How to Visit Skomer Island: The Ultimate Puffin Guide 2026

Is there any other wildlife on Skomer Island?

Skomer Island is a magnet for seabirds, and in addition to the puffins, you are likely to see Manx Shearwater, Gulls, Crows, Waders, Cormorants, and Gannets.

And let's not forget the rabbits, which can be seen hopping about or the grey seals in the waters around the island.

Are there toilets on Skomer Island?

Skomer is isolated, so there is just one toilet at the Old Farm in the middle of the island. Once on the island, you are there until the boat returns five hours later.

What to take to Skomer Island

Take a picnic and lots of water. There are some lovely places to stop to eat with fantastic views out to sea. Keep an eye out for dolphins, porpoises, and seals that frequent the waters around Skomer.

Don't forget your camera, a sun hat, sunscreen for sunny days, and a jumper and coat for colder days. Skomer is a small exposed Welsh island and can be very windy, so come prepared for all eventualities.

I visited Skomer in May, and although the sun was out, it was still chilly. I wore layers - a T-shirt, jumper, and waterproof jacket- and removed them as I got warmer while walking.

Can I stay overnight on Skomer Island?

There is one place to stay on Skomer Island: the Skomer Island Hostel run by the Welsh Wildlife Organisation.

You can also try the Lobster Pot in Marloes or Collingwood B&B in Haverfordwest near Skomer Island.

Alternatively, the West Hook Farm camping site near Skomer Island is a 10-minute walk from the Lockley Lodge visitor centre. It offers pitches for tents, caravans, and motorhomes, as well as a static caravan to rent.

How many walking routes are on Skomer Island?

There are several walking trails you can take to see the puffins.

Wick Farm Loop - 2.5miles / 1.5 to 2 hours

South section from Landing Place to Skomer Head - 3.2 miles / 2 to 2.5 hours

North section from Landing Place to Garland Stone and Skomer Head - 3.4miles / 2 to 2.5 hours

Island circuit from Landing Place to Skomer Head - 4 miles / 3 hours

Please remember the following:

Stay on footpaths, as the fragile Manx Shearwater ground burrows surround the island.

Take care on paths, as the terrain is rough, and you must watch for burrows underfoot.

Keep away from dangerous cliff edges.

An island ranger is always on duty for emergencies at North Haven (Warden's House or Landing Place).

My Experience Of A Day With The Puffins On Skomer

I was so excited to have the chance to see the puffins, and we eagerly set off from our holiday accommodation in Saundersfoot for the one-hour drive to Martin's Haven.

Upon arrival at Lockley Lodge, we were required to present our online booking confirmation, and we were given a booklet containing several small maps showing five routes around the island.

Before boarding the boat, we grabbed a coffee and some chocolate from the lodge. As we approached our boat departure time, we made our way down to the water's edge (with a quick stop at the toilets on the way).

We queued up, the boat arrived, and we sailed across to Skomer Island.

Once on the island, a ranger was waiting to provide us with information about the wildlife on Skomer, what to look out for during our visit, and which route to take around the island.

During my visit, the circular walking trail route was changed.

The spot where the puffins hang out was now the last thing to see on the route, not the usual first port of call. The Welsh Wildlife Trust decided to trial an anti-clockwise route to prevent visitors from gathering to see the puffins en masse as soon as they arrived on Skomer. It may still be in place during your visit.

There are four types of puffins throughout the world. On Skomer island you will see the Atlantic puffin recognisable by the orange, yellow and blue beak.

Skomer Island Bluebells

There are several trails around Skomer, and we chose the Skomer Island circuit. The first part led us through swathes of beautiful bluebells in full bloom in May - how lucky were we! Bluebells carpeted the landscape in deep purple and green for as far as the eye could see, and with the sunshine illuminating the bluebells, I got some fabulous photographs - what do you think?

If you want to see the bluebells, they flower from late April to early June, with peak flowering in May.

Once through the bluebells, we found ourselves in the island's centre at the Old Farm.

You will find the toilets in these buildings; no more are on the island, so I suggest you visit.

We continued our journey to Payne's Ledge, a craggy cliff edge with views of the Atlantic Ocean.

It is a breezy point on the island, but also perfect for stopping for a picnic. We perched on rocks and enjoyed our cheese sandwiches, crisps and drinks.

If you bring a picnic to the island, please take all the litter home. There are no bins on the island (for obvious reasons).

Baby puffins are called 'pufflings' - how cute is that name!

Payne's Ledge

After about 20 minutes gazing out to sea, hoping to see a puffin, seal, porpoise, or dolphin (sadly, none came to say hello), we continued along the cliff to the Bull Hole.

We heard the gulls before we saw them, and when we did, we were shocked at how many there were. They had found favour with a dramatic sea cliff and were busy circling the waters to catch lunch.

Bull Hole

We continued wandering along the route, following wooden direction signs that helped us find our bearings around the island.

We went off course a couple of times, even with a map, so these pointers are great for getting back on track.

They also give you an idea of how long it will take to walk from point to point, so you can make sure you give yourself enough time to get back to the boat at North Haven!

