Skellig Michael — Monastery above the Atlantic

Skellig Michael (Sceilig Mhichíl) is one of the most extraordinary places in the world — a pyramid-shaped rock peak rising 218 meters from the Atlantic, 12 km off the coast of Kerry, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. At its summit cling the remains of a 6th-century monastery — six beehive huts (Clocháns), two oratories, and a small cemetery, reached via 618 steps carved into the rock without railings.

The monks who lived here between the 6th and 12th centuries deliberately sought solitude at the edge of the known world. Their life on this storm-battered rock — without heating, without running water, exposed to the Atlantic and its storms — is a testament to faith and human willpower that leaves one speechless.

Skellig Michael gained worldwide fame in 2014 when Disney/Lucasfilm chose the island as a filming location for Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. Luke Skywalker's exile on the planet Ahch-To — that is Skellig Michael, and it looks just as surreal in real life as in the film.

Getting there: Boats depart from Portmagee or Ballinskelligs (season: May–October, weather-dependent). The crossing takes 45–75 minutes and can be very rough in choppy seas. On the island, you have about 2.5 hours. The places are strictly limited (about 180 people per day) and must be booked weeks to months in advance. Cost: €80–100 per person.

If you cannot or do not want to travel to Skellig Michael itself: The neighboring island Small Skellig (no landing allowed) hosts one of the largest gannet colonies in the world — over 25,000 breeding pairs. On the boat tours, the boats circle Small Skellig, and the sight of the thousands of white birds is breathtaking.