The 4 Absolutely Amazing Peninsulas of Donegal Ireland

Okay, so technically there are probably a few more peninsulas of Donegal, the county located in the far northwest of the Republic of Ireland.

But this post is focusing on those in the far northern reaches of this incredible county.

And specifically on the ones that I think are pretty damn amazing and have spent some time exploring. 

I LOVE this piece of Ireland in general.

However these 4 peninsulas are definitely extra special and deserving of some time.

So for this St Patrick’s Day let’s delve into these stunning destinations.

You know the drill, let’s start with the where.

Where are these 4 peninsulas of Donegal?

As you can see from the map below, County Donegal is way up in the northwest part of Ireland.

And these 4 peninsulas form some of the north coastline.

Each peninsula is a different size so each one will take a different amount of time to explore.

Okay.

Now we know where these pieces of land are so let’s learn about what makes them worthy of your time.

Horn Head

The smallest of the peninsulas of Donegal is Horn Head.

And while it’s small, it packs a big ol’ wow factor.

The road itself is a loop drive and isn’t that long — about 12km.

In fact you could walk, run or cycle it although it is pretty hilly in spots.

As you leave the town of Dunfanaghy on the west side of town you’ll see signs for it.

The road is flat here as you circle around an inlet from the sea.

As you reach a fork in the road you’ll go left and climb up, winding your way up this hill.

Toward the top, you’ll reach another fork in the road.

Going left takes you out to a parking area where you can park and walk out to the lookout structure on top of Horn Head.

If you have time, go for it.

If you’re pressed for time, then stay right as you’ll eventually come to a pull off where you’ll have views back to Horn Head where that structure is.

And you’ll have splendid views out to the sea and over toward the coast of County Donegal.

It’s all gorgeous!

Back on the road you’ll begin to descend and get views back to Dunfanaghy, Killahoey Beach (the town beach) and Muckish Mountain which sits inland from Dunfanaghy.

Horn Head has some amazing views for sure.

Just make the drive or walk when the weather is good as you won’t have those views if the weather is decidedly Irish.

The road is quite narrow and steep in sections so be prepared and be alert.

But don’t miss this little peninsula in Donegal.

Rosguill

I call this a roller coaster ride of a loop drive.

Now there is more to Rosguill than the drive.

But I would say, like Horn Head, this Donegal peninsula is mostly about amazing views.

There are a plethora of holiday homes in the Downings area.

And, I remember John, the owner of The Whins B&B where I was staying, referring to Rosguill as “The Downings”. 

The Downings is the piece of Rosguill that is the less appealing part, though not ugly.

It’s further north on this beautiful peninsula of Donegal that the landscape turns up the wow factor. 

As you edge closer to the sea and the settlement of Doagh, you really begin to see why Rosguill is special.

Drive the road up past Doagh — which is right by the water — and you’ll come to a parking area.

It’s here that you are rewarded with stunning views back toward Horn Head, down to Doagh and out to the wild North Atlantic. 

Past that parking area you may see a beach — Trá na Rossan—  if it’s low tide.

This beach and the bay sit just below the hills.

It’s gorgeous!

Coming back inland be sure to stop by The Singing Pub which is an old pub with lots of wood, a peat fire and will have a tasty pint waiting for you. 

The perfect way to end the time on Rosguill. 

Fanad

The Fanad Head Lighthouse is the star of Fanad Peninsula.

But this, another of the beautiful peninsulas of Donegal, is more than the lighthouse.

And it’s more than the drive you can make around the peninsula.

Look at a map of Fanad Peninsula and it looks as though someone has poked a bunch of holes in it.

There is a lot of water. 

In fact, the Western piece is barely attached to the Eastern part. 

So there are a lot of inlets and loughs to explore — on the water and along the shores.

Inland is filled with little lakes, hills, sheep farms — a very rural landscape.

It’s quite beautiful.

The coastline is varied with some spots of sandy beaches between the rocks.

The most spectacular part of Fanad is definitely the end where you’ll find the lighthouse. 

