Ring of Kerry
A 170-kilometre loop between mountains, lakes and the Atlantic, with the Skellig islands as the reward at the far end: Kerry is the absolute classic — and it survives its reputation very well.
Suggested stay — 2 to 3 nights
The Ring of Kerry (N70) loops the Iveragh peninsula in 170 km best stretched over two days: the Lakes of Killarney and the Ladies View overlook, the colourful harbour of Portmagee, the beaches of Derrynane, the Coomakista pass. The local golden rule: drive counter-clockwise, like the coaches — meeting them head-on in the narrow sections is the experience everyone prefers to avoid.
The real treasure hides in the escape the coaches cannot take: the Skellig Ring, a narrow loop via Valentia Island and St Finian's Bay, facing the pyramids of Skellig Michael — the 6th-century monastery perched on its rock 12 km offshore, reachable by boat from mid-May to late September (15 places per boat, booked months ahead). On the way back, Killarney National Park deserves its half-day: Torc waterfall, Muckross House, and the Gap of Dunloe on foot or by jaunting car — not by car, out of respect for your wing mirrors.
Don't miss
- The Skellig Ring and Valentia Island, the coach-free escape with views of Skellig Michael
- Ladies View and the Torc waterfall in Killarney National Park
- Derrynane beach and the Coomakista pass between Caherdaniel and Waterville
- Skellig Michael by boat from Portmagee, if bookings and swell allow
Our tips on the ground
- Take the ring counter-clockwise (Killarney → Killorglin → Cahersiveen): you follow the flow of coaches instead of meeting them head-on in blind bends.
- Book Skellig Michael the moment sales open in spring and build in a buffer day: one landing in three is cancelled for swell, even in fine weather.
- Sleep in Portmagee or Caherdaniel rather than Killarney: the ring at first light, empty and golden, has nothing in common with the 11 am ring.
Our flagship guide — €29
Guide available“Ireland on Your Own”, the complete edition, is out
10 chapters: day-by-day itineraries, driving and transport, a costed budget and checklists — the same method as our Namibia guide.
The guide is currently written in French — an English edition is in the works.
Before you go
Readers' questions about Ring of Kerry
Kerry or Dingle, if you must choose?
Dingle for a single day: more compact, denser, fewer coaches. Kerry for two days or more: the variety of landscapes is greater and the Skellig Ring outclasses everything — provided precisely that you have time to leave the N70. The ideal is obviously both; they face each other across Dingle Bay.
Is Skellig Michael accessible to everyone?
No: 618 uneven stone steps without a handrail, cut in the 6th century, above sheer drops. You need sure footing and no vertigo; most skippers refuse children under 8-10. The alternative: the "eco tour" cruise that circles the rock without landing — gannets and puffins guaranteed, steps not included.