Malta Water Sports & Boat Trips 2026: What to Do Before the Party Starts
Malta by day, Malta by night 🌊🌙
You didn't fly to Malta to sleep until 9pm. The parties start late — so the best hours of your trip are the ones before them: turquoise water, sea caves, a jet ski at full throttle and a boat you can drive yourself without a licence. This is your daytime guide to Malta's water sports and boat trips in 2026, with real prices, so you can fill the hours between the pool party and the club night.
Every activity here is run by Malta Explorers — our water sports and boat tour partner, based at St Thomas Bay in Marsaskala on the island's south coast. Same island, same summer, different element.
🚤 Jet skis: the fastest hour of your holiday
Malta's south coast is made for this — open water, cliffs, sea caves and almost no traffic. No licence needed, quick safety briefing, and you're off.
- Jet Ski 130HP — from €25. The Sea-Doo everyone starts on. Solo or two-up, by the half hour.
- Jet Ski 170HP — from €30. Same machine, more punch: faster acceleration, higher top speed.
- Jet Ski Safari to the Blue Grotto — from €275. The big one: a 2-hour guided ride along the wild south coast to Malta's most famous sea cave. Book this on a day you have nothing else on — you'll talk about it all week.
👉 See all jet ski options and times →
⛵ Drive your own boat — no licence required
One of the best-kept secrets in Malta: you can rent a small boat and skipper it yourself, no paperwork, no captain looking over your shoulder. Pack a cooler, pick a cove, anchor, swim.
- Hydra 530 self-drive boat — from €120. A 17ft motorboat for 2–5 hours along the south coast. Perfect for a group of friends.
- The Fiat 500 Boat — from €55. A real Fiat 500 body mounted on a boat hull. Yes, really. It is the single most photographed thing on the water in Malta, and you drive it yourself.
👉 Browse all self-drive boat rentals →
🌅 Boat tours with a skipper (for when you'd rather just sit back)
- Fiat 500 Sunset Cruise — from €170. 45 minutes, departs 19:15, champagne and a skipper included. Golden hour, then straight into the night.
- Fiat 500 Grand Harbour Tour — from €350. Two hours around Valletta's Grand Harbour, one of the most spectacular natural harbours in the Mediterranean.
- 28ft Open Boat — South Coast Tour — from €180. Private charter with skipper along Malta's cliffs and caves.
- 28ft Boat — Gozo & Comino full day — from €650. Eight hours, private, Blue Lagoon and Gozo. Split between a group it's the trip of the holiday.
- Dolphin Spotting Tour — from €120. One hour out in the open Mediterranean actively looking for wild dolphins.
🏝️ Comino & the Blue Lagoon — from €30
The postcard shot of Malta: impossibly turquoise water between two cliffs. The full-day Comino & Blue Lagoon trip departs daily from St Julian's — which means you can be back in Paceville with plenty of time to shower before the night starts. From €30.
💡 Go early. The Blue Lagoon is at its most beautiful (and emptiest) before midday — read the Blue Lagoon 2026 guide before you book.
🛶 Kayak & SUP: the cheap, quiet option — from €8
Hungover? Low budget? Just want an hour on flat, clear water? St Thomas Bay is calm and shallow, with caves and coves within paddling distance.
- Single kayak — from €8/hour.
- Double kayak — from €15/hour. For couples, friends, or parent and child.
- Stand-up paddleboard (SUP) — from €10/hour.
💶 Malta water sports prices 2026 — quick reference
| Activity | From | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Single kayak (1h) | €8 | St Thomas Bay |
| SUP paddleboard (1h) | €10 | St Thomas Bay |
| Double kayak (1h) | €15 | St Thomas Bay |
| Jet ski 130HP | €25 | St Thomas Bay |
| Jet ski 170HP | €30 | St Thomas Bay |
| Comino & Blue Lagoon full day | €30 | From St Julian's |
| Fiat 500 Boat (self-drive) | €55 | St Thomas Bay |
| Hydra 530 self-drive boat | €120 | St Thomas Bay |
| Dolphin spotting tour | €120 | South coast |
| Fiat 500 sunset cruise | €170 | St Thomas Bay |
| 28ft boat — south coast | €180 | South coast |
| Jet ski safari — Blue Grotto | €275 | To the Blue Grotto |
| Fiat 500 Grand Harbour tour | €350 | Valletta |
| 28ft boat — Gozo & Comino (8h) | €650 | Comino + Gozo |
👉 Check live availability and book on Malta Explorers →
🗓️ How to plan a perfect 24 hours in Malta
- 10:00 — Comino & Blue Lagoon, or a jet ski hour if you slept in.
- 15:00 — Pool party. Every day of the week has one: browse the pool parties in Malta.
- 19:15 — Fiat 500 sunset cruise — or sunset drinks at Café del Mar.
- 23:00 — Club night. Gianpula, Toy Room, TwentyTwo, Tigullio — all of them on the Malta events calendar.
- Next day — repeat, but slower: kayak from €8.
And if you'd rather do your water time with a DJ and a bar on board, our Mega Boat Party and White Boat Party are the party version of the same sea.
❓ Malta water sports FAQ
Do I need a licence for a jet ski or boat in Malta?
No. The jet skis and the self-drive boats are all licence-free, with a safety briefing before you go. Details on the no-licence jet ski guide and the boat rental guide.
Where does everything depart from?
Most activities leave from St Thomas Bay, Marsaskala, on the south coast — about 25 minutes from St Julian's. The Comino trip departs from St Julian's itself.
Blue Grotto or Blue Lagoon?
Two completely different places, and both worth it. Malta Explorers breaks it down in Blue Grotto vs Blue Lagoon.
Can I do a water activity and still make it out that night?
Easily. Kayak, SUP and jet ski slots are 30 minutes to a couple of hours. Even the full-day Comino trip is back in time for dinner.
Should I book ahead in summer?
Yes — July and August slots, especially the Fiat 500 Boat and the sunset cruise, go days in advance.
🌊 Book the day, we'll handle the night
Malta is a small island with an absurd amount to do in it. Malta Explorers takes care of your daylight hours — jet skis, boats, Comino, dolphins, kayaks — and we'll take care of everything after sunset.
Browse all water activities on Malta Explorers →
See tonight's parties on the Malta events calendar →