Tetrapod Trackpad
Tetrapod Trackpad
3.9
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Top ways to experience Tetrapod Trackpad and nearby attractions
Are you currently on your trip?
Help us find experiences available for you.
The area
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
7 within 5 kms
Attractions
24 within 10 kms
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
3.9
145 reviews
Excellent
54
Very good
43
Average
34
Poor
10
Terrible
4
D P
Wellington, New Zealand8,027 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
I love dinosaurs and anything to do with them so the thought of seeing footprints was really exciting. Now I have seen footprints before so I was keen to go see these ones
Unfortunately the excitement was not so great when I saw them. They really are understated and underwhelming- you have got to wonder how they knew that they were let alone what they belonged to.
It’s a steep walk down the hill to see them and to be honest the sample rock they have for you to look at, at the top was the best bit really.
However it’s free and if you fn y a walk great but don’t get to exited.
Unfortunately the excitement was not so great when I saw them. They really are understated and underwhelming- you have got to wonder how they knew that they were let alone what they belonged to.
It’s a steep walk down the hill to see them and to be honest the sample rock they have for you to look at, at the top was the best bit really.
However it’s free and if you fn y a walk great but don’t get to exited.
Written 2 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jaimee G
Urbana, IL452 contributions
Jun 2022
So... I vacillate between 3 and 4 here because the views are beautiful and the history is pretty amazing. But the footprints were hard to find and underwhelming. You do get an excellent view of the countryside, water, and Valentia lighthouse from the trail down. From the car park (which has several spots) you walk down a very steep trail to the first display with cut slabs of stone and information and then down even further to the water's edge to see the tracks. I'm not even sure I got a picture of them in the end. We thought we saw something, but the light and water on the rocks makes it difficult to be sure. I'm looking at other people's pictures and I did not see the same thing and now I feel disappointed. So if you go, be sure to look at pictures online of what you're supposed to see and search beyond the ropes for the tracks when you're there. Also, if you have mobility issues, the steep decline will be difficult and it's not short. I had planned 30 minutes for this stop, but we needed more time than that because of the walk with my parents.
Written 23 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Daniel
Saratoga Springs, NY98 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
This was a cool thing to see as we were in the area. We were able to see the tracks and it was cool to think about how old they are, bit it is worth noting that the road there is almost unbelievably narrow and to get down to the tracks you need to take a very steep path down and up with going up being a hard climb, I would definitely not recommend this place to anyone with a disability. Overall if you are in the area and in good health, I think this would be worth a stop.
Written 15 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
pfefmeister
San Francisco, CA4,577 contributions
May 2023 • Couples
We made the trek out to see the 380 million year old tracks. The road is challenging in that it is single track with marginal pullovers. At the end, just before the radio station, is a small parking area. A moderately steep trail leads to an overlook where the tracks are visible. Are they really tracks or just happenstance pockets of erosion? That kept crossing my mind. Way cool if true, It’s an hour drive - back and forth - from the Ring drive.
Written 10 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Susan M
Blue Lake, United States29 contributions
Jun 2024 • Family
A cyclist on the ferry from Dublin to Holyhead mentioned this site and we went for it. It is a well curated geological site on Valentia Island, that shows fossil tracks from an early amphibian. The path down to the tetrapod site is well surfaced and just a little steep. I'm 66 years and had no problem, even with slightly wet conditions.
Written 27 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ber D
5 contributions
May 2021
The tracks are there to see and you can imagine the tetrapods climbing from the heavy waves on to solid ground 850 million years ago. Its free and when I visited was so quiet and deserted. I felt so lucky to behold it and completely free! Where in the world would you be given such a gift.
Written 31 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cecilia
United States50 contributions
Jul 2024 • Friends
It was little underwhelming at first, especially when looking at the first plaque. However, if you follow the trail to the cliff, you can see the tracks in rocks that are natural and the view is relatively pretty. Not sure the steep decline was worth it, but it wasn't bad.
Written 7 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Erika Kalmar
Brussels, Belgium70 contributions
May 2024 • Family
Yes, it's the first tetrapod trackpad in the world. But you can hardly see the footprints. For me it was not worth the steep climb. If you are mobile and anyway nearby, why not add to your list. Otherwise, you didn't miss out on anything.
If you're there, also visit the Geokaun mountains, the lighthouse and the Skellig Experience Centre and do the Bray Head drive - Valentia island has a lot to offer.
If you're there, also visit the Geokaun mountains, the lighthouse and the Skellig Experience Centre and do the Bray Head drive - Valentia island has a lot to offer.
Written 14 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
igal27
Rehovot, Israel4,857 contributions
Sept 2019
I was very much looking forward to seeing these prehistoric tracks in the rock, so it was rather disappointing to be standing there (after a walk down a steep path) and not sure what imprints were the ones I was supposed to be looking at and what was just part of the regular wear-and-tear on the rocks... But after a closer look and a comparison with the signs showing you where to focus your attention, we managed to see them. It's just "footprints in the rock", but what's fascinating is what they represent. Definitely worth a visit.
Written 19 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Clive B
Dartford, UK1,328 contributions
Apr 2017 • Family
The Tetrapod imprints are 350 - 370 million years old. It is a physical record of the transition of life from water to land. This is the oldest reliably dated evidence of four legged amphibians moving over land. The Valentia Island Tetrapod footprints are also the most extensive Devonian trackways in the world. Now some may see this and think WOW!, some may not appreciate their importance. But at a free attraction, this is a great spot, not just to see ancient animal tracks, but to look at the scenery and waves crashing on the surrounding rocks - could have spent all day here. For your safety, and to preserve the tracks, there is a rail around the rocks to create a viewing area,there is also an information panel on the path down to the site, which is well worth reading if you don't know the importance of the site. There are no other facilites here, but if you want to see something historic in Ireland, you cannot get any older than this!
Written 9 April 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I will be 34 weeks pregnant when we visit- I’m guessing from reviews I won’t be able to make it up and down the path? Would I be able to access the information board easily?
Written 24 June 2023
I will be 34 weeks pregnant when we visit- I’m guessing from reviews I won’t be able to make it up and down the path? Would I be able to access the information board easily?
Written 24 June 2023
Showing results 1-2 of 2
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing