The magical Blue Grotto Malta

Spoil yourself to a 20-minute boat trip to the magnificent grotto

The Blue Grotto Malta is a number of sea caves on the southern coast of Malta very close to Zurrieq and then Qrendi Village. It is famous for the extraordinary sea reflections within the cave area where many tourists during the year come here on purpose.

The small natural inlet is named Wied iz-Zurrieq where various fishermen use this natural inlet as their harbour and go out fishing. There are several boat houses in the area but by time due to its popularity several restaurants and bars flourished.

Here you find useful practical things to take note and carry with you when you come here and visit the Blue Grotto.

The Blue Grotto Malta caves are one of the natural wonders which you should not miss whilst in Malta. It is located on the outskirts south of the village of Zurrieq near Wied iz-Zurrieq, on the southern part of Malta.

The location attracts over 100,000 people a year and the Blue Grotto Malta boat trip is the right occasion for a trip to the caves.

What You Need To Know About blue grotto malta

• How To Enter The Blue Grotto
• How Do I Get To Blue Grotto By Car
• How Do I Get To Blue Grotto By Bus
• Blue Grotto Malta Tour
• What Do I Find At Blue Grotto
• Blue Grotto Diving Spot
• Information About Blue Grotto
• A Little History About Blue Grotto

How to enter the Blue Grotto Malta and Opening Times

Boat trips are done everyday, always depending on the weather.

Boat service trips schedule

• Summer time: 09:00 to 17:00
• Winter time: 09:00 to 15:30

Blue Grotto Malta Ticket Prices: 

How Do I get my boat trip tickets?

• The only way to get tickets for the boat trip is from the Booking office at Blue Grotto situated adjacent to the boat yard close to the embarkation area.
• There is no online booking for this boat trip.

How do I get to Blue Grotto Malta?

If you are renting a car it is very easy to arrive to Blue Grotto Malta. One can always have a GPS which will help them arrive at their destination.

These are basic directions how to get to Blue Grotto:

• First you have to drive down to Malta International Airport.
• At the main roundabout that takes you to the airport, take the third exit and proceed under a tunnel.
• When you exit the tunnel you will reach another roundabout.
• Take the third exit on the roundabout and go straight.
• When you reach another roundabout take the second exit on Triq il-Belt Valletta and remain on this road till you reach another roundabout.
• Take the second exit on Blue Grotto Avenue and go straight for about 2.2Km
• After 2.2Km take a left where you will drive down a winding hill to Blue Grotto
• When arriving to the village of Wied Iz-Zurrieq you will find a large parking area adjacent to the restaurants where you can park your car. There will be a parker present.

How do I get to Blue Grotto Malta By Bus?

Below are the details of many popular locations from where people catch the bus to Blue Grotto. Most locations require a change in bus route to arrive at the destination.

You will also find the Blue Grotto Malta map location including the various bus stops mentioned for those who are not yet familiar with Malta.  

Valletta Terminus to Blue Grotto Malta bus

• Bus Number - Route 74
• Time duration 30 minutes
• Stop at Panorama bus stop
• 10 min walk, down the hill to blue grotto

St. Julian's, sliema, paceville and gzira to Blue Grotto

First you must get to Valletta from St. Julian's by catching one of the following bus numbers. 

• Route 13 - Every 20 minutes
• Route 13A - Every 20 minutes
• Route 14 - Every 30 minutes
• Route 15 - Every 30 minutes - This route starts from Sliema Ferries
• Route 16 - Every 30 minutes

When arriving in Valletta after catching one of the above bus numbers, you must catch the following bus directly to Blue Grotto

• Stop at Valletta Terminus then catch route 74 to Blue Grotto Caves.

Marsaxlokk to Blue Grotto Malta

First you must get to Valletta from Marsaxlokk by catching one of the following bus numbers. 

• Route 81 - Every 30 minutes
• Route 85 - Every 60 minutes

When arriving in Valletta after catching one of the above buses, you must catch the following bus directly to Blue Grotto

• Catch route 74 to Blue Grotto Malta.

Tips about route 74

• Route 74 does not stop directly near the Blue Grotto but you will need to stop at Panorama bus stop
• Due to that, you will have a 15 minute walk down a hill to the Grotto village.

Mdina to Blue Grotto Malta

Catch the following bus from Rabat terminus.

• Route 201 - Every 60 minutes
• Blue Grotto Bus Stop: Grotto

Bugibba to Blue Grotto in Malta

First catch the bus from Bugibba bus terminus to Rabat bus terminus.

• Route 186 - Every 30 minutes

Then catch the following bus from Rabat terminus to Blue Grotto.

