Top 10 Things To Do On The Dingle Peninsula

The Dingle Peninsula - or Corca Dhuibhne - is located on Ireland's south-west coast and is 30 miles (48 kilometres) long and has a coastline made up of steep sea-cliffs and sandy beaches, as well as two large sand spits at Inch and Maharees. To the west lie the Blasket Islands. The range of mountains that dominate the peninsula run from the Slieve Mish range to Mount Brandon, Ireland's second highest peak.

Whatever you are looking for, you will find it in this part of Ireland: walking routes, fine dining, sea angling, festivals, surfing... the list goes on. The Dingle Peninsula is one of the must visit destinations in the island of Ireland.

1. Walk the Dingle Way: Starting and finishing in Tralee, the capital of Kerry, this long-distance walk takes you on a complete circuit of the Dingle Peninsula. For most of the way the difficulty level is easy to moderate, but be warned, it does get much harder when the trail meets the foot of Mount Brandon. A reasonably fit adult can fairly expect to complete the whole 179 kilometre Dingle Way in 8 to 9 days.

2. Walk the Pilgrims Route: Covering some 48 km (30 miles) The Pilgrims Route - or Cosán na Naomh - connects many of the early Christian sites for which the Dingle Peninsula is renowned. It begins in Dingle, turns south in Ventry, then north to Riasc, wandering over to Kilmalkedar Church along the older Saints Road, and then by green track and minor road to Cloghane. Superb for those interested in historical sites and walking!
 
3. Visit Great Blasket Island: Just 3km off the Dingle Peninsula, Great Blasket Island is only a short boat ride away. Take a picnic and eat your lunch down on the white strand – a small, sheltered beach – then enjoy the rich variety of birds and sealife on and around the island such as puffins, kittiwakes, guillemots, seals, basking sharks and dolphins.

4. Eat fresh seafood: One of our favourites is the restaurant "Out of the Blue” where you can try out the freshly-caught seafood - but it’s great fun simply walking round the town  for a couple of hours, reading the menus before deciding which restaurant to choose.

5. Marvelling at the numerous Religious and Archaeological Sites: The Dingle Peninsula is steeped in history and archaeological heritage. They are simply too numerous to list! but the Gallarus Oratory is a must.

6. Beachcombing on some of the most beautiful Beaches: There are many sandy beaches to choose from across the Dingle Peninsula including: Clogher Strand, Ventry Beach, Murreach Strand and Inch Strand. Bring the family and go exploring rock pools and collecting seashells.

7. Social Drinking in any of the 52 pubs in Dingle - ideal for sampling the famous Irish “Craic” in the company of locals.

8. Visiting Dingle Races: If you're fond of a flutter you won't want to miss the famous Dingle Races. The biggest of all flapper races in Ireland, this summer event comprises twenty races over the course of a weekend in August. Around 160 horses from all over the country are brought to compete in 'the highlight on Dingle's event calendar'. Bouncy castles, fortune-tellers and fair stands are also provided to keep the whole family entertained.

9. Going up the Connor Pass: Having the honour of being the highest mountain pass in Ireland, The Conor Pass is well known as the road route which traverses the Brandon mountains (the backbone of the Dingle Peninsula) from north to south. Rising to a height of 1500 ft, the pass affords some magnificent views of the coast before the road carries on down towards Brandon Bay.

10. Just 'Be' Yourself: If all of this seems too much, why not just take it easy? Relax. Soak up the atmosphere. Enjoy life at a slower pace. Do things your own way and in your own time. After all, isn't that what holiday's are all about?

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