Why this scenic Irish loop is Europe's most underrated road trip
We’re standing on the Beara Peninsula in the southwest of Ireland and beyond the horizon there’s nothing but water between us and Canada. We can see west Cork’s other lonely headlands as they jut into the Atlantic swell, but we have this vertiginous and windswept Beara bluff all to ourselves.
A dear friend had jumped on a plane from London to join me in an oversized campervan on a drive around Cork’s famously craggy coastline. On this, our last day of the road trip, I assured her that although the 138km Ring of Beara route could be considered the (very) long way between Glengarriff in Cork and Kenmare in Kerry, we would drive a loop and be back to our campsite overlooking Bantry Bay that same evening.
The Ring of Beara around the eponymous peninsula is too often overlooked in favour of the road around the neighbouring Iveragh Peninsula, the legendary Ring of Kerry. However, Beara suffers from none of the overtourism that plagues Kerry (there are no coaches negotiating narrow mountain passes here) and the two peninsulas share a similar remote location and breath-taking views.
The mostly coastal road is roughly hewn from bare rock – clumps of heather and gorse brighten the route – and there are ancient stone circles, megalithic tombs, ruins of forts and castles, colourful villages and wild beaches to discover along the way.
Glengarriff to Dursey Island
Mountains meet the sea in Glengarriff, the easy-going village at the start of the route that’s been a tourist destination since the eighteenth century – novelist William Makepeace Thackeray and poet WB Yeats were regular patrons of the historic Eccles Hotel. Warmed by the Gulf Stream and sheltered by the Caha Mountains, Glengarriff has a microclimate that extends offshore to Garinish Island (sometimes called Ilnacullin, or Garnish), one of Ireland’s most picture-perfect gardens. A ten-minute ferry ride from Glengarriff Pier (April to October) will take you to this oasis of formal Italianate grounds and woodland glades.
Starting the road trip, it was a quick drive (around 45 minutes) to Castletown-Bearhaven, a harbour town where you can hop on a boat to Bere Island or walk west of town through the grounds of fenced-off Puxley Mansion to the ruins of Dunboy Castle. The castle was lost to the English in the early seventeenth century; all in the keep were slaughtered and local Chieftan Donal Cam O’Sullivan Beare set off with one thousand men, women and children to march north to safety. Harassed by the English and rival Irish clans, and in the dead of winter, just he and 35 followers arrived in Leitrim, 500km away. It’s pretty sobering stuff, and the Beara-Breifne Way commemorates their walk.
Nine kilometres beyond Castletownbere, the Dzogchen Beara Buddhist Meditation Centre is home to Ireland’s only stupa (Buddhist shrine) and the clifftop meditation gardens are a good place for a bit of quiet awe. The last stop on the south coast of the peninsula is at the far tip, where you can snap photos of the precarious-looking cable car crossing the swirling Dursey Sound to Dursey Island. Barren, windswept and a bird watchers’ paradise, there are no hotels on the tiny island, but there are self-catering cottages and wild camping (for the brave) is allowed.
Towards Kenmare or Healy Pass
Rejoin the loop road for Allihies, a copper mining site that dates back to the Bronze Age. After hitting its peak during the industrial revolution, today Allihies is a sleepy village strung along the highway – renowned for its stupendous sunset views. A wander along the brightly-painted main street takes you to the Copper Mine Museum (located in a Methodist Church built for Cornish miners), while a stroll down to Ballydonegan Strand reveals an untamed white sand beach that feels like the edge of the world.
Thirty more minutes along the northern coast road and the colourful village of Eyeries flashes by as you travel on beyond Kerry’s county border to Lauragh. From here, there are two choices – on to Kenmare or right to Healy Pass through the mountain range that forms the scaly backbone of the peninsula. Those tackling the pass are met with a single lane road of hairpin twists and turns that takes you up through patches of cloud to an unbelievable vista at 1000ft. Dropping back down the other side and following the ribbon of road that unfurls ahead, don't be surprised if you're flagged down by a shepherd who wants to pass the time of day. It's timeless stuff.
Where to stay
Those brave enough to camp can pitch up at Eagle Point Camping outside Glengarriff, on Bantry Bay (electric pitches for two adults and two children from €35). For something a little more historic, try Eccles Hotel in Glengarriff (doubles from €99), while if you're in search of a more homely feel, Allihies Seaview B&B is a good option (doubles from €60).
Where to eat
MacCarthys Bar in Castletownbere is all about traditional pub food, serving soups, chowder and sandwiches (lunch from €3). For veggie food with a view, try Dzogchenbeara near Castletownbere. The oven-fresh soda bread here is worth a try, as is the unusual wellness bookshop (lunch from €5). If you like your grub with a tune, head to The Blue Loo in Glengarriff for friendly service and great live music – they do sandwiches too.
