20 Attractions to Explore Near Dursey Island

Ireland's only cable car from the mainland to Dursey Island. Departs daily, year-round, from Ballaghboy on the tip of the Beara peninsula, Co. Cork. A 10 minute trip that offers a truly singular experience as Ireland's only cable car and the only cable car that crosses open seawater in all of Europe.

A beautiful beach which was down the hill from Allihies and is the best beach in the locality. While the area provides spectacular views and there are marvellous coves, most of the coves are stony and sandy beaches are relatively rare. The whole coastline here is rugged and rocky and apparently too wild for sand to accumulate.

The Allihies Copper Mine Museum is a museum dedicated to the history of copper mining in the Allihies area in County Cork. It is situated on the Wild Atlantic Way. The exhibitions cover all aspects of the history of copper mining in the area, from prehistoric times all the way up to the nineteenth century and the Industrial Revolution. The displays also cover the local geology and the social history of the mining heritage.

A beautiful Meditation Retreat centre situated on the wild and beautiful Beara Peninsula in south-west Ireland. It sits high on cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean with breathtaking views of sea and sky. It is home to the Spiritual Care Centre, which was opened by Mary McAleese on 12 September 2007.

An extensive sandy beach in Derrynane Bay, County Kerry. The sheltered dune-backed beach is a crescent of white sand overlooking Abbey Island with its ancient burial ground and ruins of a long-forgotten mediaeval church. The area is rich in biodiversity and of significant national importance. It is a safe and sheltered beach, ideal for swimming and other water sports.

Derrynane House was the home of Irish politician and statesman, Daniel O'Connell. It is now an National Monument and part of a 320-acre national historic park. The house is located on the Iveragh peninsula on the Ring of Kerry near the village of Derrynane in County Kerry, Ireland. The house displays relics of O'Connell's life and career. Guided tours of the house are available, along with a visual presentation. Access for visitors with disabilities is limited to the ground floor.

Derreenataggart Stone Circle is about 1.5km west of Castletown Bere, close to the road and open to the public. It is about 8m in diameter and twelve stones of a probable fifteen survive. Thirty metres south-west of the circle, site CO115-011001 is "a raised sub-circular area of rough ground with a recent rectangular depression at its western edge".

The Beara Way is an stunning long distance walking trail in Counties Cork and Kerry. It is a 206-kilometre long circular trail around the Beara Peninsula that begins and ends in Glengarriff, County Cork, also passing through parts of County Kerry.It is typically completed in nine days. It is designated as a National Waymarked Trail by the National Trails Office of the Irish Sports Council and is managed by the Beara Tourism and Development Association.

The Loher Fort was probably built in the 9th century and served as a fortification of a farm yard. Behind the high walls both humans and animals found protection from attackers. Within the fort, the remnats of two buildings can be found – one of them with a circular, the other one with a square layout. In the interior are a large round house and a smaller rectangular house; archaeology has shown that these were preceded by wooden buildings. A souterrain was located in the circular house.

A majestic lighthouse which marks the southern tip of Bantry Bay, was built in 1968 as a consequence of the development of the oil terminal at Whiddy Island. The lighthouse comprises a 7 metre high white round tower on a square building. The lantern is 83 metres above sea level. It touches on lovely little Lough Akeen, and there is spectacular coastal scenery, including Mizen Head and the Beara Peninsula.

This is an extension of the famous Ring of Kerry and is a real hidden gem – a small, 20 mile route that will show you the gorgeous beauty of Ireland with none of the hassles. It starts in either Cahersiveen or Waterville depending on where you are on the Ring of Kerry and takes in awe inspiring views of the Skellig Islands at every turn, the wonderful Valentia Island accessed by ferry and bridge, the picturesque fishing village of Portmagee, Ballinskelligs with its great Blue Flag beach.

A beautiful lake in County Kerry, Ireland. Waterville lies on its western bank, close to the Atlantic Ocean, it empties into Ballinskelligs Bay. Raheen lies on its southern bank. It covers an area of 2,500 acres and is 3.5 miles long and 2 miles at the widest point. The lough is famous for its salmon and Sea trout fly fishing.

Staigue Fort is probably one of the best examples of an ancient ringfort in Kerry. The fort is thought to have been built during the late Iron Age, probably somewhere between 300 and 400 AD, as a defensive stronghold for a local lord or king. The fort consists of a massive circular rampart surrounded by an external bank. The wall is up to 5.5m high and 4m thick, surrounding a circular area of 27.4m in diameter. It shows great skill and craftsmanship in the area of stone building.

The castle consists of three towers, hence the title “Three Castle”, connected by a rampart wall of some 20 feet in height; one of the highest medieval walls still intact in Ireland. Dunlough Castle, standing atop the cliffs at the northern tip of the Mizen Peninsula, looks at the Atlantic Ocean from the extreme southwest point of Ireland. Founded in 1207 by Donagh O’Mahony, Dunlough is one of the oldest castles in southern Ireland and an example of Norman architecture and dry stone masonry.

The Hungry Hill is an Irish mountain, belonging to the Beara Peninsula in County Cork. Rising to 685 metres above sea level, it is considered the 130th highest peak in Ireland. A magical place, which should make hiking enthusiasts dream! There is a cairn at the summit and a number of standing stones to the south and east of the mountain. At its eastern foot are two lakes — Coomadayallig and Coomarkane — which both drain into the Mare's Tail waterfall.

Mizen Head Signal Station, built to save lives off the treacherous rocks at Ireland's most south-westerly point, five miles from Goleen, is open to the public. It is one of the extreme points of the island of Ireland and is a major tourist attraction, noted for its dramatic cliff scenery. One of the main transatlantic shipping routes passes close by to the south, and Mizen Head was, for many seafarers, the first sight of Europe.

This frontline beach land is a once in a lifetime opportunity to acquire a breathtaking piece of West Cork. It consists of 2 beaches, each approximately 150m in length.This beach forms part of a Special Area of Conservation and a National Heritage Area Ballyrisode Beach is an extremely valuable resource to both residents and visitors for a number of reasons, including its scenery and landscape and for its safe and sheltered location for swimming and other recreational activities.

The Kerry Cliffs are located on the Skellig Ring near Portmagee. An astonishing cliff panorama presents itself here, which one would not necessarily expect from the country side. One of the iconic location where you can enjoy the astonishing views and also there are so many other leisure activities possible.

Glanmore Lake is a freshwater lake in the southwest of Ireland. It is located on the Beara Peninsula in County Kerry. Well-known as a fishing lake, Glanmore is one of the nicest lake swims on the Beara peninsula, set at the base of Lackabane Mountain with the trees reaching up to the sky it could be deep in the Canadian wilderness.

The Ring of Kerry is a 179-kilometre-long circular tourist route in County Kerry, south-western Ireland. Clockwise from Killarney it follows the N71 to Kenmare. It’s a road that takes you through 10,000 years of dramatic history. It’s a road that takes you from deep forest to the crashing waters of the wild Atlantic. It’s a road through rugged, majestic landscapes.