Comino or Kemmuna in Maltese, is the smallest Maltese island and it’s placed just between the islands of Malta and Gozo in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily. As you may have guessed already, it’s named after the cumin seed that once flourished in the Maltese islands. With only 3.5 square kilometres area it’s possible to walk around it in a day – yet it’s probable you won’t have enough of the place so fast.

Although during the summertime there are thousands of tourists visiting the picturesque island every day, it only has a permanent population of only four residents!

Don’t get discouraged by the “thousands of visitors” thing – most of them are only coming for a day trip to the world famous Blue Lagoon (which is most of the time crowded – unless you’re an early bird or visiting during the winter) – but there is much more the island has to offer.

My personal favourite is a little beach on the other end of the island, with a nice, clean and free(!) camping site just next to it. It’s called Santa Marija Bay. There’s also a police station to be found closeby.

Comino is not only popular amongst divers, snorkelers or light-hikers, it also attracts filmmakers. It appears in the films Troy, Swept Away and The Count Of Monte Cristo.

Despite the small size there are a few buildings to be found on the island. The first and most visible structure you’re likely to spot while taking the ferry from Malta (Cirkewwa) to Gozo (Mgarr) is the Saint Mary’s Tower,  located roughly in the center of the southern coast of the island.

Its background dates back to 1416, when it was built by the former king to serve as an early warning system in case of invasion. The tower is a large, square building with four corner turrets, located about 80m above the sea level. The Tower itself is about 12m tall, with walls that are approximately 6m thick, and is raised on a platform and plinth that are approximately 8m high.

Long time ago the St Mary’s Tower served as a prison for suspected spies, later it has been used as an isolation hospital, or even as a wintering pen for farm animals. Today, it provides a destination for tourists taking walks around the Island.

If you wish to stay for more than just a day and you don’t feel like camping, there is a Hotel available, or even a few bungalows.

The Comino Hotel is situated just between the Blue Lagoon and the Campsite I’ve mentioned before, both within roughly 15mins walking distance, as far as I remember. Bungalows are very close to the Campsite, yet there is a minibus service running between them and the hotel itself, in case you don’t feel like walking every time.

That’s pretty much it as for traffic, as there are a very few vehicles on the island, unlike the busy marine life around.

I’ve only spent a weekend there so far and I was astonished by the beauty of this little rock. Looking forward to get some more!