Isolation Hospital Ruins

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.