Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
80 km:
Photographers and walkers will want to turn left into the driveway that advert-
ises “Best View in County Kerry.” Park and pay the €4 fee at the B&B reception. Then
walk 10 minutes straight up the gravel road, where you'll be confronted by a dramatic
coastal cliff that opens up onto what may indeed be the best view in County Kerry. The
beehive huts nearby are replicas but true to the originals.
83 km:
You reach Portmagee, a small port town and jumping-off point for boats to the
Skellig Islands.
83.2 km:
Cross the bridge to the Skellig Experience Centre. You're now on Valentia Is-
land, its name hinting at medieval trading connections with nearby Spain—which lies due
south. Dinosaur hunters may want to detour and follow the signs to the modest but ancient
tetrapod tracks, frozen in stone, on the north side of the island.
91.2 km:
At the church in Knightstown, turn left for the Knightstown Heritage Mu-
seum.
93 km:
Return to the main road and go through Knightstown to the tiny ferry (€6/car,
runs constantly 8:00-21:00, 2-km trip).
95 km:
Leaving the ferry, rejoin N-70 (the main Ring of Kerry route), turning left for
the town of Cahersiveen. From here, you can detour a few kilometers to two impressive
stone ring forts, Cahergal and Leacanabuaile.
100 km:
Return to N-70 at Cahersiveen and follow signs for
Glenbeigh
and
Killorglin
.
Enjoy views ofthe Dingle Peninsula across Dingle Bay to yourleft (youcan see the harbor
and Ersk Tower) and Inch Beach.
The rest of the loop is less scenic. At Killorglin, you've seen all there is to see. From
here, go either to Dingle (left) or to Kenmare/ Killarney/Kinsale (right).
Sneem
Sneem is inundated by tour buses daily from 14:00 to 16:00. The rest of the day, Sneem
is peaceful and laid-back. This humble town has two entertaining squares. The Irish joke,
“As we're in Kerry, the square on the east side is called South Square and the one on
the west is called North Square.” On the first (South) square, you'll see a statue of Steve
“Crusher” Casey, the local boy who reigned as world champion heavyweight wrestler
(1938-1947). A sweet little peat-toned waterfall gurgles under the one-lane bridge con-
necting the two Sneem squares. The North Square features a memorial to former French
presidentCharles deGaulle'svisit(Irishonhismother'sside,deGaullecameherefortwo
weeks of R&R after his final retirement from office in 1969). Locals call it “da gallstone.”
