Kayaking Malta 2026: Gozo Sea Caves, Comino and Prices

Short answer: the classic kayaking Malta trip is a guided paddle from Ħondoq ir-Rummien in Gozo across to Comino and its caves. Kayak Gozo lists its three-hour tours at €60 per person, with morning and afternoon starts in summer and a morning tour in the quieter season. Shorter options, like a one-hour kayak and cave tour from Gozo with a Blue Lagoon drop-off, are listed on booking sites, and some beaches rent kayaks by the hour in summer. It is a perfect small-group plan: everyone pays their own place, and you split the transport.

Kayaking is the best way to see Malta’s coast. From a boat you see the cliffs; from a kayak you are in the caves, under the arches and floating over water so clear the seabed looks a metre away when it is ten. It is also one of the easiest activities to organise with people you do not know well: it is active, there is plenty to talk about, and nobody has to be good at it.

Prices last checked: October 2026. Weather decides routes on the day.

Kayaking Malta: plan cards

Plan 1: Guided Gozo and Comino kayak tour

Kayak Gozo says its guides are certified and that, if the wind is wrong, the tour may move to a sheltered alternative location, with notice the day before. Bring water, sunscreen and a layer to cover up.

Plan 2: Short kayak and cave tour from Gozo

Plan 3: Rent a kayak at the beach

Plan 4: A custom tour for a group or club

What Kayak Gozo’s booking pages tell you

If Plan 1 is the one your group goes for, the operator’s tour and FAQ pages answer most of the questions people ask in the group chat. As listed in October 2026:

• When: the summer Kayak Adventure runs from March to October, at 10:00 and 14:30, and is closed on Sundays. The winter tour starts at 10:00.
• How much paddling: the tour lasts about three hours, of which roughly two are spent kayaking. The crossing from Gozo to Comino takes about 20 minutes, and there is a break where you can swim. Swimming is optional and unguided.
• Fitness: Kayak Gozo says most people who are reasonably active and can walk about 5 km around town without strain manage fine. You need to be comfortable on rocky or uneven ground when launching and landing. Tell them in advance about medical issues, pregnancy, seasickness or injuries.
• Age and kayaks: the minimum age is 10, and children under 15 must be in a double kayak. Even-numbered groups are put in doubles, an odd number gets one single, and solo paddlers get a single. Weight limits are 100 kg for a single and 110 kg for a double.
• What they provide: guide, kayak, safety gear, goggles (no snorkel), a dry bag and a glasses strap. The guides take photos and send them free the next day.
• What to bring: 1.5 litres of water, sun protection, shoes and clothes that can get wet, and dry clothes for afterwards. In spring and autumn they provide a waterproof jacket if it gets cold.
• The Blue Lagoon: tours usually paddle into or past the Blue Lagoon but do not land, so you do not need a lagoon ticket. Since 1 May 2025, anyone going ashore at the Blue Lagoon needs a ticket from the booking system set up by the Malta Tourism Authority’s system.
• If the weather turns: when wind forces a different launch point elsewhere on Gozo, you will not see the Blue Lagoon. They tell you the day before.

For groups where some people would rather not paddle, the same operator also runs skippered boat tours from Mġarr harbour, so everyone can still end up at the same lunch table.

A quick checklist before you book for a group: confirm everyone is 10 or older and comfortable in the water, decide who shares a double, pick the morning or afternoon slot based on the ferry you will take, and agree who collects the money if one person books all the places. Then check the forecast two days before, and keep the evening free in case the operator moves the tour to another launch point.

Kayak or boat trip to Comino?

Many visitors take a boat to Comino and the Blue Lagoon and never consider a kayak. They are very different days:

If your group has mixed fitness levels, a boat trip to the lagoon plus a short kayak taster is a good compromise.

Why kayaking works with people you have just met

Some plans make conversation hard: loud bars, cinemas, big dinners. Kayaking does the opposite. You are side by side on the water, there is something new to point at every few minutes, and the swim stops give you natural breaks to chat. Nobody needs to be good at it, which takes the pressure off, and you finish with a shared story and a reason to grab lunch together. It is one of the best second plans after a coffee.

