The barren cliffs of Bray Head dominate the western side of the Valentia Island, which gives an outstanding view of the Kerry coastline. Capped by Geokaun Mountain, Valentia Island is connected to the mainland via ferry and bridge and their hills and fields move in harmony. Approximately 14 km off Valentia Island tourists will find the Skellig Rocks.
On the Great Skellig, a mass of rock, which rises sharply out of the sea to more than 700 feet and is the largest out of the three rocks, is a small olden church, a bigger church of later date, a number of burial enclosures, six beehive cells, two oratories, crude crosses and two wells that are known to be the remains of a settlement constructed by early Christian Monks. Valentia Island was also selected as the site for the first commercially viable transatlantic telegraph cable which was linked from the US to Valentia and to observe this on the island is a sculpture erected at the site today.
Valentia Island is easily reachable from the famous Ring of Kerry route and is an attractive tourist destination because of the remarkable history of the island. The main island and the surrounding islets are sprinkled with ancient Cairns, Dolmens, Standing Stones, Wedge tombs, numerous beehive huts and remains of churches while its hilly backdrop is typical of the region where narrow dirt roads can be seen winding between dry stone walls and fences which separates the green fields from the slanting swamps and rocky plateaus.
Valentia Island also serves as a habitat for a number of birds, particularly coughs, and is scattered with sheep and cows. The tourists will also find lovely, colourful spring and summer flowers like fuchsia adding to the beauty and charm of the island. There are a number of holiday houses scattered on the Valentia Island, which differ with each other in designs and styles from traditional cottages to hacienda-style bungalows.
Being a popular holiday destination, Valentia Island offers various fun activities for the thrill seekers like water sports, abseiling, kayaking, sailing and also water trampoline. Tourists will also find ample chances of spending their day fishing with the local skippers or taking a boat trip to the glorious Skelligs. For those who like to spend a quiet time away from all the activities going on and relax can sit in a caf© and sip their aromatic cappuccinos with the village gently bustling nearby or can get indulged in the stunning backdrop of the western part of the island by wandering beside the cliffs.
Valentia Island also offers a great selection of accommodation to the tourists from personal guesthouses, bed and breakfasts, hotels to cottages and camping sites, offering something to suit everybodyâs interests and budget. There can also be found holiday rental homes, which vary from traditional cottages having open fires to luxury expansive houses. Valentia Island is also a culinary heaven with its many bars, cafes and restaurants serving cuisines made from local produce and the freshest of seafood which makes the visit to this beautiful place worth every penny.
The modest Glanleam House is located to the northwest of the island among its popular sub-tropical gardens, which gets protection by shelterbelts from the Atlantic gales and Valentia Islandâs balmy climate is result of these gardens and the mild effects of the Gulf Stream, which is also responsible for the islandâs lush and colourful vegetation. These gardens in the island are set in a naturalistic style as a series of walks and consist of plants from as far as Japan, Australia, South America, Chile and New Zealand.
These gardens remain open to the public all-round the year. Valentia Island also has picturesque wonders like the Pre-Historic Terapod Tracks and many walks as well as scuba diving, sea angling and boat trips to the Skellig rock, making it an island of stunning beauty and contrast. Busiest time of the year for the island is July and August while the best time to visit here are the months of May / June and September / October.
The Gulf Stream gives Valentia Island its very own amazingly mild micro-climate, which is due to the exposure to the prevalent south westerly wind and the warm currents; this causes the summer season to be pleasant and warm on this island. The weather in Valentia is mild balmy but changeable and can get rain at any time of the year.
Summer
The summer season in Valentia Island tends to be hot and wet. The month of June sees an average temperature of 50 °F to 62 °F with the daily sunshine of 5 hours. July and August gets average temperatures of 53 ° F to 64 °F with the daily sunshine of four and a half hours.
Autumn
During the late autumn and early winter seasons, the Valentia Island is likely to catch the full force of storms forming over the Atlantic. The month of March gets the average temperature of 40 ° F to 51 °F with daily sunshine lasting for 3 hours while in April the temperature averages 42 °F to 54 °F along with daily sunshine of 5 hours. The average temperature in May goes up to 46 °F to 58 °F.
Winter
The weather here tends to get much colder in winters where the average temperature in December is 41 °F to 50 °F and the sunshine decreases to just an hour a day. While January sees an average of 40 °F to 49 °F and February gets average temperature of 39 °F to 49 °F.