Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Budget
Modern
Languages Spoken
English, French
Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Beach
Canoeing
Books, DVDs, music for children
Children's television networks
BBQ facilities
Baggage storage
Internet
Diving
Game room
Hiking
Horseback riding
Snorkelling
Windsurfing
Billiards
Fishing
Board games / puzzles
Indoor play area for children
Non-smoking hotel
Picnic area
Shared kitchen
Shared lounge / TV area
Laundry service
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Family rooms
Location
Ballinskelligs Ireland
The Skellig Lodge and Hostel
79 reviews
Getting there
Car recommended
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
A group of us stayed in the Skellig Hostel ran by the friendly and bubbly Frida. It is clean, very well managed and reasonably priced. We walked to the pub in the evening and it was a great location for sightseeing during the day. Frida was a wealth of local information and was very accommodating as we changed our plans a few times throughout the trip. As with many businesses the facilities were as expected (clean rooms, good facilities) but the trip was made by the friendly and professional welcome and help provided by Frida.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Value
Rooms
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Had a wonderful time out West. Our host, Frida could not have been nicer, she's hospitable, friendly and fun. Lovely room, in an incredible location. The coastline, the countryside, hills, mountains, cliffs, oh and the stars, the night skies are almost unbelievable, I've never seen so many stars! An unspoilt paradise!
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Largish hostel built like a small housing development. On hillside overlooking Ballinskelligs – easy to find. Buildings are modern and well maintained. Rooms was almost to hotel standards – I had en-suite which was modern and clean. Communal kitchen and dining room available – plenty of space, and good facilities. Plenty of fridge space. There used to be a TV lounge here, but COVID seems to have knocked that out for the time being. Free WiFi in common area (ie dining room) was good. Loads of on-site parking. Stayed here for seven nights – excellent base for exploring this beautiful corner of Ireland.
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Date of stay: September 2021
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at Baile an Sceilg. Frida is an excellent host and the facilities at her lodge are top class. The kitchen had everything i could want multiplied by 2 and very well organised. The bedroom and WC are top class also. And all in a beautiful location.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I was part of a bus group doing the Ring of Kerry last weekend. Left Dublin at 7.30 am and got to Ballinskellig at about 8.30 pm. A long day and beautiful memories with more to come. This place is outside Cahirsiveen and so quiet. The match Germany- Italy for the Euro 2016 was on and you could watch it or play pool. I decided to try a last walk (15 mintes down from the lodge) to the McCarthy's castle by the beach. Lovely evening, which made me appreciate the hostel even more. Warm, comfortable and friendly. I would definitely recommend it as an alternative to a B&B, only make sure you have all the making for a good breakfast for the morning.
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Date of stay: July 2016
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stayed there in August-2014. Just a perfect place for those who plan to enjoy Ballinskelligs / Glen region. Everything is wonderful: room, shower/toilet, kitchen, cleanliness, price/quality. Washing = 8 euro per machine, much better than to spend precious time for washing in such a wonderful place. Frida (owner) is really VERY friendly. Beach (with castle and abbey) is only 700-800 m from hostel, pier - 1,5 km, Cable O Leary's and Tigh Rosie - 1,5-2 km. Also highly recommended (within 15-20 km from Ballinskelligs): Bolus/Ducalla walk, The Glen, Portmagee &Valentia Island, Caherciveen, Derrynane House&Gardens. If you are without a car, ask Frida for phone number of taxi driver, Jack (recommended by Frida) was very friendly and helpful.
If you plan to go to Skellig Islands, book a trip in advance (3-4 months before)!! I booked a place in a boat 3 months before my trip - the boat from Ballinskelligs was already sold out!! If so, book a boat from Portmagee (10 km from hostel), several operators are working there during the season (only one in Ballinskelligs). I was lucky with the sunny weather on the day of my trip. But the boats are operating depending on weather, so it is recommended to plan 3-4 days for staying over there (if the trip is cancelled, you place stays booked for you for the next day). Anyway, I stayed in Ballinskelligs for 6 days, and this place is defenitely worth spending a week there.
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Date of stay: August 2014
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This place is an affordable hostel, but you get your own room and en suite bathroom. The sign out front said "budget luxury". We liked this combination!
The beds were comfortable and everything was quite clean. It was a good shower with hot water. Bedding and towels are provided. It's like staying at a hotel really.
