10/6/24: Malta's Blue Grotto - OMG!

The Blue Grotto is the most famous of Malta’s cave complexes of sea caves. Located along the southeastern part of Malta, the popular tourist attraction shouldn’t be confused with the Blue Lagoon, which is situated in the northwest of the archipelago on the Maltese island of Comino. The site got its name in the 1950s when a British soldier visiting the area compared it to Capri’s famous Grotta Azzurra, which basically means ‘Blue Grotto,’ because of its amazing clear, bright blue waters.

The Blue Grotto is a series of nine caves (or seven, depending on the source!) whose rocky sides glow green, purple, and orange depending on their mineral content. Steven and I were excited to join a few others on a small boat tour of the caves.

The area's deep, open waters created the cave complex. Over the centuries, the persistent crashing of the waves against the hard cliff face resulted in the formation of the huge, arch-like grotto, as well as several adjoining caves and nearby rock formations.

The boatman took us in and out of the caves, some with appealing names such as Honeymoon Cave, Cat’s Cave, and the beautiful Reflection Cave!

We were mesmerized by the vibrant azure and cobalt-colored waters!

The massive and very impressive main arch was approximately 30m in height. 

A sliver of startling blue sky visible from within Reflection Cave:

The cave walls mirrored the brilliant phosphorescent orange, purple, and green colors of the underwater flora, resulting in a mesmerizing scene of light and color.

The boatman told us that the water was ten feet deep and the cliffs were 150 feet high.

I'm pretty sure this was the Circle Grotto!

After the exhilarating ride, Steven and I watched a group of young people for a while, most of them trying to decide if they had the nerve to dive into the water. The fellow with the red trunks on the right took forever to jump in but finally took the plunge!

The brick structure above the divers was called a pillbox and was used for defense during WW II.

Adjacent to the Blue Grotto was Torri Xutu, part of the 17th-century coastal defense system that surrounded Malta.

From high up on one of the cliffs, we had breathtaking views of the sea and caves we'd just entered. 

We overheard a guide say the grass growing along a path overlooking the ocean was cane, and it was used to build furniture.

Next post: The nearby Hagar Qim & Mnajdara megalithic temples.

Posted on March 12th, 2025, from our home west of Denver, where we've been enjoying spring-like weather, and winter seems like a bad memory! Please take care of yourself and your loved ones.