€130 (plus booking fees) per person. This excursion is not suitable for children under the age of 12.
Our Skellig Michael Landing Cruise allows you to land at Skellig Rock, and climb the almost 700 steps, carved centuries ago by the monks, to visit the 6th century monastic beehive huts.
There are panoramic views in all directions as you tower above the Atlantic Ocean.
This trip is not for the faint hearted, and requires a good level of fitness, and tolerance for heights.
This trip takes aprox 5 hours.
Our boat, The Diversion, has inside and outside seating, and we do have a toilet on board.
Please ensure you are wearing warm clothes, and bring a waterproof jacket, even on the best of days it is cold at sea, and weather conditions can change very fast.
• Sturdy footware, with good grip is essential. Flip Flops / Sliders / Strappy Sandals / and kind of heel, are not suitable footware for a boat, and the long climb up the rocky steps.
• The sea conditions can change fast, and if you are not used to boats seasickness is a possibility, we do not provide seasickness tablets, and if you think you may need these, please check with your pharmacist or doctor if you have any medical issues to make sure that you can take them.
This trip takes aproximately 5 hours in total, allowing for passage to and from the Rock, and 2.5 hours on the Rock.
The departure time for the Skellig Michael Landing Cruise changes weekly due to sea conditions, and landing time slots with departures usually between 08:00am and 12:30pm. You will be notified of your allocated departure time the day before by email.
It is advisable to plan to stay close to Portmagee/Valentia the night before, as departure times sometimes change at the last minute due to weather conditions.
Our boat, The Diversion, departs from Portmagee Marina, and on the passage to Skellig Michael we very often encounter Dolphins, who love to bow surf with the boat, and the occasional Humpback Whale.
When you land at the Skelligs, you will be met with the OPW tour guides who will give you information and guidance while you are on the island.
On our return journey we cruise over to Small Skelligs (although there is nothing small about it!). Here under 27,000 pairs of circling and nesting gannets you hear their guttural cry, and get to admire their beautifully painted faces, and their majestic wingspan. Watching them torpedo dive into the sea for fish. This is the second largest gannet colony in the world.
On Small Skelligs too there are plenty of seals to see lolling on the rocks and swimming in the small coves, it is a diver’s paradise.
Our skipper and Deckhand are on hand with a wealth of knowledge and folklore on the islands, and the surroundings during the passage.
