As the name suggests, Lundy is an island. In fact, the name means “Puffin Island” in Norwegian – as it is the home to a colony of Puffins during the Spring months. It’s the largest of all the islands within the Bristol Channel, approximately 10 nautical miles off the coast of Devon, accessible from the mainland only by boat.
It takes approximately 1.5 – 2 hours to cross the channel towards the island, but there is plenty to see on the way. The views along this part of Devons coastline are spectacular, and you may even be lucky enough to spot pods of dolphins, feeding marine birds and even the odd sun fish.
There are a number of charter boats that you can book a space on to take you across to the island and to explore the sites. These leave from Ilfracombe harbour, a beautiful seaside town, that is a great place to base yourself whilst scuba diving Lundy. These excursions will last anywhere between 8-10 hours per day, so make sure you bring plenty of water and food with you.
I have used two charters from here, and they have both been excellent and all crew were extremely friendly and professional. My first experience of Lundy Island was with Wild Frontier Charters. They took us snorkelling at a few spots on the East side of the island and the team on board were fantastic at looking after us above the water, throwing tea and coffee at us to keep us warm! They even had a lift on the boat, so no clambering up the ladders when coming back on board. The boat was very new, and in excellent condition, I wouldn’t hesitate to book a trip with them again.