Cape Clear Island is situated 8 miles off the coast of West Cork, and the Cape Clear hostel is stunningly situated in the South Harbour within a few steps of the pebble beach and the sweeping Atlantic Ocean
Cape Clear is a Gaeltacht island where Irish language and culture are all around you. It’s a wonderful place to practise the Irish language which is spoken by most of the islanders, but don’t worry: they speak English too.
The Cape Clear Hostel, which is a converted coastguard station, has dorms, family rooms, and private rooms available for guests as well as a comfy lounge with library, display cases, and a cosy, open fire.
There’s a large self-catering kitchen with a view of the garden, and a large dining/games/conference room. Cape Clear’s hostel also has laundry facilities.
There’s plenty to do at this unique island hostel. You can go fishing with free use of fishing rods and maybe some fishing lessons if the manager is free. If you have green fingers or love to cook, there are free herbs and salads in the garden and you can visit and feed the hens including Oraiste, the orange chicken!
You can also use the gas barbecue too, though this need to be pre-booked.
There are free guided walks for groups, snorkelling, and swimming, and you can hire a ride-on kayak (this also might need to be pre-booked). Snorkelling and kayaking off the island is also recommended. Keep yourself entertained with a full-size table-tennis table and plenty of board games if the weather is wild!
The view from the rooms is fantastic, and you’ll enjoy listening to the sound of the waves and breathing in the fresh sea air while you’re here.
Oiléan Chléire is the perfect spot for nature-lovers, and every year the seas around Cape Clear are visited by minke, finback and humpback whales, as well as dolphins, porpoises, sun fish, seals and basking sharks. There are scheduled and chartered whale & dolphin-watching trips available locally for guests too.
The ferry trip to Cape Clear from Baltimore, or Schull during the summer, is like a mini cruise as the ferry crew always keep a lookout for seals, whales and dolphins and will often head towards them so you can see them too.
Cape Clear is Ireland’s southernmost inhabited island at 5km long by 1.5km wide. The South Harbour is the tranquil heart of the island and is an ideal base for those hankering after nature in the raw.
If you prefer a bit of hustle and bustle then the first of Cape Clear’s three pubs is just a five minutes’ walk away. A little further on and you arrive in the North Harbour, the lively centre of the island, with its local shop, café, restaurant, tourist information centre, and pubs. When the tide is low, you have a lovely sandy beach here too.
If you are looking for a wonderful and truly unique Irish experience, make sure to pay Cape Clear Hostel a visit.
| Website | http://capeclearhostel.ie |
|---|---|
| Fáilte1ilte Ireland Rating | Approved Hostel |
| Phone | +353 (0)28 41968 |
| capeclearhostel@gmail.com | |
| TripAdvisor Reviews | Yes |
| Directions | At first Skibbereen roundabout take the 1st exit onto Cork Road - R596 (signposted Skibbereen). Continue forward onto Market Street - R595. At roundabout at Lidl take the 2nd exit onto Baltimore Road - R595 (signposted Baltimore). Continue forward on the R595 entering Baltimore village. Drive down towards the pier and ferry carpark.Leave your car in the free car park and take the ferry to Sherkin Island.Ferries sail daily from Baltimore, all year-round. Sailings take 10 minutes. |
| Island Website | http://www.oilean-chleire.ie/index |
| Local Events | Check out the events calendar at http://westcorkislands.com/calendar |
| Ferry Information | Current Timetable |