Our Ireland Adventure: Skellig Michael — The Star Wars Island and an Unforgettable Boat Tour

Some days on a family trip are packed with several attractions, and other days are all about one incredible experience. Our day visiting Skellig Michael was definitely the latter!

Skellig Michael, off the southwest coast of Ireland, was one of the places I was most excited to see. Known for its ancient monastery and its role as a filming location for Star Wars, this remote island is full of history, beauty, and adventure.

Our group split up for the day. My husband and our oldest daughter got to land on the island as part of a landing party, while I took our three youngest on a separate boat tour that circled the island without landing.

Both experiences were memorable, and we were blessed with a day that turned out even better than we could have hoped!

Skellig Michael: The Star Wars Island

Skellig Michael, also known by its Irish name Sceilg Mhichíl, is a rocky island in the Atlantic Ocean about 12 kilometers off the coast of County Kerry. Its steep slopes rise dramatically out of the sea, making it an unforgettable sight from the water.

If you've watched Star Wars: The Force Awakens or Star Wars: The Last Jedi, you may recognize the island as the remote setting associated with Luke Skywalker's retreat and the ancient Jedi sanctuary. Its rugged cliffs and ancient stone structures made a remarkable real-world backdrop for the films.

But Skellig Michael's history goes back many centuries before it became famous with Star Wars fans.

An Ancient Monastery on a Remote Island

Long before filmmakers arrived, Skellig Michael was home to a community of Christian monks who sought a life of prayer and solitude far from the mainland.

The monastery dates to the early medieval period, probably between the sixth and eighth centuries. The monks built stone structures on narrow terraces high above the sea, including distinctive beehive-shaped huts and small places of worship.

Imagine choosing to live on a steep, rocky island surrounded by the Atlantic, with no easy way to reach the mainland! The location must have demanded extraordinary determination.

The monastic community eventually left, but the historic structures remain. Today, Skellig Michael is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognized for the remarkable preservation of its early medieval monastic settlement.

Seeing the island from the water gave us a real appreciation for how remote and rugged it is. For those who landed, there was also an opportunity to explore the historic site up close.

The Lighthouse Keepers and Their Families

One of my favorite parts of the day was hearing about the island's lighthouse history from our boat captain.

In the 1820s, lighthouses were constructed on Skellig Michael to help guide ships along this challenging stretch of the Atlantic coast. Lighthouse keeping meant working in a remote location, often in difficult weather and far from the conveniences of ordinary life.

Our boat captain had a particularly personal connection to this history: he had lived on Skellig Michael as a child because his family were lighthouse keepers!

He shared detailed stories about the island and its history throughout our tour. It was fascinating to hear about the place from someone whose own childhood was connected to it.

It's one thing to learn facts from a guidebook, but it's another to hear stories from someone who actually lived there. His knowledge made the experience so much richer.

Two Ways to Experience Skellig Michael

Not everyone in our group was able to experience the island in the same way, so we split up for the day and booked two different boat trips.

Exploring the Island: My Husband and Oldest Daughter

My husband and our oldest daughter joined a landing party, which meant they could go ashore and explore Skellig Michael itself.

An important note for families: landing trips generally have a minimum age requirement of 12. Only one child in our entire group qualified, and she absolutely ate up the adventure with her dad!

Landing on Skellig Michael allows visitors to explore the historic monastery and its stone structures. However, getting around involves steep, uneven steps and a significant climb, so it is a physically demanding experience.

I'm glad the two of them had the opportunity to explore the island firsthand. It's not every day you get to walk around an ancient monastery perched high above the Atlantic Ocean!

The Boat Tour: Skellig Michael With the Younger Kids

I stayed on a separate boat with our three youngest children for a tour that circled the island without landing. We had a different captain from the landing party, and our boat departed from Portmagee, about 45 minutes from the departure area used for the landing trip.

This is an important detail to consider when booking! Even though both tours visit Skellig Michael, they may depart from different locations. If your group is splitting up between a landing trip and a boat tour, be sure to check the departure port for each excursion before making your reservations. You don't want to discover on the day of your trip that your boats are leaving from places 45 minutes apart!

Our boat tour was a wonderful option for our family. We still got to see the dramatic cliffs up close and learn about the island's history without making the challenging climb.

And our captain made the trip so much fun!

One of the children's favorite parts was getting to actually “drive” the boat. Our captain kindly let them take turns at the helm, making them feel like part of the adventure rather than just passengers.

He also shared detailed stories about Skellig Michael, including its history and his own connection to the island. It was fascinating to hear his perspective as we explored the waters around the island.

For children, little experiences like that can become the memories they talk about long after the trip is over. They weren't just looking at an island; they were out on the Atlantic, learning its history and getting a turn at the wheel!

