Ring of Beara - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

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.

This is a woodland garden that has a selection of narrow paths leading to the sea. You can choose a short stroll of about 40 minutes or take all day discovering the 8 miles of paths. Throughout the garden a rich patina of moss, lichens ferns and saxifrages gives a sub-tropical feel to the whole area. As a foil to the luxuriant plantings, there are great natural outcrops of rocks. The garden is open to the public every day all year round.

Gleninchaquin Park, in County Kerry, provides breath-taking landscapes and scenery in which it is a sheer delight to wander around. Explore streams with log bridges, mountain paths with carved steps, rock passages, glens, lakes and waterfalls. This magnificent valley makes for a great day out for the experienced walker – high level routes, to those more inclined to the gentler terrain.

Uragh Stone Circle on the Beara Peninsula in West Cork is without doubt one of the most beautiful and most mystical places in Ireland. This monument consists of a five stone circle with a huge outlier in close proximity. This enormous monolith is at least three metres high and totally dominates the monument. It is set radially to the circle aligned along the NE-SW axis. There are a number of other monuments nearby, including a multiple stone circle and some boulder burials.

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.

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.