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Sea kayaking trip to Skerries Islands with Pictures
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From €75 per person
Skerries is a pretty seaside town about 30 km north of Dublin, and it has something most coastal towns don’t - five islands scattered just offshore, each with its own character and history. This kayaking trip takes you out to two of them, Shenick Island and Colt Island, with professional photos captured throughout so you have something better than shaky phone footage to show for it.
You launch from the beach near the Martello Tower and paddle out to Shenick Island first - about 20 minutes of open water. Once you land, there’s time to explore and take photos before heading on to Colt Island, another 20-minute paddle. The break on Colt is well earned, and the views back toward the mainland are superb. The islands have a history stretching back to the 2nd century, when they served as landing points for invaders who would form ranks on the shore before marching inland.
The paddling is manageable for anyone with a basic level of fitness, though some previous kayaking experience helps. The open water between the mainland and the islands can be choppy, so this is a step up from lake paddling. Your guide will assess conditions on the day and adjust the route if needed.
The DART from Dublin city centre to Skerries is a genuinely lovely journey. The line hugs the coast north of Malahide and gives you views across Dublin Bay and the Irish Sea for much of the way. Allow about 50 to 60 minutes from the city centre, grab a window seat on the left-hand side heading north, and treat it as part of the experience rather than just a transfer.
Skerries town is worth an hour of your time before or after the paddle. It has a proper working harbour, a good handful of independent cafes and restaurants, and the kind of unhurried seaside atmosphere that’s harder and harder to find on the east coast. Red Island is a short walk from the harbour and gives you your first views out to the islands you’ll be paddling to. Murphy’s ice cream has a branch here too, which is all the motivation most people need.
Take the safety briefing seriously even if you have paddling experience. Open-water sea kayaking around islands behaves differently from sheltered lakes or rivers - tidal currents, wind direction, and swell all factor in, and the guide’s briefing is shaped by the specific conditions on the day you’re out. Five minutes of attention at the start makes the whole trip more enjoyable and a lot safer.
Bring more water than you think you need. Paddling is physical work, and the sea air on an open crossing dries you out faster than you’d expect. A litre per person is the minimum for a trip like this. Pack a light snack too - the rest on Colt Island is a natural break point, and having something to eat makes the paddle back to the mainland feel shorter.