The Dingle Peninsula, Ireland's most westerly point, combines a scenic
coastline with impressive mountains to create beautiful scenery. Less
crowded than the Ring of Kerry, a drive including the Town of Dingle and its
peninsula offers similar landscapes with less gaudy tourist shops. The Dingle Peninsula
is less developed than other areas in Southwest Ireland and many travelers
find its simplicity appealing.
Start your drive
either in Castlemaine
(R561 to N86) if you are approaching from the south
(e.g. Killarney), or the larger town of Tralee
(on N86) if you are approaching
from the north and continue to the town of Dingle.
If your tour of the Dingle Peninsula starts at Tralee
you can choose to stay on N86 to the Town of Dingle or take the northern
route along Brandon Bay and across the Conor Pass (Conair or Connor on some
maps), the highest pass in Ireland. The route through the mountains
and Conor Pass is
along a narrow, curvy road that can be difficult to drive, especially in the
fog. Conversely, it offers some beautiful scenery.
You might
want to consider crossing the Conor Pass on any itinerary that involves
driving the Dingle Peninsula, but do so only if you are a good driver,
comfortable with driving on the left and confident in your abilities.
We provide a simple road map below to give you the general idea of the
drive around the Dingle Peninsula, but urge you to click on our map symbols to explore specific
locations to see them shown on our detailed, annotated, highway map of this
spectacular area.
Once you arrive in Dingle , take
some time to tour the town (either when you first pass through or when you
return later.
Dingle, also called An Daingean,
is focused on its harbor as the town has long history
as a fishing center. As might be expected, tourism now
plays an important part in Dingle's economy. You will
find plenty of good pubs here, as well as a number of restaurants featuring
excellent seafood and good quality food in
general. Best of all, Dingle is known for its music. We recommend
Dingle as a
great place to spend a night or two if you plan on exploring the Dingle
Peninsula in depth. Dingle also offers the Dingle Ocean World Aquarium.
Check out its
official website
to determine your interest in visiting.
In any case, to explore the western edge of the peninsula you need
to pass through Dingle and take
R559 (marked as Slea Head Drive) towards Ventry. Continue in a clockwise direction
on R 599
until you return to the town of Dingle. As an alternative, Slea Head Drive continues north at
Bally David and you can continue the drive north for more exploration, or return to Dingle on
R559 if you have seen enough.
There are numerous sights scattered along Slea Head Drive.
Near Ventry you will find An Dúnbeag , a fort also known as Dunbeg Fort
that dates from the 9th century BC. There is some archaeological evidence
that the fort was used until the 10th century, but site's historic record has
been difficult to untangle. There are a number of stone beehive huts (clocháns)
nearby, although there is some problem determining which are recreations and
which are actual historic monuments. Dunbeg has a visitor center; drinks and sandwiches are usually available in high season. The Visitor
Centre for the Fort has a modest
website with contact information.
Slea Head itself is a
particularly beautiful section of the Dingle Peninsula and off the coast you
can see the Blasket Islands, which were inhabited until the mid-1950s.
If interested, you can travel to the islands by ferry for an afternoon's
exploration. The ferry leaves from Dun
Chaoin (Dunguin) about 15 miles north and west of dingle on the R559.
See this
site for more information about the
ferry. If interested in the Blasket's, but not in visiting, there is a
Blasket Island Centre in Dunquin.
The
Gallarus Oratory is a 1200 year old stone worship chapel that was designed
for individual or small-group prayer. Although its roof has begun to
sag, the Oratory is in near-perfect condition, a state made all the more
interesting by the fact that it was constructed without mortar of any type.
There is also a modest Gallarus Castle nearby. Both are managed by
Heritage Ireland
and access is by guided tour only. The car parks for
these attractions are on private property and there is a charge for using
these facilities.
For more information on the Dingle Peninsula and its other attractions, as well as
excellent descriptions of its towns, see the official website of
Dingle Peninsula Tourism.
If you need to find
information about another travel destination, try Googling our site or the Web
