Baltimore to Cape Clear Ferry: Times, Fares & Island Guide
Baltimore to Cape Clear Ferry: Times, Fares & Island Guide
Forty-five minutes across Roaringwater Bay to Ireland’s southernmost inhabited island — a Gaeltacht community of 110 people with its own bird observatory and no visitor cars at all. Sailings run every day of the year except Christmas Day.
Sailing times
| Season | From Baltimore | From Cape Clear |
|---|---|---|
| Jan, Feb, Nov & Dec | 10:45, 17:00 (Wed & Sat 14:00, 17:00) | 09:00, 15:30 |
| Mar, Apr & Oct | 10:45, 17:30 (Wed & Sat 14:00, 17:30) | 09:00, 16:00 |
| May, June & September | 10:45, 14:00, 18:00 | 09:00, 12:00, 16:30 |
| July & August peak | 10:45, 14:00, 17:00, 19:00 | 09:00, 12:00, 16:00, 18:00 |
| Sundays | 12:00, 17:00 (summer 10:45, 14:00, 18:00) | 11:00, 16:00 (summer 10:00, 12:00, 17:00) |
| From Schull Tue, Thu & Sun, summer only | 11:30 | 16:15 |
Times as published by Cape Clear Ferries. The operator’s current schedule files were last revised in October 2025, and its seasonal images disagree with the master timetable on some Mondays and Saturdays — confirm your sailing when booking. There is an early 07:00 Monday sailing outside July and August, and none on bank holiday Mondays. The only day with no service at all is Christmas Day.
Times change with the season and the weather. Check the operator before you travel:
Ticket prices
| Ticket | From Baltimore | From Schull |
|---|---|---|
| Adult return | €23 | €25 |
| Child under 14 | €12 | €12 |
| Student | €15 | €15 |
| Family (2+2) | €60 | €65 |
| Free Travel Pass | €5 | €5 |
| Bicycle | €4 | €4 max 10 per sailing |
| Dog | €2 | €2 on a lead, outside decks |
Fares taken from the operator’s live booking system in July 2026. All tickets are returns, and the same ticket lets you sail out from Baltimore and back into Schull, or the reverse. Older fares of €16–€18 still circulating on other websites are out of date.
Prices move with the date and demand. Get a live quote and book direct:
Route map
Cape Clear lies about 13 km off the West Cork coast at the mouth of Roaringwater Bay, reached from Baltimore year-round and from Schull in summer.
Cars and bikes
You cannot bring a car to Cape Clear. The operator is explicit: it is a passenger ferry only, and just island residents may drive their own cars there. This is not a booking difficulty — it is simply not possible, so plan on arriving on foot.
Bicycles are carried for €4, but only ten per sailing, and the bike must be booked for the same departure as your own ticket. Luggage space is limited too, since a cargo box is not carried on every sailing.
Accessibility
Boarding at both Baltimore and Cape Clear is via steps, and the operator states that assistance may be limited depending on conditions and demand. It asks passengers who need help to make contact in advance.
The service is described as buggy friendly, but should not be assumed to be wheelchair accessible.
What you are sailing to
Cape Clear — Oileán Chléire — is five kilometres long and Ireland’s southernmost inhabited point, with a population of 110. It is a Gaeltacht island: Irish is the everyday language, and each summer the language college brings a wave of students that transforms the place.
The island has shops, pubs, a hostel, a campsite and yurt village, a heritage centre and marked walking loops. What it does not have is a single visitor car.
Day trips
Yes, and the timetable is built for it. From Baltimore in July and August the 10:45 out and 18:00 back gives roughly seven hours ashore. Even in the depths of winter the 10:45 and 15:30 pairing leaves about four hours.
From Schull the choice is fixed: 11:30 out, 16:15 back, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays only — four hours on the island, no flexibility.
Worth knowing
Ireland’s only manned bird observatory
Cape Clear has logged bird species daily since 1959. Sitting near the edge of the continental shelf, it is one of Europe’s premier seabird migration watchpoints — May and October are the peak months.
Out from one port, back to the other
The same return ticket lets you sail out from Baltimore and back into Schull, or the reverse — useful if you are travelling on through West Cork rather than returning to your car.
Before you board
- Parking is free in both Baltimore and Schull, but there is no parking on the piers. In peak season allow at least 30 minutes to find a space.
- Toilets are available in Baltimore harbour before boarding, and on board the ferry.
- Baltimore is served by TFI Local Link 266a and 266b, connecting it with Skibbereen and the surrounding villages.
- Schull sits on the 265 route between Mizen Head and Skibbereen.
Sailing conditions
All sailings depend on the weather, and Roaringwater Bay can turn quickly. The operator posts disruptions to its social media rather than by email, so check there on a doubtful morning.
That same exposure is what makes the crossing worthwhile: these waters are among Europe’s best for whales, dolphins, basking sharks and sunfish, and the ferry doubles as informal wildlife watching.