100 pts4 min read🚶 on foot🟡 medium
British quarantine hospital from the 1890s — soldiers returning from cholera epidemics spent weeks in isolation here. Later a school, shop, pub. Abandoned in the 1960s.
The Quarantine Island
In the late 19th century, the British Empire was battling cholera epidemics. Soldiers and sailors returning from India, Africa, and the Middle East could carry germs to Malta's ports — and from there to all of Europe. The solution? Isolation on Comino.
In the 1890s, the British built a quarantine hospital: several low stone buildings, lazarettos, and wells. Soldiers suspected of infection spent 40 days (from the Latin "quaranta giorni" comes the word "quarantine") under military doctor supervision.
The Buildings' Second Life
After cholera was contained, the hospital lost its original purpose. But the buildings didn't stay empty — they successively served as:
- School — single-room, for children from all of Comino (from 1948)
- General store — the only one on the island
- Pub — with one barrel of beer and a sea view
- Police station — with one policeman
When the last residents left in the 1960s, the buildings were permanently abandoned.
The Ruins Today
Today the hospital ruins are one of the most fascinating places to explore on Comino. Stone walls still stand, but roofs collapsed long ago. Wild figs and capers entwine the walls. It's a place that speaks more about history than any museum.
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Phenomenal spot for urbex photography. Respect preserved structures — this is protected heritage.
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