Barbarossa Excursions

Barbarossa Excursions is a Gozo-based tour and boat operator that takes visitors around the three Maltese islands by sea and by land. From its home at Mgarr Harbour in Għajnsielem, it runs Comino cruises on a traditional Turkish-style gullet and on modern cabin cruisers, self-drive buggy tours of Gozo, jeep safaris and private boat charters. Whether you have a free afternoon or a full day, there is usually a trip that fits.

For UK travellers the appeal is simplicity. Pick-ups are arranged from many hotels, meeting points and parish churches, prices for the main trips are printed on the website, and a booking can be made directly with the operator. The business appears in our directories of tour operators in Malta and boat charter in Malta, and the sections below explain what each trip involves.

Who Barbarossa Excursions is

The company belongs to a group whose roots go back to 1969 and was an early pioneer of tourism in Gozo. Its motto is Safety and Personal Customer Care, and it counts 43 years of continuous trading under that banner. It has won Best Excursions Operator of the Year and Best Boat Charter Company of the Year 2019.

Its work covers both land and sea excursions across Malta, Gozo and Comino: cruises, jeep safaris, buggy tours and exclusive yacht charters, plus smaller boats for groups of any size. Local skippers and guides, who know the islands well, lead the trips, and tour commentary at each buggy stop is given in the language you prefer, which helps mixed groups and visitors who are not confident in English.

Comino and Blue Lagoon cruises

The headline boat trip is the five-hour 3 Bay Comino Cruise on the Turkish gullet, priced at €35.00. It leaves from Marfa Jetty on the Malta side, with a first summer departure at 10.45am. On the way to the Blue Lagoon the boat passes Santa Maria Battery, Elephant Rock, St Marija Bay, the St Marija caves and St Nicholas Bay, then anchors at the lagoon for about an hour and a half. You can swim, or pay extra for a powerboat ride into the nearby sea caves.

Next comes the Crystal Lagoon, where you have an hour to swim, snorkel, use the slide or simply sit beside the cliffs, followed by an hour at Paradise Bay. On board there is a full cash bar, a rooftop deck with chairs for sunbathing and clean toilets. Anyone who wants to step ashore on Comino must book a landing pass beforehand; everybody else can enjoy the cruise without leaving the boat. Our Blue Lagoon guide explains what to expect at the lagoon itself.

A second five-hour option, the Comino cruise with a stop in Gozo and a look at the sea caves, costs €30.00. It moors at the Blue Lagoon for around ninety minutes, then continues to Gozo for a two-hour break to wander, eat or swim, and passes the Crystal Lagoon on the way back to Marfa Jetty. Optional onward transport in Gozo is bought from the crew on board. Shorter four-hour cruises with a Gozo photo stop run in summer and winter versions, and sunset cruises of three hours are also offered, some on a cabin cruiser. A seven-hour cabin cruiser tour around Comino and Gozo completes the range.

Children and infants have their own ticket categories on the cruise booking pages, so families should check the fare for each age group when booking. Infants are classed as ages 0 to 2 and children as ages 3 to 10. Because summer and winter timetables differ, confirm the departure time for your date. On days with rougher seas, itineraries and swim stops may change, so the crew's guidance on the day comes first and is worth following closely.

Buggy tours and jeep safaris in Gozo

Gozo is the part of the business that sets it apart. On the self-drive buggy tour you steer your own two-seater, fully automatic buggy while a guide in front leads the convoy and explains each place. The seven-hour route starts at Mgarr Harbour and winds through Qala, Nadur and Ramla Bay, to Calypso Cave and the Ġgantija temples (entry fees are extra), then to the cliffs above Xlendi, old stone quarries, the Inland Sea and Fungus Rock, the salt pans and Marsalforn Bay, with time at the Citadel and Gozo Cathedral. Our Gozo guide gives background on these places.

A buffet lunch with wine and water is part of the package, as are hotel transfers, the boat crossing and a scenic cruise past the Blue Lagoon and Comino caves with a swim stop of about 45 minutes, weather permitting. The full-day tour including lunch and transfers is €270.00, and the lunch stop is the Mariblu Restaurant. A private full-day tour without transfers and lunch is €250.00, and a sunset buggy tour with a Blue Lagoon swim stop is €85.00.

Solo drivers pay €115.00, while a driver and passenger together pay €195.00. Group sizes are limited, which keeps the day relaxed. For those who would rather not drive, the jeep safari covers the same island with a local driver, calling at the Citadel in Victoria, the Ta' Pinu Basilica and Dwejra Bay as well as quieter villages and viewpoints.

Rules for buggy drivers

Drivers must be at least 21 and fully qualified, and provisional licences are not accepted. Buggies carry seatbelts and are fully automatic. Children under three cannot ride as passengers, and everyone must wear trainers or other hard-soled shoes. The buggies are comprehensively insured apart from the first €500.00 of any claim, which falls to the driver, and drivers are responsible for the vehicle if they damage it through negligence.

Racing, dangerous driving and leaving the route are prohibited, mobile phones may not be used at the wheel, and the leader can remove anyone who breaks the safety rules without a refund. Weather can change routes or swim stops. These terms are worth reading before you book. For UK visitors the licence rule means you need a full driving licence with you on the day, not a provisional one.

Private charters and evening trips

Barbarossa also runs private boat charters. The fleet shown on the website includes a Blue Lagoon cabin cruiser, a dinghy, the Jake speedboat, a romantic sunset charter and the Barbarossa gullet, so there is a size for a couple, a birthday party or a group. With a private hire you design the day: coast around Malta, anchor in a quiet bay or spend the hours between Gozo and Comino.

Fishing trips around Comino, snorkelling in clear water over reefs, and relaxed sailing days are also part of the programme, and the sunset charter can include dinner on board for a special occasion. If you want to compare operators, Adventure Cruises Malta is another charter business in our directory if you want to compare options.

Pick-ups, timings and booking

Morning pick-ups are laid out by area: Valletta at 8.00am from points such as the waterfront bus stop and the Mediterranean Conference Centre; Sliema and Gżira at 8.15am; St Julian's at 8.30am; Buġibba at 9.00am; and Mellieħa at 9.15am. In Gozo there are many pick-up points, including hotels and parish churches in villages from Għajnsielem to Xlendi. Our Mellieħa guide and Valletta guide help if you are choosing where to stay.

The office takes calls every day from 8.00am to 6.00pm, and last-minute bookings can be made by phone until 8.00pm. Check the weather before a swim-heavy day with our Malta weather guide, and see the best beaches in Malta for time on land. Before you travel, look at flights to Malta from the UK. To ask about dates, group sizes or a charter, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to Barbarossa Excursions.