Walking amongst 50,000 puffins on Skomer Island is one of the greatest wildlife spectacles we have ever experienced. The puffins are inquisitive and not in the least bit phased by humans, so they’ll often come right up to your feet! It was one of those days where you never stop smiling.
Assuming you opt to do a landing - and you really should - then you’ll have five hours on the island. Given that the longest walk you can do is only four miles, I thought it might feel like too much time. However, when the five hours were up, I really wasn’t ready to leave!
In this guide we’re covering what the whole experience on Skomer Island is like, from the walking track, to our favourite puffin watching spots.
Skomer Island Puffins
When to see puffins on Skomer Island
Sadly the puffins are not on Skomer year round, so you want to visit between May and July. Although some remain into early August, it’s hit and miss during this time, so if you want maximum puffin sightings then go during the peak season.
In fact, even going when we did at the end of July can be slightly risky, although we got lucky and all 50,000 puffins were still there! If you can visit between May and mid-July, then you should be good for maximum sightings.
There are many other seabirds, as well as marine life, such as seals, dolphins and porpoises to spot. You can see the times of year when all the species are best viewed in the photo below.
If you can pick any time of year then we would probably recommend May, and that’s when we’ll go next time. Not only do you get to see all the puffins and seabirds, but you also get to experience the beauty of Skomer Island during peak wildflower season - I can only imagine how spectacular it would be to see the island covered in a blanket of bluebells!
Skomer Island boat trip vs landing
When visiting Skomer Island you can either opt to take a boat cruise, guided landing (such as a photography workshop), or simply take the boat to and from the mainland and do a self guided landing. If you choose the boat cruise, then you will still see a huge number of puffins, but you won’t get as close to them as you do on land.
The boat cruise would be better for you if you don’t fancy walking around the island, or you think five hours would be too long (as all landings are five hours).
It’s not that you have to walk far to see the first lot of puffins - they are literally on the walkway up from the boat - but if you don’t want to do much walking then you may find that five hours is a long time.
Before visiting I thought five hours sounded like a lot, but honestly it went by in a flash and I would have liked a couple more hours - so I wouldn’t be put off unless you really don’t want to walk.
The benefit of doing a landing is that you can get so close to the puffins - many literally came right up to my feet and the paths take you so close to the burrows that oftentimes when I used the zoom on my phone to take a video it was actually too close! You also get to explore the island, which is beautiful in and of itself.
For me, it would not have been the same to see the puffins from the boat alone, so I’d highly recommend the landing if you can.
There is a third option if you are lucky enough to have your own boat - a private landing. You can land on Skomer Island between 10am - 4pm from Tuesday to Sunday. You must call the Wildlife Trust in advance and pay a £20 per person landing fee - all the details on this option can be found here.
What to expect when landing on Skomer Island
Everyone landing on Skomer Island must listen to the first part of the ranger talk. letting you know about rules on the island - there aren’t many, but things like please walk the trail anti-clockwise etc. You can then either stay to hear a little more about the island, or head straight off.
There is a walking trail that takes you around the island and this is roughly four miles long (full trail notes below). There are short cuts which take you to some of the best puffin spots without having to do the full walk if preferred.
There is one set of long drop toilets on the island and they are beside a large outdoor picnic area in the interior of the island, at the site known as Old Farm or the Farmhouse. There are two small covered picnic areas if the weather is not in your favour.
Bottles of water and binoculars are sold at the point where the ranger talk is held, just up from the jetty, but all food must be brought with you.
A limited number of rooms are available on the island and they sell out quickly in peak season. You stay in the old farmhouse, either in a bunk room or private room and there are toilets and showers available, as well as a kitchen. It sounds pretty amazing because after the last boat departs you’d only be sharing the island with the 15 other farmhouse guests! You can find out all the details here.
The best puffin watching spots on Skomer Island
When it comes to where to see puffins on Skomer Island, you’re spoilt for choice. If you’re going to be doing the full circuit walk then you will see all the spots, but if you want a shorter walk, we’ll detail the best places to head.
You will see puffins from the moment you step off the boat, they are on the cliffs on both sides of the walkway and there are hundreds of them. However, our two favourite spots are further into the island.
The Wick
Distance from the jetty: 1 mile (1.6km) from the jetty via the shortest route
If you only want to walk to one site on the island, then make it The Wick. The Wick was my favourite spot on the island with an incredible number of puffins, and it was here that many of them decided to cross the path and come right up to our feet.
