Skellig Michael & the Skellig Ring

The Skellig Ring is a short, spectacular loop off the main Ring of Kerry, out at the wild western tip of the Iveragh Peninsula. It is quieter, narrower and in many ways more dramatic than the main circuit - and it holds Kerry's most extraordinary destination.

Skellig Michael

Twelve kilometres out in the Atlantic, Skellig Michael rises more than two hundred metres from the sea, its summit crowned by one of Europe's best-preserved early-Christian monasteries - a cluster of drystone beehive cells reached by six hundred ancient, unguarded steps. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Luke Skywalker's island refuge in the recent Star Wars films, it is unforgettable. Landing tours run only from roughly mid-May to late September, weather permitting, and sell out months ahead, so book early or take an eco-cruise that circles the rock instead.

Portmagee and the cliffs

The boats leave from Portmagee, a single bright terrace of houses along a working harbour, and the most sociable base on the coast. A few minutes away, the Kerry Cliffs give the finest mainland view of the Skelligs from platforms three hundred metres above the sea.

Valentia Island

Across the bridge from Portmagee lies Valentia Island, an unassuming place with an outsized history: the first lasting transatlantic telegraph cable came ashore here in 1866, and some of the oldest known footprints of a land animal are pressed into its coastal slate. Drive up Geokaun Mountain, the island's high point, for a effortless 360-degree view over the whole coast.

Ballinskelligs

Complete the loop through Ballinskelligs, a Gaeltacht village with a golden beach, a shoreline castle and a medieval priory said to have sheltered the monks when they finally abandoned Skellig Michael. It's a peaceful, Irish-speaking corner that makes a fitting end to the wildest stretch of the Ring.