I know it sounds strange—how can an island nation like Malta have hidden islands? Well, maybe not hidden, but possibly hidden or neglected. Seen but not visited. Navigated around en-route to somewhere else, rather than explored or inspected.
So, how many islands are there in Malta?
It depends on who you ask. Often referred to simply as Malta, or Malta and Gozo, the country is technically an archipelago of 3, 5, or even 7 islands. The three inhabited islands, Malta, Gozo, and Comino, are sometimes joined by Filfla, Cominotto, Manoel Island, and occasionally St Paul’s Island (or is it St Paul’s Islands?).
Together, the total land area is 315 km², with Malta itself covering 245.7 km² and Gozo 67 km².
Each of these lesser-known islands has its own story.
Filfla
Beyond the prehistoric structures of Ħaġar Qim on southern Malta stands Filfla. Believed to be named after the peppercorn, felfel in Arabic, it was once known as Pepper Island. Today, it is a sanctuary and breeding ground for seabirds, and home to a unique lizard and snail species.
But before its protected status, Filfla was used by British forces for artillery practice. The constant bombardment dramatically altered its shape, and its seabed remains littered with ammunition—some exploded, some still live! Just 5 km from the Maltese coast, Filfla and its rocky neighbour, 100 metres south, known as Filfoletta or Filfilett, mark the southernmost point of the nation. Both are now off-limits to human visitors and are a designated sanctuary.
Filfla was once at the centre of a dispute with Libya over the demarcation line between the two nations for the rights to gas and oil exploration in the southern Mediterranean. The issue lay in whether Malta’s territorial waters should be calculated from the mainland or from Filfla itself. This distinction would determine where international borders were drawn and, ultimately, where drilling could be permitted. Malta lost this case in the international courts, which drew the demarcation line closer to Malta and reduced the area over which it could exercise its exploration rights.
Comino
Comino is a small island that signals the edge of the famed Blue Lagoon. Often overlooked, it plays a vital role. Without Comino and its smaller sibling Cominotto, the calm, crystal-clear waters of the lagoon wouldn’t exist.
Swimmers flock to the lagoon, often unaware of Comino’s deeper significance. Sparsely inhabited today, it served as a sanctuary for some citizens escaping the bombings of World War II. Its history stretches back to Roman times, with remnants of structures linked to the Knights of St John, and caves that once sheltered pirates.
Cominotto, along with Comino, was once used as a hunting ground in the times of the Romans and the Knights but Cominotto is now of such ecological importance, it is part of a Special Protection Area. In the past there was hunting for boar and hares but these days you are more likely to come across a black rat on Cominotto scavenging amongst the visitor scraps and refuse.
St Paul’s
Just 0.1 km² in size, St Paul’s Islands consist of two rocky outcrops joined by a shallow valley. Visible from Mellieħa, they form the entrance to St Paul’s Bay and famously host a monument to Paul the Apostle, who is said to have swum ashore here after a shipwreck.
Also known as Selmunett, St Paul’s Island is, depending on sea levels, actually two islands. When the valley is fully submerged, the second outcrop, Quartz Island, stands alone.
Manoel
Situated in Marsamxett Harbour, Manoel Island is now connected to the mainland via a bridge at Gżira. In the 16th century, it was acquired by the Bishop of Malta and became known as the Bishop’s Island.
Over the centuries, it has housed a fort, served as a quarantine hospital (the Lazzaretto) and during World War II, became a naval base, HMS Talbot. More recently, it has been the subject of development disputes and, for a time, even hosted a duck sanctuary, which was eventually shut down due to sanitary concerns.