Even the ones who stick to the cliffside will be so close to you that you can enjoy all their antics without the need for a zoom lens or binoculars. Many burrows are right next to the path, so you’ll see them pop in and out of the burrows at regular intervals and this is where we saw them carrying sand eels to the pufflings in great quantities.
The backdrop here is also beautiful, with a dramatic cliff, and when we visited in summer, lots of little wildflowers. There’s also a bench seat here if you’re in need of a sit down.
Close to the Garland Stone
Distance from the jetty: 1.2 miles (2km) each way
The Garland Stone itself is great for watching puffins and seals in the water, but it’s the cliff edge a couple of minutes walk to the left that was our second favourite puffin spot. Although there are less puffins here than at The Wick, they are also right next to the path and the setting is stunning.
The cliff drops down to sea, with pretty offshore islands and an abundance of yellow wildflowers (in summer). The puffins were often within inches of you and there are no ropes or anything between you and them - this is true of everywhere on the island but The Wick, where there is one low rope to stop you wandering onto the cliff edge.
I adored watching the puffins at this spot and there were fewer people observing them here than at The Wick, although no point on Skomer Island felt crowded as visitor numbers are strictly controlled.
As mentioned, there are other great puffin spots on the island, but these were our favourites for those wanting a shorter walk.
The Skomer Island circuit walk
The stats
Distance: 4.4 miles (7km) loop
Elevation gain: 155m
Difficulty: Easy
Summary: The circuit walk around Skomer Island is predominantly flat. There is the odd gentle incline, but nothing I would class as a hill, apart from the initial staircase up from the landing area.
The paths are generally in great condition and are mainly dirt tracks. It’s not always smooth underfoot, but overall it’s a gentle easy walk.
Starting the trail
Distance from the Landing to the Farmhouse: 0.75 miles (1.2km)
The first 100m of the Skomer Island circuit are up a series of stairs, to the area where you have the ranger talk.
From here you’ll walk along the narrow dirt track inbetween the cliffs for another 100m until you come to a junction and this is where you head right to start the circuit in an anticlockwise direction - which is the way you’re asked to do the walk.
A few hundred metres later you can take the 30 second detour to the Harold Stone, which is a good spot for birdwatching (but not for puffins).
After visiting the stone, the walk continues along a narrow bracken lined path for 850m until you reach the Farmhouse.
This part of the walk is entirely flat. The Farmhouse is where you’ll find the long drop toilets and also the picnic area, two sections are covered if you don’t get lucky with the weather.
To the Garland Stone
Distance between the Farmhouse and the Garland Stone: 0.5 miles (800m)
The walk to the Garland Stone continues to be flat and leisurely. The trail takes you inbetween great swathes of bracken, with distant views out to sea. The Garland Stone is a rocky outcrop and you’ll know you’ve arrived when you see the small signpost.
It’s very exposed to the winds, but if you’re well wrapped up it’s a great place to sit and watch for marine life. You’ll see lots of puffins swimming in the water, but without binoculars they do look far away.
Easier to spot (although still best with binoculars or a zoom lens) are the Grey seals, which bask on the large rocks or play in the water around them.
We saw six seals here, although sadly no porpoises which also visit often.
Just a few minutes to the left of the Garland Stone is one of our favourite puffin watching spots.
The path is right next to many burrows and you’ll see puffins popping up all over the place. The backdrop is gorgeous, with off shores islands and dramatic sea views, as well as lots of little yellow wildflowers (in summer).
To Skomer Head
Distance from the Garland Stone to Skomer Head: 1.1 miles (1.8km)
As you continue past the adorable cliffside puffins, the path will start to undulate. It’s never steep, but there are a few small hilly sections.
The views are amazing along here and you’ll pass the Bull Hole, a sheer cliff which is home to a huge amount of nesting seabirds - you’ll hear them long before you see them!
You’ll pass several other rocky outcrops before reaching Skomer Head - several of which are meant to be good for seals and porpoises - although we only spotted puffins swimming in rafts.
Roughly 100m before you reach Skomer Head, you’ll come to a junction and from here you could take a shortcut back to the Farmhouse or Landing. The Farmhouse is 25 minutes away and the boat landing, 40 minutes.
