![]() ![]() When I booked online, there had been just two tours available at 12pm or 2pm but depending on demand more trips may be available. Stunning views of Cobh as the ferry departs. Yet the beauty of the Irish weather is that you never know what you’re going to get, at any time of year! We got lucky and blue skies and sunshine greeted us on the morning of our trip. He was assuming the weather would be brutal. Tours to Spike Island leave from Kennedy Pier in Cobh and let’s be honest, any excuse to go to Cobh is a good one! Having said that my dad wasn’t too impressed with the idea of heading to Cobh in October. Keep an eye on the Fortress Spike Island Facebook page for the most up to date info. Update: it seems the season has been extended this year and weekend tours will be running into November. I didn’t fancy waiting till next year and regular tours stop for winter at the end of this month (group tours of 15+ can still be booked during winter months). Well, there was only one way to find out what all the fuss was about! So earlier this month I got organised and made the trip out to Spike Island along with José and my parents too. When the only negative comments on Tripadvisor are that people didn’t have enough time on the island, you know it’s got to be worth a visit. People are genuinely raving about this little island located in Cork Harbour. ![]() You only have to read the Tripadvisor reviews to see that it’s not just good marketing. In the few short years it has been open to the public, it has won a number of awards including Europe’s leading tourist attraction 2017 at the World Travel Awards. Spike Island or Fortress Spike Island has quickly become a must-do experience for tourists from near and far and is sometimes referred to as “Ireland’s Alcatraz”. However, once I did hear about it, it quickly became clear that this little island was something special. ![]() The harbor was of vital importance as it served as an important source of supplies for the British operations in the West Indies and North America.I’d never even heard of Spike Island two years ago, which can probably be forgiven as it is a fairly recent tourist attraction. The British saw the island, situated in Cork Harbor, as a strategic location in defending it against the French. Its creation by the British was prompted by the outbreak of the American Revolution in 1775, and in particular, the entry of both France and Spain on the American side. The award-winning Spike Island off the coast of Co. The 18th-century fort, known as Fort Mitchel, dominates the island's landscape. Spike Island was originally the site of a 7th-century monastic settlement. The attraction surpassed other popular visitor sites around the world, including the Cliffs of Moher the Warner Brothers Harry Potter studio tour in London Les Villages Nature Paris, the Dark Sky Alqueva in Portugal and others. Photo: Spike Island Management.Īt the 2019 International Travel & Tourism Awards held in London, the destination was recognized as the Best Attraction in the World. An aerial view of the island off the coast of County Cork. This news page contains affiliate links and I may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you. Once the largest prison in the world, Spike Island is now a popular attraction off the coast of County Cork exploring 1,300 years of Irish history and heritage ![]()
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