Ireland: Skellig Michael Island – Skellig Michael Monastery

The monastery on Skellig Michael island (full name of Monastery of Saint Michael) is something out of this world and it totally looks like a Star Wars prop. It sits on a sheer cliff face at an altitude of roughly 160-180 m (525-600 feet) above the rough waters of the Atlantic Ocean. To get to it, you must climb a grueling flight of 618 hand-carved stone steps that wind up the steep rock face, wet in the rain and brutally windy at some sections ear the top. The monastic settlement was built sometime around 6-8th century and was abandoned in 13th century. The complex consists of six dome-shaped beehives living cells, two boat-shaped oratories used as chapels, a mortar-built structure called St Michael’s Church, and a monks’ graveyard lined with hand-carved stone crosses. With no natural springs, the monks relied on rainwater, living in total isolation, but closer to God!