An Epic Adventure: Landing on Skellig Michael, Ireland
“The most fantastic and impossible rock in the world: Skellig Michael.
An incredible, impossible, mad place… I tell you the thing does not belong to any world that you and I have lived and worked in: it is part of our dream world.“
– George Bernard Shaw, 1910
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Portmagee
The tiny village of Portmagee, along the Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland, has a giant claim to fame: Skellig Michael. It is a dramatic, imposing island that was formed millions of years ago. In Irish, “skellig” is a splinter or stone, or steep area of rock. Michael is in reference to the Saint Michael the Archangel.
History of Skellig Michael
Skellig Michael was home to one of Ireland’s first monastic settlements, St. Fionan’s Monastery, believed to have been founded around the year 600. The monks built beehive huts made of stone to sleep in and pray in, and many of those huts still stand today. Skellig Michael is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of only two in Ireland. Of the island, UNESCO says: “It is the most spectacularly situated of all Early Medieval island monastic sites, particularly the isolated hermitage perched on narrow, human-made terraces just below the South Peak.”
Skellig Michael is part of the Sacred Line of St. Michael, a group of seven ancient monasteries built to honor Saint Michael, the Archangel. The shrines form a straight line stretching from Israel through Greece, Italy, France, England, and ending in Ireland.
It is said that the line perfectly aligns with the sunset on the day of the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere. Legend says the precise line was created by a sword strike by St. Michael when he cast the Devil into Hell.
Once you’ve seen Skellig Michael, you might be inclined to seek out other monasteries in the Sacred Line of St. Michael. You can read about our experience in Italy, at the southernmost site in the line: Climbing Sacra di San Michele.
Landing on Skellig Michael
For those who are determined and prepared, the island can be visited in the summer months. Only fifteen small ferries, carrying a maximum of 12 passengers each, are allowed to land on Skellig Michael each day. Reservations must be made many months in advance. But even then, the hour-long ride in each direction can be over extremely rough seas, and can be impossible due to high winds on many days. So we made our reservations 7 months in advance and crossed our fingers. Happily, the weather was good on that day.
When you are able to cross, you must bring anything you need with you. There are no services at all on the island, save the newly installed restrooms at the bottom. Once you are on the island, there are 600+ steep, uneven, and sometimes slippery steps (and a lot of uphill walking in between the sets of steps) to reach the monastery and beehive huts. Is it worth it? Yes, yes, yes!
This island might look familiar to many people. That is because was home to none other than Luke Skywalker in Star Wars Episode VII, The Force Awakens, and Episode VIII, The Last Jedi. Though this has added to the popularity of the island, the number of people allowed to land on it has not increased.
The Star Wars connection adds an interesting element, but the real reason to visit is to experience this beautiful, remote, rugged, intimidating site.
Even with relatively calm waters, you may feel a little woozy upon arrival, as the ferries are small and can lead to seasickness. Once you’re on the island, you’ll be greeted by a guide who will discuss a bit of history, give you some pointers to ensure you behave with the utmost respect, and give you some safety information. After that, you’re sent on your own to climb to the top at your own pace, stopping at sites and overlooks as you wish. The higher you climb, the more amazing the views become. The ferry we were on allowed 2.5 hours on the island to explore, which was just about right.
One extraordinary feature of hiking on the Skellig Michael is… puffins! We were so excited about seeing them. Shortly after we left the ferry, we saw one. We all took dozens of photos. Little did we know, we would encounter hundreds and hundreds of them during our trek up and down. So be patient, you get LOTS of photo opportunities. Puffins are smaller than we expected, but they are the funniest, cutest little birds you’ll ever see. And they make the strangest sounds – a cross between a foreboding growl and a purr.
The puffins aren’t alone. Skellig Michael and nearby Little Skellig are a bird watcher’s paradise and comprise one of the most important seabird sites in Ireland. Other types of birds on the islands include the Black Guillemot, Red-billed Chough, Kittiwake, Razorbill, European Storm Petrel, and Northern Fulmar. And lots and lots of seagulls!
Back to the hiking: When you reach the top, or at least the highest place visitors are allowed, guides provide historical context and explain how the monks lived, and there are stone ledges where you can sit down if you wish.
The special and sacred feeling all around you is overwhelming. (Is it The Force? No, we weren’t able to control anything with our minds. Darn.) We spent all of our available time up there in awe, exploring the rock formations, beehive huts, and overlooks, knowing this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Should You Go?
Landing on Skellig Michael is expensive, requires a lot of planning, and demands a lot of physical exertion. But if you ever come anywhere near to having the opportunity, and if it is something that intrigues you, we highly recommend you do whatever it takes to get there. It is unlike anything else you will ever experience.
To read about the rest of our time in Ireland, check out our post: 7 Jaw-Dropping Days along the Wild Atlantic Way.
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Words really can’t describe the sheer beauty of these places. Quite possibly the most memorable experience on an incredibly memorable trip!