November 19, 2021

Discover Cape Clear Island in Skibbereen, West Cork

Experience the history and community of a small rural island in West Cork with Cape Clear Ferries.

Cape Clear Island is situated off the coast of West Cork on the Wild Atlantic Way and is known for its strong Irish heritage and the permanent Irish-speaking community that lives on the island.

Cape Clear Ferries operate from Baltimore and Schull piers to Cape Clear Island and around the iconic Fastnet Rock Lighthouse. A trip around the bay brings the possibility of seeing whales, dolphins, basking sharks, and porpoises.

The island is also affectionately called Costa De Cape because it's located a few miles further south from the mainland, the weather here can be a total contrast from that on the mainland and often you think you are in the Mediterranean Sea.

Stop by the Cape Clear Heritage Centre which is bursting with interesting exhibitions and artifacts collected over many years.

The island is rich in archaeology history with ancient standing stone, Bronze Age monuments, and amazing stone walls. There is a Napoleonic signal tower, a 5000-year-old passage grave, a 12th-century church, a 14th-century castle, a historic lighthouse, and one of the few remaining, actually standing, marriage stone left in the country.

Learn more about the island and Cape Clear Ferries here.