The Skellig Islands are an extremely famous and popular tourist attraction in Ireland, situated 13km off of the coast of County Kerry with a breadth of history behind them. As well as the fascinating history behind the islands, they are also absolutely beautiful and the views you will remember forever.
Skellig Coast Adventures offer two amazing boat tours to the islands; the Skellig Landing Tour and Skellig Eco Tour, for those wanting to explore the island by foot or by boat. Today our knowledgeable team at Skellig Coast Adventures want to share with you a number of fascinating facts about the Skellig Islands and what makes them so unique and magnificent.
- Two Islands to Discover
The Skellig Islands are made up of two islands that were formed 300-400 million years ago. They are small, steep, rocky islands and no one has lived on them for over 1,000 years. There is Skellig Michael (also known as Great Skellig) which is the largest of the two islands that you can step foot on if you book a boat tour. There is also the smaller island, Little Skellig, which is closed to the public however you can see it by boat.
- 6th Century Historical Monastery
Sitting on the top of Skellig Michael you can find a 6th-century historical monastery, with the exact year of the monastery’s foundation being unknown. There are 3 sets of steps to the monastery that were used by the Monks on the island depending on the varying weather conditions. Monks came to the Skellig Islands for their ultimate solitude, and are believed to have been located there till after the 12th century before the climate and changing structure of the Irish Church led to their relocation.
- UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Skellig Islands are one of the two UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Republic of Ireland. In order to be deemed a World Heritage site, the location must be of outstanding universal value and demonstrate international significance. The Skellig Islands were added to the World Heritage list in 1996.
- Array of Wildlife
There is an array of beautiful wildlife and natural beauty for you to feast your eyes on when you visit the Skellig Islands. You will be able to see an abundance of many wildlife creatures, including puffins, seals, bottlenose dolphins and occasionally you may spot a humpback whale. Hundreds of birds migrate to the islands every year for their nesting periods, and you will be able to spot a huge variety of birds on and around the islands.
- Star Wars
The Skellig Michael featured in two films from the world-famous Star Wars trilogy, appearing in both V11 – The Force Awakens and V11 – The Last Jedi. Many Star Wars fans have flocked to the islands to see the beauty of the islands, and pay homage to their favourite film.
Explore the Skellig Islands with Skellig Coast Adventures
If you would like to visit the magnificent Skellig Islands, Skellig Coast Adventures would love to take you there. We have two tours to choose from, our Skellig Landing Tour andthe Skellig Eco Tour. We have over 50 years of experience providing our boat tours to Skellig Michael, and our fleet is made up of 4 vessels – The Skellig Walker, Celtic Victor, Ursula Mary and The Deva.
Skellig Landing Tour
As a part of our Landing Tour, you get the opportunity to disembark off of the vessel and climb the famous steps of Skellig Michael. You are able to explore the beautiful Skellig Michael by foot and hike up the steep steps with an expert tour guide who will bring the trip to life for you and tell you all of the history and stories of the Skellig Coast.
Skellig Eco Tour
Our Eco Tour lets you take in everything that the Skellig Islands have to offer by boat, and you can allow yourself to be immersed in the wonder and folklore of the coast as our expert tour guide will detail the amazing history to you and the many stories passed down through time. You will get to see an abundance of wildlife creatures that surround the Islands, including seals, puffins, dolphins and the second largest colony of gannets in the world.
Book your Trip to The Skellig Islands
If you’d like to book your tour of The Skellig Islands, you can do so by visiting our website. Both of our tours are guaranteed to give you an unforgettable experience, whether you choose the Landing or Eco tour. You will be in the best possible hands with our expert tour guides. It’s super easy and simple to book your preferred tour, and we will provide you with all of the information that you need ahead of your tour.