Eco-friendly boat tours in Malta: what's real, what's greenwashing

The environmental reality of Malta’s boat tour industry

Malta receives approximately 2.9 million tourists per year on an island of 316 km² — one of the highest tourist-to-land ratios in the world. The boat tour industry is a significant part of this: hundreds of vessels, tens of thousands of passenger movements per day in high season, and a concentrated impact on the Maltese archipelago’s marine environment.

The Blue Lagoon at Comino is the most visible casualty. In peak season (July–August), the Blue Lagoon receives 3,000+ visitors per day, serviced by a continuous parade of motorboats, speedboats, and catamarans. The combined effect of boat wake, engine exhaust, sunscreen chemicals, and physical pressure on the seabed has been documented by Maltese environmental organisations. The Posidonia oceanica seagrass meadows around Comino — critical marine habitat — have suffered measurable damage.

This is not to say you shouldn’t visit Comino. But understanding the environmental context helps you make choices that minimise your contribution to the problem.

What “eco-friendly” actually means (and doesn’t mean)

When a Malta boat tour operator describes their service as “eco-friendly,” here’s what this might mean:

Legitimate indicators:

• Using electric or hybrid propulsion (rare in Malta as of 2026 but emerging)
• Enforcing a no-anchoring policy in seagrass areas
• Prohibiting single-use plastics on board
• Limiting group size to reduce per-trip environmental load
• Operating with reef-safe sunscreen requirements
• Choosing sailing over motor where conditions allow
• Paying marine park fees (Comino is a Marine Protected Area)

Greenwashing indicators:

• “Eco-friendly” mentioned without specifics
• Large group size vessels claiming lower impact than smaller boats
• No-anchor claims without specifying what the alternative mooring system is
• Reef-safe sunscreen “recommended” but not enforced

The most genuinely low-impact boat experiences

1. Sailing tours

A sailing tour with the engine off uses wind power, produces no exhaust emissions, and creates minimal wake. Malta’s sailing charter market is smaller than the motorboat market but has some genuine operators.

Book a full-day sailing charter covering Malta, Gozo and Comino

Book a full-day private skippered sailing yacht (wind-powered)

When the sails are up and the engine is off, sailing is the lowest-impact mechanised way to see the Maltese archipelago.

2. Kayak tours

Several operators offer guided kayak tours along Malta’s coastline — from St Paul’s Bay, Marsaskala, and the Qala area on Gozo. These cover sea caves and coastal scenery with no motorised propulsion at all.

Book the guided kayaking adventure from Gozo to Comino and Blue Lagoon

Kayaking to the Blue Lagoon from Gozo (about 40 minutes in calm conditions) arrives at the lagoon with zero boat traffic from your journey. The environmental impact is essentially zero beyond the physical presence.

This is one of the most genuinely eco-friendly ways to see the Blue Lagoon — and it’s also one of the most physically rewarding. The sea caves around Comino are better experienced from a kayak than from a motorboat.

3. The public ferry to Comino

The Cirkewwa-Comino or Mġarr-Comino public ferry is not an organised tour but it is a lower-impact option than a private boat charter, simply because it consolidates many passengers into a single vessel.

However: The public ferry has been suspended in low season (November–March) and has limited frequency even in peak season, which drives visitors toward private tour boats. Check current availability for your visit dates.

4. Small traditional boats (luzzu)

Traditional luzzu fishing boats are small, low-powered, and human-scale. The Marsaxlokk luzzu boat tours operate vessels that have been the backbone of Maltese fishing for generations.

Book the Marsaxlokk luzzu boat tour

While not zero-emission, small traditional boats have a fraction of the fuel consumption and wake impact of large motorised tour boats.

The Comino Blue Lagoon: environmental status

The Blue Lagoon is within the Comino Marine Protected Area, established in 2016. The MPA designation restricts some activities (no spearfishing, protected species, no habitat destruction) but does not limit the number of motorised boats that can enter the lagoon.

Maltese environmental NGOs (particularly BirdLife Malta and Nature Trust Malta) have documented specific impacts:

• Anchoring damage to Posidonia seagrass meadows in the approaches to the Blue Lagoon
• Chemical pollution from boat engines and sunscreen
• Physical erosion of the small sandy beach area from overcrowding
• Disturbance to nesting seabirds on the cliffs above the lagoon

The Maltese government has introduced some restrictions (anchoring limitations in certain zones, improved waste management) but as of 2026, there is no visitor cap at the Blue Lagoon. The most impactful visitor choice you can make is timing — visiting outside peak hours reduces the concentration of boats and people at the same location simultaneously.

Practical recommendations for lower-impact boat tourism

1. Choose sailing over motor where you have the choice — for exploring the coastline or heading to Comino, a sailing charter has the lowest mechanical impact.

2. Book catamarans over speedboats — catamarans carry more people per litre of fuel and typically cause less wake damage at low speed.

3. Visit Comino in May–June or September–October — fewer boats, less pressure on the marine environment.

4. Arrive early or late at Blue Lagoon — before 10:00 or after 16:30, the number of boats is dramatically lower.

5. Use reef-safe sunscreen — standard sunscreens contain chemical UV filters (oxybenzone, octinoxate) that damage marine organisms. Mineral-based (zinc oxide, titanium dioxide) alternatives are available at most Maltese pharmacies.

6. Don’t feed the fish — this disrupts natural feeding behaviour and localises fish populations in ways that make them more vulnerable.

7. Take your rubbish off the boat — this should be obvious but the amount of litter in Maltese waters is a persistent problem.

Local environmental organisations

BirdLife Malta (birdlifemalta.org): The leading Maltese conservation NGO, active on marine turtle monitoring and seabird protection.

Nature Trust Malta (naturetrust.org): Works on habitat protection including marine environments.

Sharklab Malta: Research organisation monitoring elasmobranch (shark and ray) populations in Maltese waters.

Supporting or following these organisations if you’re interested in Malta’s marine environment is more impactful than choosing one boat operator over another.

Frequently asked questions about eco-friendly boat tours in Malta

Is the Blue Lagoon in Comino environmentally damaged?

The seagrass meadows around Comino have suffered documented damage from boat anchoring and overcrowding. The lagoon itself remains clear and beautiful, but it’s under environmental pressure. Visiting in shoulder season and arriving off-peak reduces your contribution to this pressure.

Are there electric boat tours in Malta?

As of 2026, fully electric tour boats are not yet widely available in Malta. Some operators have expressed interest in transitioning; watch for developments in the next few years.

Is kayaking to Comino safe?

In calm conditions (common May–September), the crossing from Gozo to Comino by kayak is safe for competent paddlers. The guided kayak tour from Qala is well-organised and provides instruction and equipment. Open-sea kayaking in poor conditions is genuinely dangerous — only book with a guided operator.

Can I visit Comino without taking a boat tour?

Yes, via the public ferry from Marfa (Malta) or Mġarr (Gozo) in season. This is the most consolidated option. Outside ferry season, private charter or organised tours are the main options.

What’s the most sustainable way to see the Blue Lagoon?

Kayaking from Gozo (guided tour, arriving under your own power) is the most sustainable option. Timing a catamaran tour for early morning or late afternoon (rather than midday) is the second-best choice. Using reef-safe sunscreen and leaving no waste behind applies regardless of transport choice.

Last reviewed: 2026-04-20