What you see from a kayak

The channel between Gozo and Comino is one of the most beautiful stretches of water in the Mediterranean. On a typical guided paddle you might see:

• Sea caves along the Comino coast, some big enough to paddle into on a calm day.
• Clear, shallow water over sand and rock, with fish visible from the boat.
• Arches and cliffs that you simply cannot see from land.
• Quiet coves for a swim stop, away from the boats at the Blue Lagoon.

Malta’s own coast has kayaking spots too, especially along the north coast and around the bays near Mellieħa, but most organised tours focus on Gozo and Comino because the channel is more sheltered and the caves are spectacular.

Kayaking Malta: season and weather

• Best months: May to October, when the sea is warm and swimming stops are pleasant. June and September are often the sweet spot: warm water, fewer boats.
• Summer: calm mornings are best; afternoon winds can pick up. Start early and take sun protection seriously.
• Autumn and winter: some operators, including Kayak Gozo, run quiet-season tours. Expect cooler water and more weather cancellations.
• Wind is everything. The direction and strength of the wind decide which coast is paddleable. Operators may switch routes or cancel at short notice. Our guide to Malta weather warnings explains what the official warnings mean.

Who pays on a kayaking plan

Kayaking is one of the simplest plans to split fairly:

• Tour places: pay your own. Each person books and pays for their place.
• Double kayaks: if you rent a double, split it equally.
• Transport: split the taxi or car costs. Ferry tickets are per person.
• Lunch after: pay your own, or the host treats if it was their birthday plan.

Saying it upfront avoids awkwardness: “€60 each for the tour, we split the taxi from Mġarr, lunch pay your own”.

A full kayaking day in Gozo

1. Early ferry to Mġarr. From Sliema or Valletta, the fast ferry; from the north, Gozo Channel from Ċirkewwa (€4.65 return as a foot passenger).
2. Taxi to Ħondoq, shared between the group. It is a short ride from Mġarr.
3. Morning kayak tour from 10:00, about three hours.
4. Lunch in Mġarr or Qala, then a lazy afternoon swim back at Ħondoq.
5. Ferry home in the early evening. Check the last fast ferry, or use Gozo Channel, which runs through the night.

For more on the new fast ferry from Sliema and Buġibba, see our Gozo fast ferry explainer, and for other active plans, hiking trails in Malta.

Messages you can copy

• To a friend: “Kayak to Comino on Saturday? €60 each, 10:00 start from Ħondoq in Gozo. I’ll book if you’re in, we split the taxi.”
• To a group chat: “Looking for 3–4 people for a Gozo kayak tour next weekend. About 3 hours, beginners fine, pay your own place. Early ferry, lunch after.”
• To someone new: “Have you kayaked in Gozo? I’m doing the Comino tour and have a spare space in the plan. Easy level, lots of swimming.”

First-timer tips

Want an easier day by the water? Our cheap things to do in Malta list has budget plans, and the Malta beach clubs guide covers the lazy version.

Kayaking Malta FAQ

How much is kayaking in Malta?

Guided Gozo and Comino tours with Kayak Gozo cost €60 per person for about three hours (checked October 2026). Shorter guided paddles and hourly beach rentals cost less; check the operator or beach on the day.

Where is the best kayaking in Malta?

The channel between Gozo and Comino, with its caves and clear water, is the most popular area. Guided tours usually start from Ħondoq ir-Rummien in Gozo.

Do I need experience to go kayaking in Malta?

No. Guided tours cater for beginners, and guides adapt the route to the group and the weather.

Can you kayak to the Blue Lagoon?

Some short guided tours from Gozo include a drop-off at the Blue Lagoon. Boat tickets back may cost extra, so check what is included.

Can you go kayaking in Malta in winter?

Some operators run quiet-season tours, including Kayak Gozo’s 10:00 tour. The water is cooler and cancellations for wind are more common.

Make it a group plan

A kayak tour is the kind of plan people say “I’ve always wanted to do that” about and then never book. Pick a date, set the price and who pays, and let others join.