Stargazing in Kerry Gold Tier Dark Sky Reserve

Valentia Island is within the Kerry International Gold Tier Dark Sky Reserve. This means that on clear moonless nights the sky in this South West region of Ireland is simply stunning; with many more astronomical sights to be seen with the naked eye as can be seen say in the Grand Canyon or the Desert Plains of Africa.

This is the ONLY Gold Tiered Reserve in the whole of the Northern Hemisphere. It takes in Kells, Caherciveen, Portmagee, Valentia Island, The Glen, Ballinskelligs, Waterville, Dromid and Derrynane/Caherdaniel. 

The Reserve has two sections: the Core Zone and the Buffer Zone. Usually the Core Zone is the darkest part of a Dark-Sky Reserve, except in Kerry’s Reserve a lot of places in the Buffer Zone have equally dark areas.

One of the major assets of having a natural dark sky is that you can view the sky as our ancestors did. Without the aid of any instrument other than your own eyes you will see thousands of stars varying in size and colour, you’ll easily see the band of our own home Milky Way Galaxy, Nebulae, other galaxies, clusters, planets, satellites, nebulas and falling stars. 

Everybody knows that Kerry is beautiful with scenery that simply talks ones breath away, but that is only telling half the story…when the sun goes down usually in a kaleidoscope of colour, another scenery comes into view made up of many thousands of stars…except of course, on full moon nights when the stars fade into the moon’s gentle glow …not all the stars though, one can still the bigger brighter stars holding their own, most of them making the familiar shapes of familiar Constellations.

On clear moonless nights it is hard to actually see these Constellations at first as there are simply too many stars and it takes quite a while for your eyes to start making out the patterns.
Immerse in the majesty, mystique and sheer beauty of the night sky. Be amazed by the magical night skies in the world famous International Kerry Dark Sky Reserve. Lovely both night and day.

Choose from one or two day packages at Atlantic Villa, Valentia Island. Available all year round.