• Route 201 - Every 60 minutes
• Blue Grotto Bus Stop: Grotto

Malta International Airport to Blue Grotto

Catch the following bus directly to Blue Grotto

• Route 201 - Every 60 minutes
• Blue Grotto Bus Stop: Grotto

Tips About Bus Route 201

• Route 201 starts at Malta International Airport and its final destination is Rabat interchange and vice versa.
• When you are at the Grotto bus stop before taking the bus you have to check or ask the driver where it is going, either to Airport or to Rabat.

Where is Blue Grotto Malta? | Map

Details off bus routes, Valletta, Airport, Rabat & Bugibba bus terminus and Pembroke Park & Ride locations.

Blue Grotto Malta Tour

Why choose this tour?

A lovely enjoyable excursion to see two of the most popular locations visited by tourists.

The magnificent Blue Grotto caves. Ride a small motored Maltese fishing boat which takes you to the stunning sea caves. The water is so clear and blue. Well worth a visit. The trip takes 25 minute in all.

Then proceed to the lively fishing village of Marsaxlokk. admire the colourful Maltese Luzzu fishing boats. Visit the market along the shore.

What is included with the price?

- A visit to Blue Grotto and Marsaxlokk fishing village
- Pickup and drop-off from accommodation
- Professional local guide

Click here to book your place

What is excluded with the price?

- Boat trip to Blue Grotto Caves (Ticket of boat trip can only be purchased from the ticket office at Blue Grotto)
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks

How long is the tour and when does it operate?

- This is an extended half day morning tour and lasts for approximately 5 Hours. The tour operates only on a Sunday all year round.

Is the boat trip to the Blue Grotto included with this tour?

No this boat trip is not included, so you will have to buy tickets separately when you arrive at the Blue Grotto.

Click here to book your tickets

How do I book this tour?

- First select the date you would like to attend this tour. 
- Second select the number of adults (€28) or/and children (€12) which will be attending the tour.
- Enter 'maltainfoguide' in the coupon box to get a 5% discount
- After you have selected the dates, click book now.
- You will then have to fill up a form with necessary details.
- Enter you payment details then click Confirm Booking.

What Do I Find At Blue Grotto

• A boat trip to the stunning Blue Grotto cave.
• Stunning diving spots where you can scuba dive too.
• A few cafes and restaurants where you can have a good meal and also take fresh fish.
• A public garden where you can walk and rest. Children can also play and enjoy themselves. It is advisable that children are not left unattended as there are some dangerous areas in the garden.
• Wheel chair accessibility is available via a steep slope which might present some difficulty for a disabled person. A strong helping hand is recommended.

Blue Grotto Diving Spot

Diving in Blue Grotto Malta, Wied iz-Zurrieq is one of the main locations. Here you find Um El Faroud which is a 10,000 ton Libya tanker which was scuttled off the coast of Wied Iz-Zurrieq as an artificial reef and a diving site since 1998. Here you will encounter squid and barracudas. We suggest that you dedicate a holiday in Malta specifically as a diving holiday in Malta.

If you are keen on diving here you find the wreck of Um El Faroud. It is a well visited under water wreck. This location also offers a dive to the west reef and caves. Another one to the east. Further up from this site a few kilometres away there is another bay called Ghar Lapsi where it is also visited for an enjoyable dive. Read further about these three dives.

Information about Blue Grotto Malta You Might Want to know about

The rocky coastline along this area is very high and the sea is very deep with a dark blue all the way. The view from this area is fantastic with open seas, very high cliff sand picturesque rock formations. From this point you can see Filfla, the little island located 5 kilometres out at sea which is now a protected bird sanctuary.

When one proceeds down to the inlet bay you find the boats waiting for visitors. There you find fishing boats beautifully painted called a dghajsa. This is the location from where you buy the tickets for the boat trip to the caves. These trips operate weather permitting. Do not forget your camera as you will be surely disappointed if you do not take a picture.

The best time to visit is in the morning when the water normally shows numerous shades of blue. Inside the caves you can observe various mirrored colours from the underwater flora. Other areas show various dark shades of blue.

In this area of Malta there are no Zurrieq hotels. All of the accommodation is concentrated on the other side of the island. At the same time, being such a small island, it is easy to arrive on the other side of Malta.

A little history about Blue Grotto

The Blue Grotto Malta started to get its name in the early 1950’s, when the British army personnel located in Malta at the time, used to ask the local fisherman to take them for a boat trip to the Blue Grotto sea caves.

British soldiers stationed here during the 1950's, knew that the Malta Blue Grotto is very much like the Grotta Azzurra in Italian, meaning the blue grotto of Capri, that it deserved to be named the same but in English. It was literally translated in English from Grotta Azzurra. The island of Capri is located off the Gulf of Naples in Italy.

By time it became so popular that the fishermen started to offer this service to tourists and locals alike.

The Blue Grotto Malta is an attraction for all the family.