven't confirmed flat ground for a mat here. A wall is mapped about 1 metre from this point, so check which side is open ground.
• We haven't confirmed boat times, including whether a boat runs after sunset.
• We haven't confirmed whether the Blue Lagoon booking covers walkers heading for the island interior.
• We haven't confirmed a walking time from Bejn il-Kmiemen to the tower.
• We haven't confirmed who owns this point.
• We haven't confirmed phone signal here.

Sources

• OpenStreetMap map data
• Visit Gozo: Comino Walk sheet
• Visit Gozo: Comino
• Friends of the Earth Malta: Comino
• Travel Made Me Do It: Comino walk
• GuideMeMalta: Blue Lagoon information booths
• MTA: Blue Lagoon visitor booking system
• EEA Natura 2000 map service
• BirdLife Malta: 2025 hunting guide
• Transport Malta: Local Notice to Mariners 205 of 2026
• ERA: activities affecting Natura 2000 sites