The 5 Amazing Peninsulas of Southwest Ireland

Southwest Ireland is on most people’s itinerary for a trip to the Emerald Isle.

I’m talking about Counties Cork and Kerry with their all star line up of places like Kinsale, Cobh, Blarney Castle with its famous stone, the Ring of Kerry, Killarney National Park and the Dingle Peninsula. 

There is no doubt about it — this area of Ireland has a LOT to offer.

It’s also home to the 5 Southwest Peninsulas.

What am I talking about?

I’m actually talking about the Ring of Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula PLUS their 3 neighbors to the south — Beara, Sheep and Mizen — that often get overlooked.

Let’s take a closer look at each one of these peninsulas as each one has its own unique character. 

And when we’re finished, I’m guessing you’ll hone in on a favorite — although I’m sure you’ll want to explore all 5!

Let’s start in the South and make our way north.

Mizen Head

I love this destination in Southwest Ireland!

Mizen Head is the 4th most visited of the 5 southwest peninsulas and also the 4th largest in size.

So if you want to avoid crowds, this is a good choice.

Durrus, a town on the north side of the peninsula, is one place to base yourself.

On the south side you have more choices in Ballydehob, Schull or Goleen.

I highly recommend the harbor town of Schull as it’s part way out the peninsula and has enough in the way of tourist amenities. 

Plus it’s a fun, friendly town.

Mizen Head has some stunning coastal scenery as well as some hills and mountains in the interior. 

You’ll find some prehistoric sites on Mizen such as the Altar Dolmen. 

And you’ll definitely come across some incredible beaches. 

Barleycove — which is backed by dunes — makes a wonderful stop as you make your way out to the tip of this beautiful piece of Southwest Ireland.

Take as many detours as time allows such as to Crookhaven and Browhead on the south side of the peninsula. 

But do leave enough time to visit Mizen Head with its signal station.

Known as the Mizen Head Experience, it does cost to walk along the trails out at the tip of this peninsula.

But it’s so worth it.

The views are amazing with an end of the world feel to them. 

Seriously.

Mizen Head is stunning!

It blew me away with its beauty.

Another spot not to miss is Three Castle Head which is on the North tip of the peninsula.

Unfortunately, I didn’t make it to this part of Mizen Head, but won’t miss it on my next visit.

I hear it’s fantastic.

This entire peninsula is truly an impressive destination.

Mizen Head is your peninsula in Southwest Ireland if you want gorgeous coastal scenery without the crowds.

Sheep’s Head

The smallest and least visited peninsula in Southwest Ireland is Sheep’s Head.

It has a barren and unspoiled feel to it but — because of its location near the Gulf Stream — the climate is mild.

Sheep’s Head is only 28km long and, get this, only 4km wide at its widest point.

The drive out to the tip is beautiful with views to Mizen to the south.

I love the last bit of the drive as the road narrows into a single lane and becomes a bit of roller coaster ride. 

But the views are fab!

You can walk out to the lighthouse from the end of the road where the parking area is.

I didn’t have great weather so decided not to walk all the way out which I regret.

Next time!

This peninsula is definitely off the tourist track.

There are only a few small towns and settlements but there are some historical sites such as standing stones, stone circles, an old copper mine and a Napoleanic signal tower. 

And yes, there are lots of sheep.

Sheep’s Head is the place to come if you are a walker or hiker as the 93km Sheep’s Head Way is a wonderful loop trail and an excellent way to truly experience this peninsula.

I regret not doing any walking during my short visit so I know next time I will definitely get out on the trail.

I did stop in Ahakista at the Blue Heron Cafe which I highly recommend for a bite to eat and to take in their beautiful garden — and the artwork of local, Annabel Langrish.

Sheep’s Head is your peninsula in Southwest Ireland if you really want to get away from it all — and if you want to do some serious walking or hiking.

Beara Peninsula

Ah, yes.

The middle child.

Mizen Head and Sheep’s Head sit firmly in County Cork.

The Ring of Kerry and Dingle Peninsula — which we’ll be talking about soon — are in County Kerry.

Then there’s Beara which sits in both counties.

It is literally in the middle of the 5 peninsulas and, I think, has a bit of the middle child complex.

It’s the 3rd most visited yet it is the 2nd largest in size.

Travelers skip over it for the Ring of Kerry and Dingle Peninsula.

My advice?

Don’t.

Beara is magnificent!

