The Best Things to Do in Schull and West Cork Ireland

Last Updated: Oct 22, 2020

Some of the best things to do in Schull and West Cork are free.

And some may cost you.

My list is probably biased around more outdoor experiences.

But there are also things to do and see indoors — an awesome music scene and some of the best food Ireland has to offer.

I bet I have your attention now.

So let’s get this party started.

 

Where is Schull and West Cork?

County Cork is the most southwesterly county in Ireland and it also happens to be the largest.

West Cork is the area that is west of Kinsale — some might even say it doesn’t really begin until you hit Clonakilty.

So it’s not well-defined, but you’ll know it when you get there.

Schull is a very small harbor town part way out the Mizen Head Peninsula.

I had visited Schull for a quick night back in 2010 and promised I would return.

Something about it tugged at my heart and soul.

So I spent 10 fabulous days in Schull back in late April 2018.

And now I know why I needed to return.

It’s truly a special place.

It also makes a great base to explore West Cork with easy access to some incredible things to do.

Okay…so what are the best things to do in Schull and West Cork?

Let’s start with some of the Schull experiences.

 

Hackett’s Bar — Schull

This is a small, dark traditional pub that I fell in love with and that I highly recommend for its local vibe.

Hackett’s does lunch as well, but there’s no dinner.

I didn’t eat here so I can’t attest to the food.

But I can tell you it’s an awesome place for music and it’s one of the best spots to meet locals.

I made friends here and was treated to some very talented musicians that blew me away.

The Murphy’s is tasty as well.

You don’t want to miss Hackett’s!

 

Newman’s West and TJ Newman’s Corner Pub — Schull

This two-fer is one of the best things to do in Schull and West Cork.

Newman’s West is a wine bar and cafe.

Lunch is served daily as is dinner in high season.

In the quieter times, dinner is only served on weekends.

I had a tasty dinner of fish pie on my recent visit.

The wine list is quite good as well.

Bridie and John, the owners, are absolutely wonderful — warm and friendly.

The Corner Pub is the true pub of this two-fer and has an excellent selection of whiskeys, beer (including some local craft brews) and they make some of the best cocktails in West Cork.

I was treated to a storytelling here on my final night.

It was such a treat to hang out with the locals as some folks told stories and others played music.

The Corner Pub has music as well on many nights in the high season.

Don’t miss spending some time at Newman’s.

 

Dinner at Grove House — Schull

I stayed at Grove House which also has a restaurant.

I had 2 meals here.

Katrina, the owner and chef, makes some incredibly tasty food — fish, veggies, potatoes.

She has a garden out back and uses as much locally sourced food as possible.

The wine list is extensive and the ambience in this old house is perfect for a romantic dinner or for a group of family or friends.

I highly recommend it.

 

Enibas

One of the best things to do in Schull and West Cork is to visit Enibas.

Okay, it is for me because Enibas is a jewelry shop.

And not just any jewelry shop but the handcrafted designs of Sabine Lenz.

Now I first discovered Sabine’s work at her smaller shop in Kinsale.

I bought my first Enibas piece on my first trip to Ireland in 2007.

Then I bought a second piece in Kinsale in 2010.

So I had to spend some time at her shop in Schull on this trip as this is the home of her workshop.

And yes, I bought 2 more pieces from her.

Sabine creates beautiful jewelry — rings, pendants, bracelets, earrings.

And many of them have sayings in Irish on them.

I chose a ring with Lean do Bhriongloid which means Follow Your Dream and a pendant with Do shaol, do thuras which translates to Your life, your journey.

I met Sabine and had a wonderful conversation with her about her craft and I told her how much I cherish each piece I have.

If you love jewelry, or simply have an appreciation for local artisans and their work, be sure to stop in.

 

Wander around Schull

There’s no doubt about it that simply wandering about Schull is one of the best things to do in Schull and West Cork.

Schull is a harbor town, so you can wander down by the harbor, maybe even having a picnic lunch by the water.

Sit and gaze at the water, the boats and the light.

