Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
served on the island, are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Standing amid these
simple stone huts, it's baffling to think that human beings lived their whole lives on this
tiny outcrop amid the waves. There's a
visitor's center
on nearby Valentia Island that gives
an excellent overview of the site's history and how the monks managed to survive on this
seemingly barren land.
Little Skellig, from the Monastery
(photo credit: Russavia via Wikimedia Commons)
Little Skellig
has never had a human settlement, and very few humans have ever set foot
on its steep-sided shores. However, the total lack of predators has made this island a perfect
haven for thousands and thousands of gannets. These large, majestic birds make their nests
right on the exposed cliff-faces, and the sound they produce, as it echoes off the jagged
rocks, creates an absolutely otherworldly sensation. The island is closed to the public due
to environmental and safety concerns, but it's relatively easy to get boat tours that go right
up alongside the rocks to give visitors a glimpse of the vast bird colony.
