Kayaking and swimming in the Coral Lagoon

Living or holidaying on an island has a lot of advantages, especially in summer. One of them is the vast range of water sports and water related adventures that you can experience.

The list is endless, from snorkeling, scuba diving, free diving, paddle boarding, kayaking, doughnut or banana rides to parasailing, windsurfing to even fly-boarding. It all depends how adventurous you are.

The number of water sport activities that I can enjoy this summer is a bit limited due to my pregnancy. However that doesn’t stop me completely. Last weekend we’ve decided with couple of friends to try out the trending see-through kayaks. The aim was to explore the magical and absolutely breath-taking Coral Lagoon in Mellieha.

I’ve been to the Coral Lagoon in the past, but I was just exploring it from above. I never went for a swim there and I definitely never dared to jump in. Therefore, it was about time I finally check out this lagoon from a kayak and enjoyed a nice refreshing swim while I was there. I expected a lot. I’ve seen so many gorgeous pictures of the Coral Lagoon all over the internet and Social Media.  But I got to say this place surpassed my expectations!

Once we’ve got to the lagoon, there were quite a few people. Yes, as you can imagine I was really disappointed about it. However, after couple of minutes we realized that no one really hangs around. People come, check out the lagoon and leave again. Don’t worry if you see a lot of people when you get there. Just wait a bit and give them time to leave. Also don’t forget to look down every now and then as these kayaks have a see-through bottom and you can see clearly what’s underneath you!

We stayed in the lagoon for over an hour. It was just so gorgeous I couldn’t leave the place. And the water?! Have I mentioned how crystal clear the water was? Absolutely insane! The temperature was just right, not cold, but still refreshing. Let’s also highlight that because the lagoon is protected all way around, there was no swell or uncomfortable waves and I haven’t seen one jellyfish. At times there were other people but everyone was very respectful and keeping it quiet for everyone to enjoy this natural jewel of the Maltese Islands.

As you can see from the photos, there were times it was only us in the whole lagoon! It’s like a picture from a magazine advertising €5000 holiday destinations! Would you honestly believe that this is Malta? The little island in the Mediterranean that’s is still pretty underrated in my opinion. The archipelago has so much to offer, it’s just up to you to discover it.

We were a group of 4 and rented our kayaks from Ray’s Lido in Little Armier for 2 hours (€30 for a 2 seater kayak /2 hours). Which is the minimum if you want to have enough time to go there and back in a normal pace and have time to enjoy swimming and relaxing in the lagoon. Unfortunately, I didn’t measure how long it took us to actually get to the Coral Lagoon. But to give you an idea I would say good 30 mins for sure but in a pretty relax mode.

If this is your first time on a kayak, don’t worry. These kayaks are very comfortable and very stable. Me and my friend Elena were moving around and switching sides all the time. Taking pictures and posing at all positions, but never felt unsafe.

It was my second time kayaking in Malta. The first time I was exploring Gnejna Bay, which is also a nice place to see. If you are wondering what other summer activities you can do, here are some recommendations: relax at Mgiebah beach, try your balancing skills on the stand-up boards or explore some beautiful hidden spots for a refreshing swim, where you won’t be surrounded by hundreds of people. There is plenty of activities for everyone!

Photo credit: Elena Mardale & myself.