The town itself is small, but wander through it.

Then walk out toward the Schull Planetarium which I would highly suggest visiting.

I didn’t do this (and regret it) but I can’t say I had many clear nights that would have worked anyway.

There’s a lovely walk up a rural road that takes you to Sailor Viewpoint.

There are stunning views across the water to the islands and the coastline.

Along the way you’ll pass St Mary’s church ruins and its cemetery which is an intriguing place to meander about.

Schull is a wonderful place to slow down and get a little lost.

 

Mizen Head

I’m a huge fan of the Mizen Head Peninsula.

All 5 of Ireland’s southwest peninsulas are beautiful in their own unique way.

But Mizen Head surprised me — and I didn’t even see all of it.

This drive — and the Mizen Head Experience at the end of the road — is one of the best things to do in Schull and West Cork.

From gorgeous coastal views to ancient stones to stunning beaches to the awesome Mizen Head Experience walk — Mizen Head should not be missed.

Take your time on the drive.

Be sure to stop by the gorgeous Barleycove Beach.

One stop I didn’t make, but wish I had, is the detour to Crookhaven.

The other detour that locals told me to take was up to the north part of the peninsula to a place called 3 Castle Head.

Unfortunately I didn’t make it to this part of Mizen Head.

But I’ll be back because Mizen is so stunning.

 

Sheep’s Head

So Mizen Head is the most southerly of the 5 southwest peninsulas.

Sheep’s Head is the one that is just to the north of Mizen.

Yet it’s so different from Mizen Head.

First of all Sheep’s Head is pretty small and it’s the least-visited of the 5 peninsulas.

Secondly, it’s quite barren. So it has this desolate beauty to it.

While I liked Mizen Head better, I’d go back to Sheep’s Head as there are loads of trails on it.

It’s an excellent destination for anyone wanting to take some long hikes or walks.

I know I’ll return to tackle some of the trails.

And yes, there are few sheep on the peninsula!

 

Heron Gallery Cafe and Gardens

And out on Sheep’s Head is the Heron Gallery Cafe and Gardens just outside the town of Ahakista.

Annabel Langrish is another of those talented West Cork artisans who creates wildlife prints and sculptures.

There’s actually a Heron Gallery in Schull, Clonakilty, Kinsale and Kenmare in County Kerry.

But this Heron Gallery has a cafe with locally sourced food AND it has a gorgeous garden filled with flowers, vegetables and the pet kune pigs.

It’s a place of tranquility with its pond and walking paths and even spots to meditate.

For me it was a last minute decision to stop by.

And I’m glad I did because I think it’s one of the best things to do in West Cork.

I had some tasty, fresh mint tea and a delicious gluten free cake.

 

Fastnet trails

As I drove along the main road, the N71, that runs from Ballydehob toward Skibbereen and Clonakilty I stopped at this overlook.

 

Great views, right?

Well I also noticed a sign with a map that had all these trails on it — the Fastnet Trails which are a network of trails in this part of West Cork.

I took some photos of the sign and set out on a walk one day.

What a find!

I wish I had walked more of these trails.

A walk along these rural roads and dirt footpaths is one of the best things to do in Schull and West Cork.

The walk I made took me through some forested area, then along a rural road with coastal views.

It ended at church ruins with an old cemetery that was right along the water.

It was a short, easy walk but quite picturesque and filled with history.

There are quite a few trails so I’m sure there’s one for you.

 

Baltimore and Cape Clear

Baltimore is this little sailing village — smaller than Schull.

I visited it on my first trip to Ireland then again in 2010 with my parents, making the lovely coastal drive from Kinsale.

 

This time I decided to take a boat over to Cape Clear Island to check it out.

Wow!

If you are in this part of Ireland when the weather is decent you have to do this.

Visiting Cape Clear is one of the best things to do in Schull and West Cork.

The boat trip over is a good half hour on a small-ish boat.

The views are stunning as you cross the sea.

Once on Cape Clear there are walks you can take.

