There are not many places on Earth where you can stand on a 6th-century monastic settlement at the top of an Atlantic sea-stack — but if your stay at the Derrynane coincides with calm seas, you can.
A UNESCO site, 12 km out
Skellig Michael rises 218 metres straight out of the water, eight nautical miles off the South Kerry coast. A handful of 6th-century beehive cells and a tiny oratory cling to its eastern face, reached by 670 stone steps carved into the rock. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996 and a Star Wars filming location twenty years later, which has done its booking calendar no harm at all.
Why “if your stay coincides”
The boats only sail in suitable weather. Skellig Michael is exposed, the seas can be unkind, and licensed skippers will not risk a landing in a poor swell. Trips run roughly from mid-May to late September, weather permitting; you might be lucky on the day you booked or you might be moved. The hotel reception keeps an eye on the forecast for you and rebooks if needed.
Two ways to do it
A landing tour with a licensed operator like Skellig Tours takes you out, gives you a 2.5-hour window to climb to the monastery, and brings you back via Little Skellig — the gannet colony, 27,000 breeding pairs strong. An eco-tour circles both Skelligs without landing, which costs less, runs in slightly rougher seas, and gives you the bird-life and the cliffs from sea level.
What to bring
Layers, waterproofs, sturdy shoes (the steps are uneven), and a packed lunch if you are doing the landing trip — there are no facilities on the island. We will pack one for you from the kitchen, ask the front desk.
