After spending 2 days exploring castles, we were ready to hit the road again. We had heard about two scenic coastal drives and had high hopes that the rains would hold out. We choose to do the shorter and less famous Dingle Peninsula Loop first. It stretches 30 miles into Atlantic Ocean on the southwest coast on Irelands Wild Atlantic Way. As you drive along there are several small villages, beaches, look out points, mountain passes and tourist traps. The Dingle Loop can be done in one day easily even if you stop at every point along the way. Our first stop was at a local beach where we talked with some tourists and watched a bunch of kids taking surfing lessons. It’s not what we would consider beach weather so it was just a quick stop. Our next stop was at what are called beehive huts. These huts are scattered about the region and are made of rocks. They date back 3,000 years and were used to house monks and farmers. To reach the beehive huts we had to make a short uphill climb and were rewarded with amazing coastal views. Our next stop was at some more Beehive huts. Again we got to see the huts and great coastal views but at this stop you also get to hold and feed baby lambs. It wasn’t feeding time when we arrived but we were able to hold one day old baby lambs. Next we made a quick stop to see a statue of Jesus on the cross overlooking the Dingle Bay. All along the drive we made many stops just to get out of the car and enjoy the stunning coastal views. The next big stop was the Dunquin Pier where we walked down from the cliff top to the pier below. From the top you get views of the Basket Islands. Only a short walk up the road we had lunch at the most western bar in Europe. They had Irelands best ice tea and real peperoni. Then we made one last stop at another view point. This one required a 1 mile hike to get to the cliffs. There are a few places you can hike along the loop but we choose this one because it was near the end of the loop and after a day in the car it was nice to get out but also because it was made famous as the site where they filmed a scene from Star Wars The Last Jedi. They filmed at several locations in the area. This is where Luke sat on the rock and looked out over the ocean contemplating. They also filmed the movie Far and Away in this area. From there we returned to the village of Dingle and capped the night off with an Irish stew while listening to a local couple performing traditional Irish music.
Early the next morning we jumped back in the car to do the Ring of Kerry. This ring is a 111 mile long loop on the Iveragh Peninsula starting in Killarney. The loop is more famous and popular than the Dingle Loop with many more stops. We were told you could do it in 1 day but most people do it in 2 days. Looking back I would suggest 3 days if you really want to get out and explore. We began the trip in the Killarney National Park where we explore the Muckross Abbey. This is where we began to realize we made a big mistake. The park is 60 acres of amazing hiking. We could have easily spent the entire day here. Instead we just explored the Abbey and walked around wishing we had scheduled more time here. The park was beautiful. From there we drove to the Torc Waterfall. The falls were a short 5 minute walk from the road but when we arrived at the falls we saw a trail heading up the mountain so we decided to go for a short hike. This turned into a 90 minute trek. The next stop was at a view point but before we reached it we ended up stopping twice and wandering off the road to admire some beautiful and picturesque lakes. When we finally arrived at the Ladies View lookout we were treated to a great view and a some heavy rains. From there we took a detour off the loop to head out to the Cliffs of Kerry. It was a long detour on some suspect roads but well worth it. These cliffs were every bit as amazing as the Cliffs of Moher but without the crowds. Actually when we were leaving we both commented on how we preferred these cliffs. Unfortunately as we left the cliffs the weather got worse. We were at the halfway point on the loop and had seen the unique sites. The second half of the loop had beaches, cliffs, mountain passes and forts but as we drove to each one the clouds and rain kept us in the car with no views. It was a fail for that reason. However we did complete the loop and can now compare the two loops. The Ring of Kerry requires much more driving with further distances between each stop. The traffic is much worse and the little villages are packed with tourist and traffic jams. If you do the loop go clockwise as the tour buses all go counterclockwise and it can be a nightmare getting stuck behind them. Another thing we noticed was the attractions on the Ring were further from the road requiring much more time. If you are going to do the Ring of Kerry give yourselves at least 2 days. If we had known we would have allowed 3 days and gotten in some good hiking. Having completed both loops we both agree we enjoyed the Dingle Peninsula Loop much better. It was an easier drive and you get to spend more time outside the car. That’s not to say you should skip the Ring of Kerry. The Killarney NP and Cliffs of Kerry were both amazing. An interesting note also is that in some of the remote villages on the ROK the people still speak traditional Irish or Gaelic language. The language is taught in nationally funded schools and can be seen on street signs but is a dyeing language. Next it’s for us time to kiss a stone.