It’s a very small island without a lot of services although there is small shop and cafe near the harbor.

Only about 125 people live on the island.

But there are some spectacular trails with breathtaking views, like this.

I know! Amazeballs!

Put it on your list.

 

Drombeg Stone Circle

If you read this blog, then you know I looovvve stone circles.

Drombeg Stone Circle is one of the more well-known circles in Ireland.

But if you can get there early in the morning or toward the end of the day, you may get lucky and not have to share this sacred spot with too many folks.

The location itself is amazing out in the West Cork fields and with a view of the sea.

It’s just a short walk out a good trail from the car park to Drombeg.

Pack a snack and commune with the ancient spirits.

 

Drive along the coast

One of the best things to do in Schull and West Cork is to take a leisurely drive on a nice day.

Get off the N71 and take the wee roads that wend along the coast.

Get a little lost.

Stop in towns like Glandore, Union Hall and Castletownshend.

Walk along beaches such as the famous Inchydoney and lesser-visited spots like Long Strand, Owenahincha Beach or Castlefreke sand dunes.

Make it your own and wander where your travel intuition takes you.

I can promise that there is a lot to see in this part of West Cork that won’t disappoint.

 

Kayak Glengarriff Bay

One of the best things to do in Schull and West Cork is to kayak.

And nothing is better than a kayak on Glengarriff Bay.

I highly recommend a guided tour with Outdoors Ireland.

Out on the bay you get a different perspective of West Cork.

There are tales of witches and smugglers and there’s loads of wildlife.

I saw lots of curious seals.

It’s an awesome experience.

 

Eccles Hotel for a meal

And after a kayak on the bay you can have a delicious meal at Eccles Hotel in Glengarriff where head chef, Eddie Attwell, creates some of the best food in West Cork.

The food is locally sourced and is absolutely amazing.

I was treated to a sample plate that was so tasty.

Eccles is one of the oldest purpose built hotels in all of Ireland.

So maybe you’d like to stay a night or 2 as well.

In fact, they’ve been doing some wonderful renovations and have recently opened a spa at Eccles.

 

Eat the locally sourced food

Okay.

When I say best food in Europe, Ireland is probably not going to come to mind.

You think of Italy and France.

But West Cork will change your mind.

County Cork in general has some of the best food in all of Ireland.

And it rivals food you’ll find in Italy and France.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Fresh beef and lamb and über fresh seafood along with veggies that are locally grown are showing up on plates all over West Cork in dishes that are simple, creative and incredibly tasty.

You can eat your way through this part of Ireland and be quite happy.

And there are some wonderful Farmer’s Markets in many of the towns in West Cork where you can purchase your own food to create as you wish.

The Durrus cheese is one of my favorite local foods — mmmm…cheese!

 

Hear some amazing musicians

I was blown away by the musicians I saw and heard in Schull.

Going out to a pub or festival to hear these amazing musicians is one of the best things to do in Schull and West Cork.

There is a plethora of talent.

Now I’m not talking traditional Irish music per se.

I’m talking about hip and happening, singer-songwriter types.

Bear Bojack is one group I heard that I loved. Wow!

 

Absorb the West Cork Light

Without a doubt, the absolute best thing to do in Schull and West Cork is to sit outside and watch the gorgeous West Cork Light.

There’s a reason so many artists and photographers flock here.

The light it gorgeous.

There’s an ethereal quality to it.

I was mesmerized by it and I certainly took loads of photos.

It’s soft, muted and calming.

So be sure to sit and relax with the West Cork Light.

 

Ultimately, the best things to do in Schull and West Cork is meet the locals.

I met so many warm, friendly people in this corner of Ireland.

They love West Cork.

And even the Dubliners I met who were visiting for a weekend raved about West Cork, Schull and all the towns in the area.

Take the time to talk with the locals and get to know them as many of them have interesting stories.

Some have lived in West Cork their whole lives while others found their way here from other parts of Ireland and other parts of Europe.

Slow down and truly make that connection with West Cork and its people.

I promise you will love it here.