A short boat trip from Portmagee
Our harbour tour is a short trip around Portmagee harbour and the channel between the village and Valentia Island. Most harbour trips take about an hour.
It suits families with young children, people who are short on time and anyone who does not want a long crossing on the open sea. The channel is usually calmer than the sea outside.
We arrange this trip on request. Call or email us with your dates and group size.
Ask about this trip
The Portmagee Channel
Portmagee sits on a narrow channel that separates the mainland from Valentia Island. It is a working harbour, and you see fishing boats, the marina and the coloured houses of the village from the water.
The village is named after Captain Theobald Magee, an 18th century smuggler who used the harbour as his base. Read more about him in our Portmagee guide.
Under the Valentia Island bridge
The Maurice O’Neill Memorial Bridge links Portmagee to Valentia Island. It opened in 1970. Before that, people crossed by ferry. The village’s Irish name, An Caladh, means “the ferry”.
The boat passes under the bridge. On the Valentia side is the Skellig Experience visitor centre, which covers the monastery, the seabirds and the lighthouses of the Skelligs.
Illaunloughan
Illaunloughan is a small island in the channel, just north of the village. It has the remains of an early monastery, with a stone oratory, a stone hut, a shrine and a burial platform. Dating of the oratory floor places it between about 640 and 790 AD.
The island is a National Monument, and the public cannot land there. You see it from the boat.
Valentia Island
About 650 people live on Valentia Island. Its best known sights are on land, so you would visit them by car or on foot across the bridge.
- The transatlantic cable. In 1866 the first lasting telegraph cable across the Atlantic came ashore on Valentia, linking Ireland and Newfoundland. The cable station worked until 1966.
- The tetrapod trackway. On the north coast are fossil footprints left by an early four legged animal about 385 million years ago. They were found in 1992.
- The slate quarry. Slate from Valentia was used in the Houses of Parliament in London.
Wildlife in the harbour
Grey seals and harbour seals both live along this coast. You may see them in the water, or resting on the rocks at low tide.
Look out for cormorants, shags and gulls in the channel. What you see depends on the tide and the time of day.
Booking this trip
We arrange this trip on request. Call or email us with your dates and the number of people in your group.
- Phone. +353 66 948 8022
- Email. info@skelligmichael.ie
All trips depend on safe sea conditions. If we cancel for weather, we offer you another date or a full refund.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the harbour tour?
Most harbour trips take about an hour.
Is it suitable for children?
Yes, all ages are welcome. It is a good first boat trip for young children.
Can we go out to the Skellig Islands instead?
Yes. Our Skellig Islands boat tour sails around Skellig Michael and Little Skellig. Our Skellig Michael landing tour lands on the island, for ages 14 and over.
Where do we leave from?
All our trips leave from Portmagee Marina. Parking in the village is free. Please arrive 30 minutes before departure.
Portmagee harbour in photos
The village, the marina and the Valentia Island bridge.
