Our day on Dingle Peninsula (with Kids)
Our first stay in Ireland was in a wonderful house in between the towns of Glenbeigh and Killorglin (and only 30 minutes from beautiful town of Killarney). The house was just off the Ring of Kerry in an idyllic setting with some great sheep across the street for neighbors. This week we were lucky enough to have family in town to explore with us. For our longest planned sightseeing day we chose the Dingle Peninsula. With rumors about this stretch of road being some of the most photogenic in Ireland, I could not pass up an opportunity to check it out. It’s a classic Irish drive. Sheep, ruins and views are everywhere. Even the towns are full of Irish charm.
If you stopped at all the photogenic places along the route – you may not make it very far down the road. There are photo opportunities everywhere. We did stop at this lovely graveyard overlooking the coast. I just love the shapes of the Celtic crosses and stones. We wandered around a little then hopped back in the car.
First Official Stop – Inch Beach
Don’t let the name fool you. This is not a small beach – but it is a pretty one. You’ll have to take a small detour off the main route but it’s definitely worth a stop. You can drive on to the beach but we just parked and took the small walk down to the water.
and Another Photo Break
Once you merge back on to N86, you will start going through an absolutely beautiful, green valley. To get the most out of the experience, make sure you have your radio tuned to some classic Irish tunes. Look to the left and you will see 2 separate pull offs. Take a few minutes to look around and snap some great pics. If you look closely you can see a castle far off in the valley below. This was one of my favorite views.
The Town of Dingle
This is a great little Irish town. I recommend planning a couple of hours to explore and find a bite to eat. We had a late breakfast at Grey’s Lane Bistro – yummy. We walked around town and the kids just loved climbing all over the dolphin statue (in honor of Fungie a dolphin that has been living and socializing with Dingle residents and tourists for the last 30 years). The tourist information center near the main parking lot was helpful and worth a stop. If you don’t have time for a full meal there are coffee and desert shops near the parking area.
If you have some extra time, consider stopping at the Dingle Aquarium. We skipped it this time but if you’re travelling with kids in tow it would make a great pit stop.
Slea Head Drive
After Dingle follow the signs for Slea Head Drive. This is a beautiful road. It has many scenic pull offs and some outstanding views. At times it is small but that’s part of the charm. Just take your time and enjoy the ride.
Feeding Sheep and Exploring Ruins
Along Slea Head drive you will come across many stops and sites. Generally if you see something that looks worth exploring – pull in to a parking spot and check it out. If it looks good you’ll pay a few Euros to the attended and then you’ll get to explore the sites. At our first stop the kids had a blast feeding the sheep and watching the lambs run around. We then walked around an old “Fairy Fort.” These forts are remains of hill forts or circular dwellings that are possibly as old as the Iron Age.
Beehive Huts
Our second stop we pulled in to a parking lot along the cliff side – the views from the parking lot are enough to recommend this stop. Take some time to breath in the sea breezes and get a few good photos. It’s a little bit of a hike to the ruins at this stop but the kids had a lot of fun checking out all the structures and for me the views were definitely worth the hike.
The Drive
The next part of the drive just gets more and more scenic as you make your way around the peninsula. Take your time and enjoy the experience.
Check Out this Video of my favorite part of the drive – beautiful!
Gallarus Oratory
After our drive around the peninsula we stopped at the Gallarus Oratory. The exact dates and original use of the structure is not confirmed but it’s thought to be a very early Christian Church. You may also walk to see the Gallarus Castle. It’s a tower house in the area. We did not make this walk (I did not know it was there). Other stops you can make in the are include There are other ruins in the area including Kilmalkedar Church but we just stopped at the Oratory. We then took R559 back to Dingle for some hot chocolate and cake. We finished our loop – tired but happy and headed back to our Irish Home for the month.
Our Top Stops on Dingle (in order of route)
1 – Inch Beach
2 – Dingle
3 – Sheep and Fairy Fort
4 – Beehive Huts (and cliff views)
5 – Slea Head
6 – Gallarus Oratory
Not tired yet? Then check out this list of 25 things to do on the Dingle Peninsula
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Biggest Advice – Take your time, enjoy the views and don’t rush.
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I really enjoyed reading this post. Nice trip 🙂
My husband is half Irish and I have yet to explore the country! It looks amazing!
We spent a couple nights drinking cider and reading genealogy books in front of the fireplace. The ancestry searches can be a lot of fun. Regardless, it’s such a beautiful area.
Gap year for a year? So jelly! I did that before college and just lied abroad all through will little travel. Sigh. I really do need to visit Ireland pretty soon. I love Celtic music and jewellery and know I’d love the landscape and scenery but not the weather. Lol.
Ireland is such an easy low stress place to visit. You should absolutely add it to your travel list. May would probably be a better weather time. I think it’s usually warmer – we just ended up visiting in an especially cold year. Thanks for reading!
You are absolutely right, so many beautiful photo opportunities every where you look! It would take me ages to get through this drive haha! I love all the ancient ruins and structures, plus the views are indeed great! I wonder if there are any good hiking trails around, although one could just follow the coast.
There were some great hikes too. We were super interested in some of the hiking around Killarney National Park (it’s just a stunning area) but we just couldn’t get it to work out with the kids -plus it was an especially chilly March for Ireland. Thanks for reading!
We went to Dingle last Autumn and had a blast (I mean, the wind of the ocean nearly blew us off the cliff!). Love the gin from that town as well and road tripping is awesome. How I miss Ireland. Love reading your day out and sure did bring back some great memories. 🙂
Thanks, we just loved this trip
We haven’t been to Ireland in a few years and I have fond memories of this beautiful country! Dingle is amazing, and so very colorful! We also had great food over there!
Thanks – we just loved this trip.
I can imagine the stunning landscapes all along the coast. The more I read about Ireland, the more I am convinced about its rugged beauty. Dingle Peninsula seems like a great addition to the Ireland itinerary.
I drove the Dingle Peninsula years ago. Such a great experience. Loved seeing all the photos as we made many of the same stops. We drove our car on Inch Beach and for about 10 minutes thought we’d had gotten our rental car stuck. Thankfully, we worked it out and quickly drove right off the beach. 🙂
I always wanted to visit Ireland for stunning landscapes. But this Dingle town is vibrant and colorful. I loved driving through green valleys. Thanks for sharing!
I’ve visited Ireland a few years ago and loved it … Lots and lots of places to take spectacular photos. I want to go back and show the country to my daughter.
This is such a wonderful adventure, we’ve been to Ireland a few times but we really need to see more and do a road trip to some of the most obscure places.