Valentia Island, Ireland- Travel #36

Dear Steemit friends, let me take you on a journey to a galaxy far far away, actually, to Valentia Island in Ireland. Valentia is a small island off of County Kerry in Ireland. Kerry is 1 of 32 counties in Ireland. Valentia Island is one of Ireland's most westerly points and can be accessed either by the Maurice O'Neill Memorial Bridge at Portmagee or by car ferry which also departs from Reenard Point to Knightstown. It is a beautiful place that encapsulates everything vast and wild about Ireland. In recent years, the little island has gained a drastic increase in popularity and tourism. This is due to the huge franchise production of ‘Star Wars: The last Jedi’ that featured The Skellig Michael. Skellig Michael is a tiny rocky island that can be visited by boat from Portmagee.

To find me, look for my Chihuahua's face

It doesn't matter whether you are a Star Wars fan or not, this is a beautiful place to visit, of course during the month of May, all the Star Wars memorabilia is displayed, May the 4th be with you and all that. Honestly, personally, I have only become a Star Wars fan in recent years. The Porgs that featured in ‘Star Wars: The last Jedi’ were so cute, I had no idea when I watched the movie that I would end up where the inspiration for the creation of the Porgs came about. The Porgs are actually based on the Puffin. Puffins can be found all over The Skellig Islands. Skellig Michael, in particular, is where Star Wars was filmed. I will be covering the fascinating history of The Skellig Islands in another blog.

Portmagee aka Porgmagee

Puffin aka Porgs

Porgs

Portmagee which is the gateway to Valentia Island is a great place to stop by and enjoy a hearty meal. The Moorings pub is among the best. They offer a variety of food including vegan options and of course pints of Guinness. The pub could not help itself and gets involved in all the Star Wars pandemonium or should I say "porgamonium". I'm sorry, as May is my birthday month, I couldn't help but visit during Star Wars mania. The locals have definitely benefited from all the extra tourism which generates revenue and jobs.

The Moorings

Once across onto Valentia Island, there are many trails and scenic walks to explore, one of the most breath-taking is the Bray Head Loop. This walk takes about 2 hours, so be sure to bring some water with you and to be wearing appropriate footwear. The walk up to the tower brings you past cows and sheep and from the tower you can see The Skellig Islands. They look like a spooky pile of rocks jutting out of the ocean, it really is a unique vantage point. My advise would be to not stand too close to the edge as there are no safety barriers and it is a very long way down.

Skellig Michael

Enjoying the walk

Inside the Bray Head Loop Tower

Valentia Island's visitor centre is a unique eco-friendly building that offers a gift shop, café, cinematic experience and a tour booking desk. If you want to visit Skellig Michael while in Valentia, you have to book in advance as the tours sell out. The boat trips out to the island only go during the summer months due to the weather conditions. Also, just because it is "summer", do not expect it to be warm; pack a thick waterproof coat. It may be because I am a Singaporean that I feel the cold but trust me, I would of frozen to death without my coat.

Valentia Island Visitor Centre

The only way to get around Valentia Island is by car and be sure to have a map book with you as the GPS navigation systems can lead you down extremely narrow and daunting roads. The Vikings plundered all over Ireland many centuries ago. However, they left Valentia Island untouched. It is so well preserved and is home to pre-Christian remains, a famous grotto, and the footsteps of the first dinosaur to ever walk out of the ocean. The raw and untouched natural beauty of Ireland is what I find equally beautiful as it is fascinating.

Valentia itself is pretty remote, I mean it has a hub called Knightstown. Despite it's name, it is more like a Village. Knightstown is one of the few ‘town-planned’ villages in Ireland. In 1830, the village was planned in a grid pattern like many towns in Europe. Until this day, it only supports a corner shop, a few pubs and a hotel. Therefore, I would suggest taking some supplies in the car with you. I was lucky enough to actually stay on the island.

Knightstown

Car ferry

Staying on the island offers only a handful of options. Therefore, booking in advance is crucial. I enjoy experiencing new things and really immersing myself into the culture of a place. Valentia with all its natural beauty and vast landscape led me to stay in a retro caravan. I mean what better way to experience the scenery than to really be amongst it. There are several camping spots if you are into the whole camping thing. However, I will admit when it comes to where I stay, I am particular. I like to have a proper bed, my own bathroom and a warm shower. The retro caravans on Valentia are a great option, you can book them through Airbnb. I couldn't recommend them more for both location and value.

Retro Caravan

Now to show you my absolute favourite thing on the whole island, maybe even all of Ireland. I have always been fascinated by dinosaurs, so much so that I wanted to become a Paleontologist. Well, would you believe that this is the place where dinosaurs first walked out of the water onto land. In 1993, a geology student discovered a Tetrapod track on Valentia Island. The Tetrapod tracks are, in layman's terms, footprints of an animal believed to have lived 385 million years ago. The Valentia Island track way is of international importance, as it provides the oldest evidence of the important evolutionary step toward land dwelling. It is truly remarkable to contemplate the fact that when these tracks were made, this part of the world was south of the equator and attached to North America.

Tetrapod Tracks

Tetrapod footprints

This world that we live in is so vast, wild and full of clues to our past. Travelling is the only thing you can spend money on and become richer. Richer in knowledge and experience. Sometimes we find wonder in the most unexpected places. Valentia Island is time locked, it is as though nothing has changed for thousands of years. There are ruins of towers and the graves of Knights to be explored. Anything that interests you, be it Star Wars, history, dinosaurs, hiking or camping, you can experience it all on Valentia Island. Something that has really struck me about Ireland is that nature always finds a way. In the harshest of winter's with the freezing winds off the Atlantic ocean, you will still find flowers growing. The resilience of its land and its people is to be admired.

I hope you have enjoyed my blog on Valentia Island, Ireland, thank you for reading and I look forward to sharing more adventures with you, until next time, Vegoutt Everybody!