Trekking Around Comino – Part 2

Comino trekking adventure continues. For me, spring is the best time of the year for hiking. Not too hot, not too cold. The countryside is green and blooming. All you need really. So let’s continue where we’ve left off at the ‘part 1‘ of this courageous adventure with an infant.

So if I remember correctly I’ve reached the Santa Marija tower in the previous blog. Here are two options. Either continue off the ‘main road’ and follow the fellow trekkers (pic below) or walk on the road. After an hour of hiking off road, we’ve decided to stick to the road for a bit.

There is actually a well maintained road around Comino. I’m quite embarrassed to say that this is the first time I’ve made it further than to Santa Marija Tower. And I’ve been living in Malta for nearly 12 years! Which only proofs that there are still things to do on the Maltese archipelago after so many years living here.

I know it’s quite a cliche these days, but simple things in life are just the best. This trip made me so happy! I’ve never seen Comino so green and blooming! The weather was perfect, maybe a bit too windy at times, but as you can see picture perfect. Having quite a bit of rainfall in the past two months the countryside really came back to life. Plans growing even in the middle of a dusty road!

Continue following the course of the road until you reach this cross road. Here I would suggest you do a little detour if you’ve got extra time. Just take the left when you see the small cube-shaped building.

Apart from this random stone construction (what’s that even good for?), there is actually a tiny version of Azure Window at the distance! Can you see it? This is located exactly underneath Santa Marija Battery.

If you remember last year I went on a boat trip on a traditional Maltese Luzzu and this was our diving spot! This time the sea was a bit choppy, but if you plan your trip well according to the wind direction, this is paradise. Bring your snorkeling or diving kit as there is a lot to see. Even a small cave that you can swim though. How cool is that?!

Here is a selfie as a proof as that I did actually trek all the way here with my boy and didn’t just send a friend to take pictures for me! 🙂 Olly is covered but you can see the Santa Marija Battery on top of the cliffs and the tiny version of Azure Window at the horizon.

Once you checked it out, just return using the same path as you came from. I’m not aware of another route and better to be save than trying to climb rocks… In couple of minutes you will reach the Santa Marija battery. To our pleasant surprise, it was opened when we visited.

Take away the cannons, there isn’t much to see. I mean it’s interesting, don’t get me wrong, but don’t want to give you false promises here. The battery is just bare walls these days with two information boards. However the sea views with Malta in the distance are spectacular.

The Santa Marija battery was erected on Comino’s southern point in 1715. More than 300 years ago! It was equipped with two iron 24-pounder (still here) and four 6-pounder guns.

And here is me breastfeeding my son within Santa Maria battery. I wasn’t sure if I should include this photo in the blog, but I decided I would. Why? For authenticity. I had to feed my baby at some point during the trek. So this is a proof I’m not a robot and my baby is not a doll. Hehe. 🙂 For naturalness. There is nothing more natural than this. Nothing to be ashamed of, or a reason to be held back.

Last, but not least… for encouragement purposes. I would like to show all moms (and dads) out there that trips like this are not as scary as they might seem. Just pack a towel/blanket so you can comfortably lie on the ground and feed your baby. If I did it so can you!

Leaving Santa Marija battery behind we walked down the main path and continued alongside the cliffs. What we found was mesmerizing! So beautiful! Nature is just an amazing artist! Look at the shape of the rocks and the colour of the sea! Absolutely loved it and I’m sure you would too. Here is the exact location where I captured this.

What you can see in the picture above are the remains of an old neglected pig farm. This farm was built exactly 40 years ago in 1979. The reason for building it here in Comino was to restock Malta’s pig population, which had been totally destroyed by a vicious outbreak of African Swine Fever.

As you can imagine, the terrain got a bit too rough to our liking. I had to think about Olly’s safety first so we decided to go back to the main road. Below you can spot the remaining electricity pylons that would supply the pig farm with power.

By this time we would be trekking for about 3 hours so naturally Olly wanted a little break from the baby carrier. So auntie Elena came to the rescue and carried this little dude for a while. One happy chappy here. No complains! 🙂

Our next stop is Santa Marija Bay!

At this time of the year Santa Marija Bay was still pretty empty. We only met couple of kayakers and handful of people on the beach. Which is another idea for an adventure! Go around the island on a kayak and explore it from another point of view! However that would be one hell of a workout to go all the way around!

Can you guess what is this building with blue windows and doors? This is Comino’s police station! I find it quite amusing that an island covering an area of 3,5 square kilometers has its own police station. But then again, a lot of tourists come here during summer and there are two hotels as well. So I guess police might be needed on occasions.

This is Comino church that dates back to the early 16th century! You’ve probably guessed that judging from the architecture. When you walk in you will see its wooden screen separating the officiating priest from the congregation. This is a typical feature for rural churches.

The chapel is dedicated to the Flight of the Holy Family to Egypt. Regular services are held for the few remaining residents of Comino and hotel guests during summer months. I’m not sure if it’s usually opened, but I was lucky enough to come when a group of worshipers came from Gozo to attend a service.

Now it’s time to head back to the Blue Lagoon. I know I’ve mentioned it so many times, but I was really pleased with all the greenery! From various flowers, plants to cacti and trees. I just want to show everyone complaining about the lack of greenery the archipelago has. I know, it is less than you might be used to from abroad, but there is some. You just got to make an effort to get to it.

And this is it! Thank you for joining me on my trek around the island of Comino! I hope you found it inspiring and you plan a trip here the next chance you have. And don’t be afraid to bring your kids!

Last piece of advice. The journey back can be a bit frustrating as there are many boats coming in and there is no system. So you never know which boat is yours, people are pushing and it can get pretty annoying. But just take a deep breath, if you have kids, hold them or keep them close to you. The visit is still worth it.

Wear comfortable, ideally trekking shoes and bring plenty of water with you. There might be some stalls later on in the year selling refreshments, but don’t rely on them.

Wear sunblock! I didn’t realised (silly me) how strong the sun can be in March and didn’t put any sunblock! My calves were lobster red at the end of the day. And obviously cover your kids especially infants. Olly was covered so no harm was caused! 🙂 xxx

I ALMOST FORGOT! When I was doing some research to give you as much information possible I came across this .pdf document. This is basically a guide to a walk around Comino! I’m only finding it after I’ve done it! Typical! 🙂