I have to say, we got a little paranoid at one point that we would miss the boat. The problem with being on Skomer is that it is so delightful that time slips away, and you want to stay there forever - at least, that's what we felt.

We headed to Skomer Head and saw a shortcut back to the Old Farm and the boat. This is your escape point if you feel you can't make it any further.

I didn't realise that the puffins don't reside across the island, but only in a specific area, and on my visit, that spot was at the end of the route.

The anticipation of spotting a puffin gripped me the whole way around the island.

Over 10,000 puffins breed each year on Skomer Island!

Rabbit Burrows on Skomer

We noticed grassy mounds all over Skomer, making the landscape slightly surreal.

It turns out they are rabbit burrows.

The island is awash with rabbits, introduced in the 13th century and farmed for food and fur. Nowadays, they live in harmony with seabirds.

In particular, the Manx Shearwater colonies love steep grassy slopes where rabbits have formed burrows, and while they are quite capable of digging their own, they will be happy to hide away in these ready-made rabbit burrows for most of the day.

Puffins use these burrows as temporary homes, but if they want a burrow of their own design, they are happy to dig deeper to form a bespoke burrow; they return to the same one each year.

Puffins also prefer short vegetation, and thanks to the rabbits' appetite, the puffins nest in areas that are well-maintained.

Skomer Head

We noticed some seabirds gathered on a craggy outcrop walking on Skomer Head.

On closer inspection, they appeared to be either Guillemots or Razorbills (a species of the Auk family which includes the puffin).

I got so excited, thinking it was our first glimpse of a puffin - it wasn't (I didn't have my glasses on!).

We perched on a rock at the edge of Skomer Head and once again scanned the waters for signs of wildlife.

Visitors can often spot porpoises in this area, but we didn't see any.

Even without an appearance, it was still a fantastic spot to soak up the spring sunshine, knowing that we were getting closer and closer to the puffins.

We stayed on the trail towards The Wick, and my excitement was at an all-time high - this was where the puffin colony resided while on Skomer Island; I was finally going to fulfil a long-time dream.

Spotting the Puffins

Nearing The Wick, large sea cliffs came into view, and so did those cheeky puffins!

And there were loads of them. Some were flying, some were basking in the sun, and others were wandering around with twigs in their mouths to add to their puffin nests.

It was a wildlife lover's dream to observe puffins in their habitat.

They were oblivious to the visitors watching their every move and quite content to go about their daily tasks.

As I was on Skomer at the beginning of May, I saw the puffins building their nests in preparation for their pufflings to be born.

If you want to see a 'puffling', you will need to book a trip to Puffin Island between late May and July.

Puffins are excellent flyers, and we found it funny watching them take off and land. They look pretty awkward when they do it, but they can reach speeds of 55mph!

Puffins' beaks are not always orange. The puffins' beaks are duller as the outer layers are shed in winter.

The vivid orange colour returns to tempt potential suitors in time for mating season the following spring!

Puffins are monogomous having only one partner in their lifetime. A puffin will only have one puffling each year!

A Photographer's Dream

This is a fantastic chance for photographers to get some of the best wildlife photographs, and we spotted many telescopic lenses homed in on the puffins and other seabirds all around us.

Of course, you must be careful not to walk on their burrows and destroy them.

Puffins are lovingly known as the 'clowns of the sea' or 'sea parrots' because of their brightly coloured yellow and red bills and clown-like faces,

The Wick

Puffins aren't the only ones who choose The Wick as their preferred spot. We saw many other seabirds flying around the sheer granite cliff face and diving for fish.

This enormous cliff entices Guillemots, Razorbills, Kittiwakes, Choughs, Peregrines, and everyone's favourite: the Puffin.

We all had the most fantastic day as a family, and my son enjoyed capturing the puffin images in this post for me. Sometimes, my iPhone can't achieve the desired result, and that's when my 20-year-old Sony camera comes in handy!

It was hard to drag ourselves away from the puffins as they were so wonderful to observe; however, time was ticking away, and we still had a way to get back to Landing Place and the boat.

We said goodbye to the puffins and wandered across Wick Valley and past High Cliff, another favoured spot for nesting seabirds. We didn't walk up the hill but skirted past it along the Welsh way.

The End of Our Trip to See the Puffins

We spotted the sign for North Haven and knew we were on the home stretch of the circuit walk.

We were cutting it short, but we saw other people behind us, so we weren't doing too badly. It seemed that everyone had found it difficult to leave the puffins!

On my way back to the boat, I enjoyed views of the Pembrokeshire coast and the pretty bluebells and wildflowers on either side of the pathway.

We rounded the corner, and we were back where we started.

We spotted grey seals basking on the beach, which topped off the magic of our day. Could this island adventure be any more perfect?

We had experienced one of the most amazing animal encounters in the UK, and as we boarded our designated boat and headed back to the mainland, we were sad to leave.

Back at Martin's Haven, we discussed the other things to do in Pembrokeshire on our itinerary, although I fear none could compete with seeing the puffins on Skomer Island!

If this post has inspired you to visit this Welsh island and see the puffins, please let me know by commenting below. And if you are ready to book, the link is Pembrokeshire Islands Boat Trips.