Beara: The Stunning, Peaceful and Mystical Peninsula of Ireland

I kind of feel bad for the Beara Peninsula.

It’s overshadowed by its 2 neighbors to the north — the Iveragh Peninsula (the Ring of Kerry) and the Dingle Peninsula.

The thing of it is — it’s just as beautiful but without the crowds and the tour busses.

Now I haven’t been to the Ring of Kerry…yet. So I’ll be able to do a better comparison after I stay on the Iveragh Peninsula this spring.

But I have been to Dingle and I have traveled around Beara.

I thought Beara was stunning — just as gorgeous as Dingle.

But not as many folks make it to Beara.

The Ring of Kerry is the most popular peninsula with Dingle coming in at second and becoming more and more popular by the minute.

Beara comes in at a respectable third out of the 5 peninsulas of southwest Ireland.

I just think people ought to consider making a trip to Beara — especially those looking for a more peaceful spot in southwest Ireland.

Here are some of the best things about the Beara Peninsula.

 

Coastal Drives

Yes driving in Ireland — especially the West of Ireland — means gorgeous coastline.

And Beara Peninsula certainly has loads of magnificent coastal scenery.

We started and ended in Kenmare where we were staying. So we began an anti-clockwise drive first taking in the north coast.

However we cut through the Caha Mountains in the middle of the peninsula (I’ll get to this) and ended up on the south coast and going in a clockwise direction.

I would say the wow factor of the coastal scenery is west of Castletownebere on the southern coast and the north coast in general.

But, let’s face it, this is Ireland so it’s all spectacular.

My favorite section that we hit just as the rain started to come down harder was just after the village of Allihies. It became more rugged and desolate. And the rain that was beginning to come down just made it more alluring to me.

You won’t be disappointed with the coastal drive of Beara.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Healy Pass

As much as I loved the coastal drives of Beara I think the Healy Pass might have been my favorite part.

I wanted to go over this pass after reading about it. So with my friend, Aedín, driving and me as the co-pilot — and my parents in the back — we decided to cut across the peninsula and go from County Kerry into County Cork over this pass since the weather gods were on our side.

And you do NOT want to drive this pass in shitty weather!

I loved it.

Soaring mountains, deep lakes and green valleys everywhere — and some sheep of course.

The views on a good day are stunning.

And I love the sign denoting the cross over of counties as there’s a big rivalry between Cork and Kerry.

I always tell people “don’t neglect the interior” when they travel to Ireland. And this includes the peninsulas as there are some wonderful treats for the eyes.

Don’t miss Healy Pass!

 

 

 

 

 

Charming Villages

I’m sure it doesn’t surprise you that there are some charming villages on the Beara Peninsula.

Kenmare on the north side and Glengarriff on the south side make good bases from which to begin your drive. Kenmare is a wonderful town that I’ve stayed in a couple of times. It makes a great base for exploring both Beara and the Ring of Kerry.

Castletownebere is the main town of the peninsula and is a good place to stop for a night if you want a town with “more” to it.

 

But towns like Adrigole (on the south side of Healy Pass), Allihies, Eyeries and Ardgroom are smaller, quieter and offer some fabulous views. Allihies and Eyeries would make nice stops for breaking the drive down into 2 days with an overnight in one of these.

All the towns are colorful and authentic.

 

Islands

There are a couple of islands off the coast of Beara Peninsula that are worthy of time if you choose to spend a night or 2 out here.

Bere Island is a large island easily accessible from Castletownebere via boat.

This island has a beautiful landscape and has a plethora of sites such as wedge tombs, standing stones and military forts.

Dursey Island lies off the coast of the far west of Beara and has just a few inhabitants.

The only way to get to Dursey Island is via a cable car as the currents in Dursey Sound are strong.

But you can take the cable car over — Ireland’s only cable car, by the way — and spend some time walking and birdwatching.

Now I didn’t have time to get to the islands, but I wish I had. I so wanted to get in the cable car and visit Dursey.

 

The Beara Way

Out of the 5 peninsulas of southwest Ireland, Mizen Head is the only one not to have a long distance walk. The other 4 — Dingle, Kerry, Beara and Sheep — all have long distance walks for those seeking an active way to see these gorgeous destinations.

The Beara Way is a 196km circular route beginning and ending in Glengarriff that also includes the above mentioned islands if you want to add those.

There are outfitters to assist you in planning and sometimes there are even groups to walk with if you want to do a more organized tour.

You can also pick up the trail for a day walk with the proper maps and planning.

But I can’t think of a better way to see this dazzling landscape than by taking your time and walking through it.

 

The Mysteries of the Beara Peninsula

The Beara Peninsula also has some mystery and mysticism to it.

New age types seem to be drawn here.

Maybe it’s because it doesn’t see the mass tourism that its neighbors to the north get. Or perhaps it’s the rugged landscape that seems more cut off from the rest of Ireland.

Whatever the reason Beara does seem to have a magical, mystical quality to it.

In fact the Dzogchen Beara Meditation Retreat Center is located in Garranes and is open to visitors.

Perhaps it’s the stone circles and the wedge tombs that add to the aura of mystery.

Ardgroom, Derreenataggart and Uragh are a few of the stone circles you’ll find on the Beara Peninsula.

We stumbled upon Derreenataggart which I loved — even though I was the only one to get out of the car and actually walk around it.

There’s also Leitrim Beg wedge tomb and Cloontream wedge tomb above Castletownebere.

So Beara had to have some significance to the ancient people.

But it will forever remain a mystery.

 

Stay on Beara

If I had it to do over again I’d stay a couple of nights on the Beara Peninsula in a village like Allihies or Eyeries.

There’s quite a bit to explore here so don’t rush it.

Get your coastal fix.

Pop over to one of the islands for a half day or even a full day.

Walk along the Beara Way.

And don’t neglect the interior!