Before my trip to Malta, I asked you which new place should I visit during my holiday. My options were an old movie set at the Popeye Village, one of the oldest temple ruins in Malta or a boat trip to Blue Grotto. Well, the Popeye got the least support (I learned that it’s mostly for kids) and I didn’t really feel like seeing the temples this time so the Blue Grotto it was. Unfortunately, I managed to catch flu and only on the last day I was feeling strong enough to take a taxi to the sea caves.
What is Blue Grotto?
Blue Grotto is located on the southern coast of Malta. It consists of several different sea caverns that are reachable by small boats. Actually, the Blue Grotto is just one of the many caverns but the largest and the most stunning one. However, I don’t think it’s necessarily the caves that make the place stand out. It is the clear and turquoise sea water that makes the Blue Grotto a superb place for snorkelling, swimming, diving and boat trips. You can clearly see different fish and yellow corrals even from a boat. The location has also been used in the Hollywood movie “Troy” starring Brad Pitt.
How to get to the caves?
The bus line 74 drives from Valletta to iz-Zurrieq (Panorama stop), where you can walk down to the harbour. The bus line 201 takes you from Rabat (Mdina) right down to the harbour. We were a bit lazy and didn’t want to take first one bus from Sliema to Valletta and from Valletta to the Blue Grotto. Instead, we just called a taxi and were happy to pay 23.50 € for a 25-minute drive. Feel free to make the trip with your own car but be prepared to be there early to find a parking space.
You can buy a boat ticket at the harbour for €8 per adult. From the ticket queue, you move to the boat queue that looks long but moves quickly. One boat fits 9 persons plus the driver.
The boat tour
The boat tour took 20–25 minutes and was over a bit too soon if you ask me. We visited five or six different caves, out of which Blue Grotto was the largest and most stunning. Our boat driver told us how different caves got their names and pointed good spots for photographs.
The water was absolutely stunningly turquoise and I just wanted to jump into the sea for a quick swim. I have understood that you can actually swim there during the summer. I’m not sure, however, if you have time to do that during these boat tours. We moved forward at such a swift pace that there was hardly any time to even touch the water. Maybe on some private tours, swimming is also an option.
The Blue Grotto was what Malta can be at its best: turquoise water, rocks, the sunlight glittering on the waves. And a lot of people of course – you can never avoid the crowds on such a small island.
Thanks for all of you who recommended this!
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