Why You Need to add the Ring of Kerry to Your Ireland Bucket List

Ireland is a country that you likely have on your bucket list for good reason.  It's an iconic island in Europe that is full of incredible landscapes, magical castles and culinary delights.  Due to its location, it avoided the modern European wars and has historic architecture that has been largely untouched.

Whatever your reason for traveling to the Emerald Isle, there are some things you just can't pass up on your trip.  One of those destinations is County Kerry in the southwest corner of Ireland.  It is home to the highest mountains on the island and some of the most beautiful and unique landscapes.  It's been featured in movie and tv shows such as Star Wars, Vikings and Game of Thrones.

I've been to Ireland multiple times, but the first time I was there, I missed Kerry.  I just didn't have time to fit in on my itinerary with it being located in the far corner of the island.   When I eventually did get to this region I realized the mistake I had made in skipping out on this enchanting destination on my first visit.  If you are planning a trip to Ireland, Kerry needs to be on your itinerary.

You have multiple options for places to stay in Kerry.  Tralee, located near the Dingle peninsula, is the largest city in the county.However, Killarney is the most touristy, due to its location near Killarney National Park and the infamous Ring of Kerry.  I personally recommend Killarney.  It's a vibrant town with plenty of options for accommodation, restaurants and shopping.  Unless your sole goal is to do the Dingle peninsula, Killarney is a great home base to explore Co. Kerry for a few nights.

From Killarney you can also easily reach many of the main attractions of Kerry, the most popular being the Ring of Kerry route on the Iveragh Peninsula.  This route can be done in one day but should really be tackled in two or more to ensure you get the most out of your time there.  You did drive all the way to the far corner of Ireland after all.  There are so many options of things to see and do on the Ring of Kerry Route, it can be hard to narrow it down, so I'm going to give you some of the top choices.

Muckross Abbey is one of the first places you should stop.  It is located near Killarney, and if you have kids, like I did on my last trip, it is a great place to let them run around through the different rooms of the historic building.  The abbey is located inside Killarney National Park which is filled with numerous hiking trails, kayaking and fishing.  It's well worth it to spend at least several hours in the park including taking a short walk to Torc Waterfall, which is another highlight you shouldn't miss.  Visit the waterfall either early or later in the day as the parking lot is very small.

Along the Ring of Kerry there are numerous small towns you'll pass through that give you some insight into Irish life on the coast.  One such town is Sneem.  This town is filled with small shops, coffee stands and cafes.  If you're lucky enough to go on the weekends they have a small market with local baked goods and crafts for sale.  This is a small town and doesn't require a lot of time but is a nice spot to stop.

You might not think of beaches when you think of Ireland, but there are several of them along the Ring of Kerry route.  Derrynane Beach is a highly recommended stop.  With a long white sandy beach and volcanic rock mounds, it makes for a unique setting.  It reminds me a little bit of Hawaii.    In the summer you can swim here and will likely see others doing so, but the water is quite cold so don't expect to be in there very long.

Another unique beach along the Ring of Kerry, if you can call it that, is Rossbeigh Beach.  What makes this beach different is that there is no sand, only rocks, both big and small.  The mountains surrounding the beach make it a very picturesque spot.  There's also a nice playground here to let the kids run around after being in the car all day.

One of the most majestic pieces of coastline in Kerry are the Kerry Cliffs.  Not as large, or as popular, as the Cliffs of Moher, the Kerry Cliffs are a must-stop in Kerry.  This, along with some of the viewpoints within Killarney National Park were my favorite parts of Kerry.  The landscape will leave you in awe.  The Kerry Cliffs are one of the few natural features in Kerry that has a fee to enter due to it being on private property.  It is also a fairly steep walk to get to the highest viewpoint but it is well worth it.  From the Kerry Cliffs you can see Puffin Island, Dingle Peninsula in the distance and the Skellig Islands, where parts of the most recent Star Wars movies were filmed.

Back toward Killarney, in Killarney National Park, is one of the most scenic mountain passes in all of Ireland, the Gap of Dunloe.  This is an extremely popular route to take, and for good reason.  It passes through towering mountains and includes waterfalls, stone bridges and rugged landscape.  Depending on how you want to conquer this route it could take half a day.  My recommendation, if you have a car, is to drive.  But only do this before 10 am or after 7 pm as during the day you will encounter many tourists walking and jaunting cars.  Being that the route is narrow and only one car wide in most places, the chances of you getting stuck behind slower-moving traffic are high in the middle of the day.

Even if you don't stay in town, make sure to spend some time in Killarney.  It is a fairly touristy town, but it also has the charm of an Irish village.  It isn't very large and you can easily walk from one end to the other of the city center area.  In the daytime you'll find lots of shoppers looking for souveniers, clothing and toys.  In the evenings you'll find plenty of pubs with live music.  With the mountains surrounding the city, it is one of the only places in Ireland that has a mountain village feel to it.

There are so many more things to see and do in Kerry that I haven't mentioned above.  This is just a small taste of what the area has to offer.  In all honestly if you only have a day, you probably won't be able to even fit all of these items in.  So take a couple of days to explore the area.  And if you have even more time you'll definitely want to adventure on to the Dingle Peninsula

If you have any questions feel free to leave them in the comments below.