Skellig Michael and Little Skellig are located 12km off Valentia Island. Skellig Michael has the best preserved early Christian monastery in Western Europe. The monastery is located just below the highest point on the island that rises to 218 metres. Good weather is required in order to make a safe landing on Skellig Michael. Access to the monastery is by stone steps built by its 6th century early Christian developers.

Skellig Michael has had a lighthouse since 1826. The Skellig lighthouse was automated in 1987 and the lighthouse crew went ashore for the last time.

Little Skellig is home to approximately 23,000 gannets that crowd every nook and ledge on the island. Other seabirds include shearwaters, storm petrels, puffins, guillemots and razorbills. Landing on Little Skellig is not possible.

Underwater the steep cliffs of the Skelligs plunge to a further 50 metres. The underwater sea life off the islands is impressive and in good weather horizontal visibility can reach 20 metres especially in the May, June and September, October periods.

In 1996 Skellig Michael became the second Irish Heritage site to be inscribed on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.