Gozo, Comino and the Blue Lagoon

You need a free timed access pass, booked at blcomino.com, only if you step ashore. If you stay on the boat and swim in the bay, you do not. The island admits at most 4,000 people at once and the day is split into three slots. Check whether your tour books the pass for you – it is stated on the booking page.

The car ferry from Ċirkewwa to Mġarr crosses in 25 minutes and runs around the clock, roughly every 45 minutes; an adult return is €4.65. The fast ferry from Valletta takes 45 minutes and carries foot passengers only, at €7.50 one way. Getting from Valletta to Ċirkewwa by bus (routes 41 and 42) takes about 75 minutes on top.

No. The arch collapsed in a storm on 8 March 2017 and nothing remains above water. The blocks now lie underwater as the Azure Reef and are a genuine dive site. Dwejra itself – the Inland Sea, Fungus Rock and the cliffs – is still there and still worth the trip.

Some, and they are all in the north. Mellieħa Bay is the largest with roughly 800 metres of sand; Golden Bay, Għajn Tuffieħa and Paradise Bay follow, and Ramla Bay is on Gozo. Note that Għajn Tuffieħa is reached by about 200 steps from the car park. Most of the coast, including Sliema and the Valletta side, is rocky limestone – excellent for swimming, but not sand.

Mostly yes. Buses reach almost everywhere: a single ride is €2.00 in summer and €1.50 in winter, and a 7-day Explore card costs €21. What a car buys you is time, because routes run through Valletta and journeys are slower than the map suggests. For one or two days of sightseeing, the bus and the occasional taxi are usually enough.

For the Hypogeum of Ħal Saflieni, months: Heritage Malta admits 80 people a day and it sells out weeks in advance, with no walk-ins. For boat trips in July and August, one to three days is usually enough. Since almost every tour cancels free up to 24 hours before, booking early costs you nothing.