Blacksod Sea Safari

Blacksod Sea Safari runs boat tours from Blacksod Pier at the southern tip of the Mullet Peninsula in northwest Mayo, out into one of the wildest and least-visited stretches of the Irish coast. The family-run operation uses charter boats and RIBs to reach the Inishkea Islands and cruise the Erris coastline, with experienced local skippers who know these waters.

The flagship trip is the Inishkea Islands Experience — a landing on the uninhabited islands, abandoned in the 1930s, where the ruins of the old village stand among white-sand beaches, machair grassland and clear turquoise water. Other options include a coastal wildlife sea safari and a "four lighthouses of Erris" cruise. Grey seals, common dolphins, basking sharks (in season) and an abundance of seabirds are regular sightings.

Tours run seasonally from April to October, weather permitting, and booking ahead is essential — this is a remote operation with limited departures. Blacksod is about 30 minutes' drive south of Belmullet, past Blacksod Lighthouse, whose keeper's weather reading famously helped set the date of the D-Day landings in June 1944. The Mullet Peninsula is a genuine edge-of-Ireland destination, and a boat trip from Blacksod is one of the best ways to experience it.