A Note About Booking Boat Tours

The number of boats permitted to visit the Skellig Islands each day is very limited—around a dozen boats—so there aren't endless operators or departure times to choose from. Landing trips are especially limited and depend on weather and sea conditions.

You generally don't get to choose your boat captain, either. We were fortunate to have wonderful captains on both boats, and each provided a different experience.

If your group is booking more than one type of tour, compare the departure locations before you book. Our landing party and our boat-tour group left from different areas, with Portmagee about 45 minutes from the landing trip's departure area. That extra travel time is easy to overlook when you're focused on finding the right excursion.

If your children are too young to land, or you'd rather avoid the climb, a boat tour around the island is still a fantastic way to experience Skellig Michael. Just make sure you factor in the departure location, transportation, and timing when planning your day.

Beautiful Weather and an Unexpected Puffin Sighting!

One of the biggest blessings of our day was the weather.

Ireland is known for its rainy, changeable weather, so you never quite know what you'll get when planning an outdoor adventure. But our day on the water was absolutely beautiful. We had sunshine and lovely conditions that made the entire experience even more memorable.

One of the boat captains on my husband's boat told him that he could count on one hand the number of times he'd experienced weather that beautiful on a trip to Skellig Michael. Can you believe that?

For all of us to have such a gorgeous, sunny day out on the Atlantic was a gift. God was so good to give us that beautiful weather for what was truly a once-in-a-lifetime kind of trip.

And the surprises didn't stop with the sunshine. We also got to see puffins!

Skellig Michael is famous for its seabird colonies, including Atlantic puffins. These birds typically leave the island after the breeding season to spend the nonbreeding months out at sea. By the time of year we visited, they would usually have migrated away from the island, so seeing them was an especially exciting surprise.

Between the sunshine, the incredible island views, the captains' stories, and the puffins, our day felt extra special. We couldn't have planned those details ourselves, and I was so thankful we got to experience them.

Fish and Chips at the Pier

After our boat tour, our three youngest were absolutely starving! Thankfully, there was a small restaurant at the pier, so we stopped for a meal.

And what else would you eat after a boat trip on the Irish coast but fish and chips?

It was a simple meal, but sometimes those are the best ones on a family trip. We didn't need a fancy restaurant or another big activity. We just needed food, a chance to sit down, and a little time to enjoy the day we'd had.

When you're traveling with children, it's always helpful to know where you can grab something to eat after an excursion. Having a convenient little restaurant right at the pier was a welcome bonus!

Tips for Visiting Skellig Michael With a Family

If you're considering a visit, here are a few things worth knowing:

• Understand the two types of boat trips. Landing trips allow visitors to explore the monastery, while other tours circle the island without landing.

• Check the age requirements. Landing trips generally require visitors to be at least 12 years old. Verify the current rules with your operator before booking.

• Consider the physical demands. Landing involves steep, uneven steps and a significant climb. A boat tour is a great alternative for younger children or anyone who doesn't want to tackle the climb.

• Check departure ports carefully. Different tours may leave from different locations. Our boat departed from Portmagee, about 45 minutes from the landing trip's departure area, so plan your transportation and timing accordingly.

• Book early and be flexible. Boat availability is limited, and trips depend on weather and sea conditions.

• Don't overlook the history. The Star Wars connection is exciting, but the ancient monastery and lighthouse history are just as fascinating.

• Plan for hungry children afterward! We were grateful for the little restaurant at the pier. Fish and chips were just what our crew needed after our time on the water.

You can learn more about the island through the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and find visitor information through Heritage Ireland.

A Day We'll Never Forget

Our day visiting Skellig Michael was different from the other days of our Ireland trip. We didn't rush between several attractions or try to squeeze in one more castle. Instead, we focused on one extraordinary island and the stories connected to it.

My husband and oldest daughter got to step onto the island itself, while the younger children and I enjoyed a separate boat tour with an incredible captain. We learned about the ancient monks, the lighthouse keepers, and the island's place in modern film history. The kids even got to take turns at the helm!

Then there was the weather. We had a beautiful, sunny day on the water—something an experienced captain told us was unusual—and we were blessed to see puffins when they would typically have already migrated.

Afterward, we finished the day with fish and chips at the pier, which was just what our hungry crew needed!

Sometimes the best travel experiences aren't just about seeing a famous place. They're about the people who help you understand it, the unexpected wildlife you get to see, and the little moments that make the day your own.

We couldn't control the weather, arrange a puffin sighting, or plan every wonderful detail. But we could be grateful for all of it. God was so good to us that day, and Skellig Michael gave our family memories we'll treasure for years to come.