Otherwise you’ll reach Skomer Head 3.8km into the walk, so you’re now over halfway. Skomer Head was slightly more sheltered than some of the other natural lookout points, but we saw a lot less birdlife here.
To The Wick
Distance from Skomer Head to The Wick: 0.6 miles (1km)
The views continue to be fantastic over this next part of the walk, with views out to the craggy headlands. You’ll pass over a little boardwalk and as you get closer to The Wick you’ll see a huge dramatic cliff wall ahead.
As you round the corner you’ll notice there’s a small rope along part of the path, the only rope along any section of the trail. However, it doesn’t inhibit your view and this is the best puffin watching spot on the whole island.
Not only were the numbers at their greatest, but the puffins regularly crossed the path in front of you. If you stopped long enough they came curiously up to your feet. It was incredible, especially with the headland and crashing waves giving it lots of atmosphere.
There are other nesting seabirds here too, and the sound is like something from a David Attenborough documentary. If you need a break, this is where you’ll also find a bench seat, which is in a prime puffin spotting position.
To High Cliff
Distance from The Wick to High Cliff: 0.6 miles (950m) via the longer route
From The Wick you can either take the long route (950m) to High Cliff, or the shorter route. We didn’t see anyone else opt to do the long route, but we did as we didn’t want to miss any part of the trail. In reality if you’re pushed for time at this point, then you would be better off taking the quicker route.
The longer route has some spectacular views, but little in the way of birds (apart from huge numbers of gulls). It also has a small amount of uphill and then a very short descent on loose gravel back onto the main trail.
It’s not hard, but in my rush to get to the next lot of puffins at High Cliff, I did nearly turn my ankle on the loose gravel.
When you do get to High Cliff you’ll find another large puffin colony and again, it’s close to the track. It’s possibly the steepest cliffside we saw them on, or at this angle it felt like it anyway.
You’re extremely close to the puffins and the views are sensational. It’s a good spot for easily photographing them with a sea backdrop.
Completing the circuit back to the Landing
Distance from High Cliff to the Landing: 0.8 miles (1.3km)
From High Cliff it’s a short walk back to the Landing again. There’s a short amount of uphill and then it’s all very leisurely. You’ll soon re-join the main trail you came in on and pass the first puffin colony you saw.
The good news is that if you’re early the puffins will entertain you until you have to get back on to the boat and it’s all very relaxed.
No one is chivvying you down to the jetty ages ahead of time, so you really feel like you can make the most of every minute on the island.
Essential info about visiting Skomer Island
The boat ride and entry fee
The boat ride over to the island takes 15 minutes. All the seating is outdoors and some of it is covered. We got lucky with calm seas, but I can imagine it could get quite choppy sometimes. You’ll see puffins before you even reach the island, either flying past you, or swimming in the sea.
A member of staff onboard will give you a little chat about the island and how many puffins there are at that time.
The cost for landing on Skomer Island (£20 per person) and the boat trip is the same, so the total fee is £40 per person. There’s also a booking fee, so the total amount is about £43. You pay the whole fee to the boat company online. You can book tickets here.
It does sell out in advance during the puffin season, but luckily any cancellations are added back onto the website. When I first looked the whole week we were in Pembrokeshire was sold out for every time slot. I checked back multiple times a day and in the end we got a cancellation, so keep checking because they do come up!
What to bring to Skomer Island
You’ll need to bring all food with you as there is nowhere to buy food on the island. It’s preferable to also bring your own drinks so that you don’t have to buy the small bottled water when you get there.
Clothes-wise you’ve very exposed to the elements, so even on a warm day in summer you’ll likely want a jumper. I found having a hoodie was really useful because the wind can be really strong and I nearly lost my hat numerous times. Having my hood up was a better way to keep the sun out than constantly holding on to my hat!
You’ll probably also want a waterproof and suncream.
Parking for Skomer Island
The parking for Skomer Island is run by the National Trust, postcode: SA62 3BJ. It’s free for members, or £6 for a day ticket.
The car park is huge, so I can’t ever imagine you’d ever have trouble parking. The ticket office where you pick up your paper tickets is 30m from the car park. There’s a small gift shop with snacks here.
The toilets are 70m beyond the ticket office and the boat jetty another 100m further on. It’s all downhill on the way.
Getting to Skomer Island
The boat to Skomer Island departs from Martin’s Haven. It’s a 45 minute drive from Pembroke and a 30 minute drive from Haverfordwest.
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