Fanad Lighthouse is awesome.

Do take a tour of the lighthouse as these are wonderful, full of so much great information and interesting stories.

The views from here are amazing out to sea, over to Inishowen and back toward the cliffs.

I have not driven the eastern side of Fanad Peninsula but I wish I had. 

So I’m recommending it to you.

First of all, there is a sea arch called Great Pollet Sea Arch just a little ways down the coast from the lighthouse. 

It looks fab!

There’s an excellent golf course, Portsalon, further south along that eastern coast of Fanad.

And there are some lovely beaches along with some holiday sea towns.

So you see, Fanad is more than the lighthouse.

Inishowen

The largest of the peninsulas of Donegal is Inishowen.

And this happens to be where you find Malin Head, the most northerly point in Ireland.

Now Inishowen is pretty big. 

I wouldn’t recommend just a day trip around it. 

Plus, there are some lovely spots in the middle of it. 

I only spent 1 night here and will go back to stay longer. 

Inishowen is worth a few days, at least.

I drove part of the western coast until it turns inland.

There are some splendid views across to the east coast of Fanad along with some nice beaches such as Lisfannon and Stragill.

And there is the Fort of Dunree for history and military fans.

If you are a golfer, there are quite a few courses on Inishowen.

In fact, as you take that road from the coast inland you’ll come to Ballyliffin Golf Club which is an excellent and well-known course. 

Want some more history?

Then how about a visit to the Doagh Faminine Village or Carrickabraghy Castle.

The central inland area is the home to towns such as Cardonagh which I stayed near and had the opportunity to wander about.

Cardonagh had a work a day feel to it — real and authentic that I really enjoyed. 

The inland of Inishowen is agriculture with lots of sheep farming, rolling hills and gorse bushes blooming bright golden yellow in spring.

It’s peaceful here.

There is a stone circle that I missed called Bocan. 

Epic fail on my part.

Next time!

As you make your way further north toward Malin Head you’ll go back and forth between time near the water and time inland.

You may want to detour toward Five Fingers Strand as it’s a splendid beach.

I did and loved it!

Malin Head is the most northerly point.

You don’t want to miss this.

The parking area is quite small so you may need to park along the road up to the point.

Once there, you can wander about the paths and drink in the stunning views in all directions.

I was fortunate to have perfect weather so the views were amazeballs.

Do plan to spend some time on Malin Head to really take it all in.

There is a road on the northeastern part of the Inishowen Peninsula where you’ll find some lovely beaches and good spots for bird watching. 

I didn’t drive this piece of this Donegal peninsula so I can’t speak from experience.

But the pics look like this is an area worth exploring.

I did drive along the southeastern coast — from Moville all the way down to Derry in Northern Ireland.

This section is pleasant but not spectacular. 

I think the better area is north of Moville — at least from the images I’ve seen.

Whew!

So now you see why this peninsula of Donegal — the largest — is worth spending a couple of days as there is quite a bit here. 

And I’m quite sure I’ve missed a few things!

Final thoughts on the peninsulas of Donegal

These 4 peninsulas of Donegal are not as distinct as the 5 peninsulas of the southwest of Ireland — Dingle, Kerry, Beara, Sheep and Mizen.

They are less distinct and less well-known. 

But, as you can see from the images and tell from my descriptions, that there is a lot of beauty and quite a few things to experience along with the natural landscape.

So put County Donegal — especially the northern part of County Donegal — on your list.

It is so worth making the extra effort to get here.

Because once you do, you will be wondering why the heck you didn’t come here sooner.

Please note that Wander Your Way does not recommend travel at this time due to the current global health situation with the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, many destinations and attractions found on this website will not be operating although some places have opened. Please stay up to date using official sources like the WHO and CDC. 

I do plan to continue to write about incredible destinations and to offer tips on travel to Europe, so that you will find some solace in these posts — so you dream about travel and learn about travel. This way when we can all travel again, you’ll be ready to go! For now, stay home (or close to home) and stay safe!

 

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