Have you ever heard of the saying, “When nothing goes right, go left!”? Well, this phrase captures the essence perfectly of how we accidentally stumbled upon this magical spot a few years ago! Coral Lagoon is a Picturesque cave found in the Northern part of Malta, surrounded by a small woodland and jaw dropping views of Comino and Gozo.
Sometimes, when you don’t know where you’re going, you end up in the most unbelievable places. I am not one to leave things unplanned but Coral Lagoon is kind of hard to spot if you don’t know it’s location exactly hence why I consider myself lucky to have found it by chance. Whilst going on a hike in “l-Ahrax tal-Mellieha” to find a spot called “Marks and Duke’s Window”, we found ourselves standing on top of a collapsed cave!
A long time ago, this cave would have been regardedย just like any other, but given that it has no ceiling, it is now one of Malta’s top visited sites. Coral Lagoon, as its name suggests, radiates the most vibrant blue I’ve ever seen (except maybe in Comino). It is very popular with divers, snorkelers and boat owners. One must note that the passage is very narrow to enter the cave and thus medium/large boats do not fit.
How to get there?
There are mainly two ways to enjoy this stunning cave; either hike the trail or rent a canoe. Truth be told, after discovering this place, I went and bought my very own canoe so I can discover the coast in places where renting one is not available. But, thankfully, this cave is just about 30 minutes away from Little Armier bay where amenities such as restaurants and toilet facilities can be found and of course the renting of canoes, paddle boats and so on. What I did however, is start canoeing from an even closer bay called “Coral Beach” just next to the Caravan site. This saved me a lot of paddling and got some alone time before the masses of tourists arrived!
If you decide to hike all the way, make sure you take the right pair of shoes. The terrain is quite rough hence why it’s called “L-Ahrax” meaning harsh. By car, one can drive all the way to Campsite Zone C found on the lefthand side, park near the caravan site and walk the rest. If you opt for the bus, get on route 41 or 42 and stop at “Ahrax” bus stop. From there it is about a 20 minute walk.
Tips and Recommendations
To truly make the most out of your visit, make sure you visit in the morning. The sun will be shining overhead and thus will give the water that bright aqua colour. Later on during the day, the shade will darken the cave and the overall experience will be underwhelming.
If you are going to rent a canoe, make sure you pay for at least 2 hours otherwise you will not get a chance to fully enjoy your surroundings. It costs around 14-18 euro/hr.
Don’t forget to take your snorkelling gear with you! This is only one of the many caves that are in the area. Not to mention, it has one of the coolest sea floor.
Avoid days where the wind is blowing from the North and East as waves can get pretty big, pretty fast and not to mention the large amount of jellyfish that get trapped inside the cave.
Have you ever heard of this beautiful spot in the Maltese islands? How was your visit and what do you think is the best way to reach it? We’d love to hear your thoughts! Just leave your comments below โค๏ธ
