Ring of Kerry

While many organized tours of the Ring of Kerry start anticlockwise from Killarney, the quiet town of Kenmare at the head of the Kenmare River is a better starting point for independent travelers. Heading clockwise around the Ring of Kerry route on the N70 road, an early start from Kenmare avoids the congestion created by tour bus traffic.
On route N70, views across the Kenmare River to the Beara Peninsula eventually lead to the seascapes of the Derrynane National Park. Beyond the town of Waterville, a detour to the south-west of the Iveragh Peninsula leads to the village of Ballinskelligs, in the heart of an Irish-speaking region (Gaeltacht). Beyond the long sandy beach of Ballingskelligs, a group of old pre-Famine cottages (Cill Rialaig) on Bolus Head face out onto Ballingskelligs Bay and the distant Skellig islands. (These days, the cottages of Cill Rialaig are being repaired for use as cost-free studios for visiting artists).
Past Cahersiveen, from route N70, the mountains of the Dingle Peninsula line the horizon across Dingle Bay. To avoid crowded Killarney,. a confident motorist can head inland just after Glenbeigh to the quiet countryside of Glencar on minor country roads. From there, a narrow mountain track through a gap in the Macgillycuddy's Reeks leads back towards Kenmare via the Black Valley and Moll's Gap.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Ireland
• Country Kerry
• Ring of Kerry
• Kenmare
• Derrynane National Park
• Ballingskelligs
• Loher Fort
• Caherdaniel
• the Skelligs
• Cill Rialaig
• Glencar
• Macgillycuddy's Reeks
• Inveragh Peninsula.