As you lay there, here is a dream of an adventure; I invite you to step aboard and explore the wild Atlantic way with me today. What await you are narrow roads stones walls and the greenest of landscapes you will ever see with splashes of purple depending where you are. This place will be the wildest the most aggressive and fierce location you have ever been but equally it will be the most quite, calm and surreal depending on the day the hour or the season. This place will captivate your soul, body and mind and set you free in ways you didn’t know existed.
“From its northernmost point in Donegal to its southernmost in Cork, the Wild Atlantic Way offers one of the world’s most diverse and spectacular coastlines. Immerse yourself in the culture, music and food found in the towns and villages along the way, climb the most breathtaking heights and experience a landscape that revives the soul”.(wildatlanticway.com)
2500 KM
160 DISCOVERY POINTS
15 SIGNATURE DISCOVERY POINTS
26 ISLANDS TO DISCOVER
150 HIDDEN GEMS
The route itself is compared to Route 66 in the US and the Great Ocean Road in Australia.
In today post I’m going to speak about the highlight of the Wild Atlantic Way in south Kerry and especially Valentia Island and Portmagee. The places I shall highlight include the following:
Skellig Experience
Geokaun Mountian
The Tetra pod
Portmagee
Kerry cliffs
Skellig Michael
Skellig Experience Center.
The Skellig Experience centre is just across the road from us at Carraig Liath House Bed & Breakfast. The centre recreates what life was like for the monks of Skellig Michael in the early Christian period. The Centre has an auditorium with 80 seats where you can enjoy a short film or trace the steps of the monks; be inspired and in awe of the legacy and architecture they left behind. You can also grab a bite to eat here or a coffee in the centres restaurant, enjoying the wonderful view of the fishing village of Portmagee.
Geokaun Mountain and Fogher Cliffs.
The Geokaun Mountains is one of the Discovery points on the Wild Atlantic Way. It truly possesses one of the most spectacular views of the Iveragh peninsula; it is the highest mountain on Valentia Ireland, as its cliffs reach up to almost 600 ft high.
The Tetrapod.
The Tetrapod tracks were discovered in 1993 on the north east of Valentia Island. These tetrapod tracks pose clear evidence that there was a creature with almost human being footprints resemblance dwelling the place in about 350-370 million years ago. The track way has become a spectacle of international importance, since it provides the oldest evidence of one of the first water dwelling creatures, which are believed to have crawled out of the water and started adopting land dwelling evolutionarily.
Portmagee.
Portmagee is a picturesque little village and is the gateway to Skellig Islands. It gets its name from a famous smuggler called Theobald Magee. The village was voted “The Top Tourism Town” in Ireland in December 2012. It is full of life, especially during the summer months, mostly due to the boat men getting ready to go to the famous rocks that are the mighty Skelligs.
Kerry Cliffs.
Located just outside of the village of Portmagee; Kerry cliffs await you. The cliffs feature beautiful walks, taking you right out on them. They boast some spectacular views of the Iveragh peninsula, the Skelligs rocks, Dingle and of course the cliffs themselves. The walk is designed with your safety in mind, having a secure fence all the way around so that it is completely safe for you and your family.
Skellig Michael.
This is the highlight of the Wild Atlantic Way. They stand defiantly off the wild south kerry coast standing guard shoulder to shoulder and can be seen from most parts of the coast on the Iveragh Peninsula. Skellig Michael itself was awarded the accolade of World Heritage site declared by UNESCO since 1996. Tourists come from all over the world every year to visit the rock. This year, the rock has enjoyed new interest with the shooting of the scenes for the upcoming Star Wars movie.
Once you visit the rock you can climb and see the old monastic settlement, where monks dwelled and the beehive huts are in impeccable condition. Also the small skelligs is an incredible sight and famous on its own merits. The Small Skellig is the second largest gannet colony having more than 27,000 pairs of this type of birds. The small Skelligs is also blessed with many species of birds like European Storm Petrels, Manx Shearwaters and Black-legged Kittiwakes just to name a few.
Accommodation on the Wild Atlantic way.
Once you are here in this part of the world, you will need to stay a few days to enjoy this wonderful part of the Wild Atlantic Way. We here at Carraig Liath House can accommodate you, as we have the Bed and Breakfast and also a Self Catering accommodation. Please click on Portmagee Accommodation for more information.
