20 Attractions to Explore Near Barley Cove Beach

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.

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.

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.

A beautiaful mountain on the Mizen Peninsula immediately to the north of the town of Schull in West Cork, Ireland. It offers views from south over Schull Harbour and Long Island Bay. To the east and southeast, the views take in Roaringwater Bay and its many islands, known as Carbery's Hundred Isles. North and west are the mountains of the Beara Peninsula and south Kerry.

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.

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".

Heir Island is a great place to live, work and visit. One of the seven inhabited West Cork islands off the south coast of Ireland. Offering the visitor stunning views, walks, sandy beaches, a profusion of wildflowers and bird life, the island also hosts many events such as theatre, music, cookery courses, sailing, kayaking, yoga and more.

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.

Sherkin Island is an island situated just off the southwest Cork coast. Its close location to the mainland and the simple ferry links mean that it’s one of Ireland’s most accessible islands. The island is a tourist destination and it typically takes between 10 and 15 minutes to get to Sherkin from Baltimore. Visitors can book a sea safari trip around the islands.

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 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 Baltimore Beacon is a white-painted stone beacon at the entrance to the harbour at Baltimore, County Cork, Ireland. The beacon was built at the order of the British government following the 1798 Rebellion. It was part of a series of lighthouses and beacons dotted around the Irish coast, forming a warning system. The locals call him Lot’s Wife with a wink after a biblical figure that solidified into a pillar of salt.

Dún na Séad castle was built in 1215 and has had a long and fascinating history. It fell into a ruined state in the middle of the seventeenth century. The tower house is built on the site of an earlier Norman-era structure, which itself replaced an earlier Bronze Age ringfort. Traditionally associated with the O'Driscoll family, it was purchased and restored by members of the McCarthy family in the late 1990s, and partially opened to the public from 2005.

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.

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.

Whiddy Island is located in scenic Bantry Bay, Co. Cork. The island is linked to the mainland by the local ferry, Ocean Star III, with return trips several times a day. Bike hire is also available on the island, as is a local hackney service. Trips to and from the island and tours of the bay are available during the summer months, incorporating local history, scenery and the indigenous flora and fauna.Walkers and anglers also travel to Whiddy Island.

The Ring of Beara is a road trip peninsula that runs through two counties in Ireland. It’s a lot lesser known the famous “Ring of Kerry”, but it’s arguably even more beautiful thanks to its wild landscape, untouched beauty and unique spots.

Bantry House and Garden is a stately home in southwest Ireland situated right on Bantry Bay with panoramic views of the bay and the caha mountains. The gardens contain seven terraces; the house is located on the third. One hundred steps are located behind the house and fountain, and are surrounded by azaleas and rhododendron.

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.

Dursey Island is situated on the western tip of the Beara Peninsula in West Cork and separated from the mainland by the Dursey Sound, a narrow stretch of water. The island is separated from the mainland by a narrow stretch of water, Dursey Sound, which has a very strong tidal race, with the submerged Flag Rock close to the centre of the channel. The island has just six or so permanent residents, and is connected to the mainland by Ireland's only cable car.