Beara Peninsula

Best things to do on the Beara Peninsula

Beara Essentials

The Beara Peninsula spans counties Cork and Kerry, featuring Bronze Age monuments like the Uragh and Ardgroom stone circles. This selection highlights the region's industrial heritage at the Allihies Copper Mine Museum and its maritime isolation via the Dursey Cable Car, Ireland's only aerial tramway. Natural highlights include the subtropical Derreen Gardens, the 140-meter waterfall at Gleninchaquin Park, and the ruins of Dunboy Castle, a 15th-century O'Sullivan Bere stronghold. Glengarriff offers sheltered coastal walks at the Blue Pool and panoramic views from Lady Bantry's Lookout.

Beara Essentials — Map

mozzercork / CC BY 2.0

A

Uragh Stone Circle

The Uragh Stone Circle is an axial five-stone circle located near Gleninchaquin Park, County Kerry, Ireland.

Josep Maria Peralta / CC-BY-SA

B

Gleninchaquin Park

A family-owned working farm featuring a 140-meter waterfall, six marked walking trails, and panoramic views over Kenmare Bay and the Caha Mountains.

Éanna Murphy / CC-BY-SA

C

Dursey Cable Car

Ireland's only cable car, crossing the Dursey Sound to connect the mainland with Dursey Island. It transports passengers and livestock above the Atlantic waters.

D

Derreen Gardens

Derreen Garden lies on a promontory in Kilmakilloge Harbour on the Beara Peninsula, in Tuosist parish, near Kenmare in County Kerry.

El Gringo / CC BY 2.5

E

Dunboy Castle

Dunboy Castle is a ruined 15th-century castle on the Beara Peninsula in south-west Ireland near the town of Castletownbere.

Heather Myers / CC-BY-SA

F

Ardgroom Stone Circle

Also known as Canthie, this Bronze Age megalithic site consists of 11 upright stones, some reaching two meters in height, overlooking the Kenmare River.

G

The Blue Pool

A sheltered tidal harbor and swimming spot in Glengarriff surrounded by woodland trails. It serves as a departure point for ferries to Garnish Island.

H

Allihies Copper Mine Museum

The Allihies Copper Mine Museum is a museum dedicated to the history of copper mining in the Allihies area in County Cork, Ireland.

Pam Brophy / CC BY-SA 2.0

I

Molly Gallivan's Cottage & Traditional Farm

A 200-year-old cottage and working farm demonstrating 19th-century Irish rural life, famine history, and traditional peat cutting and farming techniques.

J

Lady Bantry's Lookout

A viewpoint within Glengarriff Nature Reserve reached by a steep ascent of several hundred steps, offering 360-degree views of Bantry Bay and the Caha Mountains.

Other Lists

Beara Peaks and Viewpoints Beara Lakes & Waterfalls Beara Archaeological Sites Beara Peninsula Beaches