Angling

The water off the coast abound in a great variety of species, including shark, skate ray, bullhass ling conger cod Pollack and many more .all types of fishing is available shore, in-shore, deepseaangling, also lake and river fishing, we can plan a days fishing on the lake or for the more ambitious a local sea angling boat may be the answer skippered fishing trips are available locally, we can arrange it for you.

Water sports

There are several water sports centres in the area, the region is as beautiful underwater as it is on the land, so escape the pressures of life and enter into the unfamiliar and adventurous envoironment, the underwater swimming and diving are difficult to surpass with the sea bed rich with sea life, PADI diving course are available on the Island, and sea sports including canoeing, snorkelling and swimming lessons are all available during the summer months.

Bird Watching

Water and wetlands have a magnetic attraction for both people and wild-life alike, with tens of thousands of sea birds nesting in the area Valentias shores and headlands provide a wonderland of wild life watching, there is a colony of choughs (which are very rare now in Ireland and the British Isles) can now be seen on Bray head and the slate quarry, the presence of choughs always indicates a healthy mix of agriculture and natural area so ecologists consider them an important indicator of the health of an areas environment, the Skellig Rocks have the biggest population of sea birds with 30,000 gannet on the small skelligs alone plus about 4000 puffins who migrate to Skell Michael every summer, also kittiwakes, storm petrols,the region is an ideal location for wild life studies all year round, especially in spring where one can explore and search for tired migrants the jay, dipper and cool tit.

Walking

The hills and mountains on the island are a haven for all walkers, the walk to Bray head has spectacular views of the Skellig rocks, Dingle, Bolus head Puffin Island, and the spectacular cliffs, at the end of the walk there is a 16^th century watch tower Naval base of world war 11 coast watch, also there is a walk to the highest point on the island, Geokaun mountain and here you have a 360degree view of the whole Island and surrounding area, absoluty breath taking.

On the way walk the short path to the Fogher Cliffs and enjoy spectacular views from the viewing deck, read about the path through the cliffs which the women used long ago to go to the bog, continue to the Peak for 3 further viewing areas The Miners View, The shepherds View, and Carraig Na Circe. There are 34 more information plaques of social and historical interest relating to the views Skellig Rocks, Blasket Islands, The Lighthouse, and Bray Tower, the tetrepod Trckway etc.

In fact the best way to see the Island is on foot or cycling, bicycle hire available on the Island.

Horse Riding

Riding through the local landscape and on the sandy beaches is a relaxing way to spend a few hours .Go trekking in the country side and woodlands, we can arrange horse riding for you.

Golfers

The world famous 18 hole Waterville Links course is only 14 miles, play where the famous Tiger Woods played, with its spectacular seaside setting with views of Ballinskelligs bay, there is a new course open in Waterville, Skellig Bay course.

History

The Altazamuth is an instrument used to determine the lines of longitude of Valentia Island in 1862, prior to the lines being defined thousands of sailors were lost at sea as soon as land was out of sight. Indeed the quest for a solution to longitude occupied scientists and their patrons for the better part of two centuries. The Altazamuth reading was instrumental, with lots of other experiments in defining the lines of longitude. In fact there were only two Altazamuth readings taken during that time, one of these was taken in Knighsown Valentia Island and the other was taken in the Ural Mountains in Russia .On completion of these readings an Altazamuth Stone was placed in both countries.

In Knightstown village there is walk known as the Altazamuth walk, beginning at the stone, edged by wildlife habitats and Gardena, ending on the seafront adjacent to the Catholic Church with a bench to rest awhile and enjoy the wonderful peace and beauty.

The Tetrapod

Within the slash zone on the slabs of siltstone are found sets of footprints of an amphibious tetrapod, a newt-like creature about one metre in length, which wandered across tidal mud about 370 million years ago. Living before the era of the dinosaurs it was one of the first animals to evolve from fish and develop four limbs the fossilised prints were first discovered by a Swiss geology student Mr.Iwan Stoessel in 1992 and are among the oldest on earth. A walk to the seashore to see the footprints has been developed, so now you can see them for yourself.

Maura Jane Delap

The rare burrowing sea anemone Edwardsia Delapiae was discovered by Maura Jane Delap in the sea grass beds off Knightstown during the 1920;s. It is the only known population of this species in the world. A daughter of the local rector, Maud became a recognised marine biologist for her work on the marine fauna on Valentis Island. Her was made an associate of the Linnean Society in 1936 a great achievement at that time.

The Transatlantic Cable

While the technologies of electricity and telegraph were still in their infancy men of genius and vision Cyrus Field, Samuel Morse Charles Bright and Lord Kelvin combined their talents in 1856 in an attempt to unite the two worlds, America and Europe by an submarine telegraph cable. Despite failures they persisted and were successful in 1866 the ship Great Eastern laid the first successful cable across the Atlantic from Hearts Content in Canada to Valentia Island.