Comino was for a long time uninhabited and was used by corsair pirates as a resting place until in the 17th century the Knights of St. John constructed the Santa Maria Tower to secure the island. This tower is in use as a museum. It's set in a very impressive location on a clifftop and seems more like a midsize fortress until you approach it and realise it's rather small. Like many other locations in Malta it can be seen in the recent film ''The Count of Monte Christo''. During the British reign a leprosy colony was established on Comino because of its remote location; it was abandoned and its building is now used by the locals as convenient housing.
For more information, visit the VisitMalta tourist information site for Comino and Gozo [http://www.visitmalta.com/en/gozo_comino/goz_comino/goz_comino.html].
Comino is located in between Malta and Gozo and can be reached by a small ferry leaving from ?irkewwa (on the north-western tip of Malta - the same place that the much larger ferries to Gozo depart from) or from Mgarr in Gozo. Sailings are irregular - check with the Comino Hotel.
Many tourist boats from both Malta and Gozo head for the ''Blue Lagoon'' on a daily basis. Some smaller craft use a landing platform halfway between the Blue and Crystal Lagoons, which can be an energetic walk and perhaps best missed if you are not keen on walking on rough tracks.
There are thankfully only 2 or 3 cars on Comino, belonging to the hotel and locals, if you're staying at the bungalows there is a minivan to shuttle you back and forth to the hotel itself. One can rent mountainbikes if one is staying at the hotel, this is a pleasant way to explore but not entirely cheap. Otherwise, Comino is only 2.5km by 1.5km in size, so you can hike around the whole island in an hour or two.
Less well known is the '''Crystal Lagoon''' which has emerald green water almost equally beautiful but unfortunately very little opportunity to swim from the shore as it's surrounded by cliffs. From a boat however it can be a welcome break from the busy Blue Lagoon as it's a lot quieter.
There is also the island of Cominotto (Malt: ''Kemmunett''), situated less than a hundred metres away from Comino itself. The island has a tiny beach that opens onto the Blue Lagoon. This beach is popular with tourists wanting to get away from the crowded rockfaces of Comino, but be prepared to either hire a boat to get you out there or, if you can swim, buy a waterproof bag for your beach towels and swim to the island. If the tide is low you can wade across most of the distance.
Comino offers some of the best opportunities for '''Scuba Diving''' in the Mediterranean, including the Santa Maria Caves. Water visibility is usually excellent with an abundance of marine life to view, particularly in August / September. There is a dive center [http://www.cominodivecentre.com/] attached to the Comino Hotel, and other operators from Malta and Gozo offer trips to Comino's waters.
Lunch can be had at the hotel also if one is not a guest.