The coastline and the interior both are beautiful.

This peninsula in Southwest Ireland has loads of ancient sites (and is known for its mystical vibe), charming towns and villages, ruins of mines and castles and some impressive mountains in the interior — the Caha Mountains.

My visit here was a day long drive around parts of the perimeter as well as a drive over the Healy Pass in the interior.

And while I enjoyed the time with my friend driving and my folks in the back seat, I longed to really spend time on Beara because I wanted to explore deeper.

I would highly recommend staying in one of the towns such as Castletownbere — the main town — or the colorful village of Ahillies as there is a LOT to explore here.

Oh, and did I mention that there are no motor coach tours on Beara?

The roads aren’t wide enough.

So unlike the Ring of Kerry (see below), you won’t have to worry about sharing the road, or the many sites with hoards of people.

Beara Peninsula is your peninsula in Southwest Ireland if you want variety, fewer tourists and if you love the magical and mystical. There are a lot of ancient sites here!

Iveragh Peninsula / Ring of Kerry

The king of Southwest Ireland is definitely the Iveragh Peninsula which is better known for its driving route — the Ring of Kerry.

It’s popular for many reasons.

One is that the road around the perimeter is wide enough for tour busses. 

While this is great as it makes it accessible for many travelers, it’s also a con as it gets a lot of visitors and the road can get busy.

Another reason it’s popular is that is really is gorgeous.

The coastline is stunning, dotted with beaches in some spots or rugged cliffs in others.

There are some charming towns and villages to explore as well as ancient sites such as stone circles, forts and castle ruins.

And it has a beautiful, mountainous interior.

So yes, the Ring of Kerry is beautiful — swoon worthy.

My advice is to stay out on the peninsula to explore deeper. 

Waterville, Caherdaniel or Portmagee make great places to stay for a couple of nights.

The Ballinskellig Ring — a wee road that tour busses can’t access (yay!)— is at the very tip of the peninsula and is the icing on the cake.

The scenery is awesome with the Kerry Cliffs and St Finan’s Bay with its views to the Skellig islands.

My other piece of advice is to check out the mountainous interior.

I didn’t get the chance to do this on my recent visit, but I will the next time.

I’ve heard the under-visited interior is amazing — filled with mountains, hills, bogs, lakes and the highest peak in Ireland — Carrauntoohil.

The Ring of Kerry is your peninsula in Southwest Ireland if you want to be with the popular kids and if you want a lot of variety in landscape.

Dingle Peninsula

If the Ring of Kerry is the king of Southwest Ireland then the Dingle Peninsula is the queen.

While it may be the last peninsula in this post, it is not the least.

Dingle is very popular, coming in second to the Ring of Kerry. 

And I see it becoming more and more famous because it’s quite a bit smaller than the Iveragh Peninsula so it’s easier to visit on a short trip.

Dingle was my first of Southwest Ireland’s peninsulas — and I promptly fell in love.

11 years later I visited and found it a bit busier.

It’s still stunningly breath taking.

But there are more cars driving around the ring drive — the Slea Head drive. 

And there are more people in Dingle Town.

Visit out of season a bit to avoid crowds if you want to connect with the locals more.

What makes Dingle so special?

Well a cliff-lined coastline with spots of sandy beaches, beehive huts from the Iron Age, standing stones and some spectacular views to the Blasket Islands and the Atlantic Ocean.

Yup. 

It’s another swoon worthy destination.

Then there is the interior with hills and mountains and sheep dotting the landscape. 

I will say that for a smaller peninsula, Dingle packs a punch with some amazeballs scenery.

And Dingle Town is a colorful, vibrant town with good restaurants and a lively pub scene.

Dingle is your peninsula in Southwest Ireland if you want a lot of wow in a short drive and you want a fun, little town to spend the night in. Great music scene!

There are the 5 peninsulas of Southwest Ireland

Which one do you fancy?

It’s definitely difficult to choose as each is different.

I truly love them all.

But, if I’m being honest, Beara will be where I go back to first because I want to dig deeper.

Of course, I say this and I’m thinking about walking part of the Sheep’s Head Way, exploring more of the Iveragh interior, getting out to Three Castles Head on Mizen or actually getting over Conor Pass on Dingle. 

*sigh*

So many Irish peninsulas, so little time.

Let me know which one you want to visit.

Or — if you have been to one or 2 or 3 of them — tell me all about it.

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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