Introducing West of Dingle
At the tip of the peninsula is the Slea Head drive along the R559. It has the greatest concentration of ancient sites in Kerry, if not the whole of Ireland. Specialist guides on sale in An Café Liteártha and the tourist office in Dingle list the most interesting and accessible sites.
Advertisement
This part of the peninsula is a Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking) area. The landscape is dramatic, escpecialy in shifting mist, although full-on sea fog obliterates everything. For the best views, it’s best to follow the Slea Head drive in a clockwise direction. Cross the bridge west of Dingle and keep straight on to Ventry. Beyond Ventry the road hugs the coast past Dunbeg Fort, then rou nd the rocky outposts of Slea Head and Dunmore Head. Continuing along the coast to Dunquin, then turning east to Ballyferriter, the views of the Blasket Islands give way to views of 951m-high Mt Brandon and its neighbours. Beyond Ballyferriter is the Gallarus Oratory and numerous other historic sites, not to mention a confusing clutter of lanes. From Gallarus, the R599 circles back to Dingle.
Last updated: Feb 17, 2009
Thorn Tree forum discussion
Recent posts
-
RE: Cork/Kerry or Clare/Galway/Connemara
by fear_rua 23 August 2011
Killarney is probably the most tourist-dense place in Ireland apart from Temple Bar in Dublin and perhaps Dingle, but it is still quite…
-
Hostel Catherdaniel
by fear_rua 12 June 2007
As far as I know the bus services on the Dingle peninsula west of Dingle (An Daingean) are simple in the extreme. There are two services,…