The room didn't have useable wifi or a TV. We were caught there during a two-day rainstorm, so we started missing the TV. To be fair to them, there was a TV in the common room and as Europeans we had free access to 4G.
The kitchen was huge and came with a few basics, including tea and coffee and few other things we could use. We just ate the cereal that was there for breakfast. On the second day, two cakes showed up on the counter. We appreciated that too!
The woman running the place is very friendly and helpful. Her good management shows.
When the rain stopped, we walked down to the very nice beach about 400 metres away. The scenery there is beautiful.
It was a longish walk to the pub. The pub didn't impress us, to be honest. The food there is overpriced, and it just never become fun to hang out there.
We did have great meal at the trailer snack bar opposite the pub though. There were not many places to eat.
You definitely need a car if you come here. If your goal is to see Skellig Michael, look at the tours leaving from Ballinskellig and Port McGee and see which town you'd prefer to stay in. The tours are not cheap.
We could hear people talking and snoring through the walls and floors. It didn't bother us too much though.
I want to give this place a score of 4 or 5, because it is a decent room for a very good price. However, being stuck in a room for a day without a TV is not something that would have happened if we had stayed in a hotel. I think I would have preferred a hotel.
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Date of stay: August 2017
Rooms
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We arrived to the Skellig Hostel after climbing Carrauntoohill so we were ready for bed. We were greeted by the very friendly owner who was more than helpful and welcoming. The room was very clean and comfortable with an ensuite which was excellent for the price. Highly recommended!
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Date of stay: May 2016
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I've stayed in this hostel 4 times in the last 5 years and will be retuning this summer. It's probably the best one I've ever stayed in. It's in a fantastic location, only 10 minutes walk from the beach, and 20 from the nearest bar/restaurant. The rooms are spacious and comfortable. There is a surprisingly strong internet connection all throughout the hostel. There are kitchens with all the facilities and apliences for whatever it is you want to cook. There is also plenty of open space around the hostel with a washing line. If you're thinking of travelling traveling to the ring of Kerry I highly recommend staying in skelligs hostel.
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Date of stay: July 2014Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed one night at the Skellig Lodge Hostel in Ballinskelligs a few days ago and wished we could have stayed longer. We had booked a family room for four with a shared bathroom at short notice. On arrival we were greeted warmly by Farida who runs the place. She showed us around the excellent facilities and also informed us that the 'shared' bathroom was for our use only, even better than expected. The room we had wasn't big, but clean and nicely decorated, the bathroom next door was bright and big. There was lots of green space around the hostel for our children to play and for us to sit and have a coffee (no tables provided outside though, we had camping chairs). Toys and games were provided in the sitting room area of the hostel, probably good on a rainy day but also outdoor games like 'boules', frisbees etc, a great hit with the kids. There is a well-equipped kitchen with two cookers and two fridges, enough even on busy days I think. The dining area next to the kitchen has several large tables. The hostel is very well run, there are even flowers on the tables, which is a lovely touch. It was very quiet at night-time too. There was free tea, coffee, spices etc in the kitchen, as well as washing up liquid and towels for drying dishes. Not something you find everywhere. The price for the room was very competitive, which also helps of course. And the Wifi is free and quite good, surprising for such a remote area. Ballinskelligs itself is a beautiful place, small but perfectly formed. One can see the sea from the hostel and it is only a couple of hundred metres down a small road to the lovely beach (with castle). There is a cafe beside the beach too, very nice. It is possible to walk along the beach to the local pub, and across the road from it was a chipper van (we drove though as we had the kids with us and it was dark on the road). Another pub is a couple of miles away, as well as the craft centre. No shop within walking distance, better to buy provisions in Cahirciveen. We had a car, no problem getting around, otherwise it is pretty remote, but that is it's beauty. The drive along the coast road to Portmagee is amazing but a bit scary near the pass (steep and narrow). Can't wait to go back to Skellig Lodge another time though and hopefully staying a bit longer. Still lots to see and do, or just hang out and relax...Maybe finally learn Irish properly, classes are run nearby.
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Date of stay: August 2014
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Ballinskelligs area.
LOCATION
IrelandProvince of MunsterCounty KerryBallinskelligs
NUMBER OF ROOMS
23
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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What are some restaurants close to The Skellig Lodge and Hostel?
Conveniently located restaurants include The Lobster Bar & Restaurant, Smugglers Inn Restaurant Waterville Co. Kerry, and Dooleys Seafood & Steak House.
