As part of our one week in Ireland road trip, we spent a day driving around the Ring of Kerry. The Ring of Kerry is a 179km loop around the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry, starting and finishing in Killarney.
The Ring of Kerry is a popular attraction in Ireland and has some very beautiful Irish scenery. In this article I’ll take you through some of the practicalities and list some of the key sights along the way.
Overall verdict on the Ring of Kerry
I’ll start with my overall verdict on the Ring of Kerry. It might be an unpopular opinion but I would say the southern part of the Ring of Kerry is far superior to the northern part. The northern section takes you through various small towns with frankly not much to see. In contrast, the southern section is wild terrain that includes deep woodland and sweeping views across the sea.
My recommendation would therefore be to drive around the Ring of Kerry anticlockwise and get through the northern part fairly swiftly until you reach the turning for the Skellig Ring (more on this below).
How long does the Ring of Kerry take to drive?
If you drove around the Ring of Kerry without stopping, you could complete the loop in half a day. However, the whole point is to soak in all the scenery along the way. Therefore, I recommend setting aside a whole day.
What are the roads like along the Ring of Kerry?
Generally, the roads of the Ring of Kerry are pretty narrow, with one lane on each side of the road. Parts of the Ring are single track. In Ireland you drive on the left.
So most Brits would be familiar with the kinds of roads along the Ring of Kerry. But anybody used to driving on the right or on wider roads will need to adjust.
Scenery along the Ring of Kerry
Anyone thinking about a trip to Ireland will have seen pictures of craggy cliffs, sweeping beaches, ruined castles, pastel-coloured village centres, forests of towering trees and abundant greenery. This is exactly what you get along the Ring of Kerry – it ticks all the boxes for classic Irish scenery.
Viewpoints along the route are well-marked, or at least visible by the laybys or small car parks to the side of the road. From these, you’ll see deserted islands out to sea, or you’ll cast your eyes over scrubby gorse bushes towards a lough (lake), or you’ll be surrounded by tall trees covered in the brightest green moss you’ve ever seen.
In other words, everything there is to see is worth seeing.
Highlights of the Ring of Kerry
I’ve said above that the northern section of the Ring of Kerry is unremarkable in comparison to the southern section so all of these highlights are on the south side.
Skellig Ring
See further on this below. If you have time to add on that extra loop, do it!
Farraniaragh Viewpoint
Stop carefully by the side of the winding road to view the islands dotted throughout this inlet of the Atlantic. Sheep graze on the steep, rocky hills which drop towards the wide sea. In my opinion, this is one of the best views of the Ring of Kerry.
Ladies’ View viewpoint
The ladies of this viewpoint are Queen Victoria’s ladies-in-waiting who, like me, were greatly impressed by the landscape. Park in the tiny car park at the side of the road and look out beyond the long grasses and brown shrubland towards the lough, nestled between craggy hills.
Small, colourful villages such as Sneem
You’ll find yourself passing through many colourful little villages. Each of them has a crossroads with rows of narrow shops stretching down each street, painted in soft pastel colours. Almost every village also has a picturesque stone church with neat rows of gravestones.
Killarney National Park
If you have an extra half-day or day to spend in Killarney National Park, I really recommend it. A vast lough is surrounded by scrubby hills covered with deep yellow gorse bushes (if you visit in the springtime), the path along its edge weaving down to tiny lakeside beaches. Thick forest sprouts in every imaginable shade of green, from the dark ferns to the lurid green moss which clings to the tree trunks.
Skellig Ring
The Skellig Ring is an additional 18km loop you can add on to the Ring of Kerry about halfway round. The coastal parts of the Ring of Kerry, including the Skellig Ring, are part of Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way, a 2,500km route along the whole of Ireland’s west coastline.
The roads on the Skellig Ring are single-track and it feels much wilder than the Ring of Kerry. It is more sparsely populated and largely made up of farmland.
The most well-known sight on the Skellig Ring is the Cliffs of Kerry. These are on private land so there is a €5 fee to visit. A ten-minute walk up a slight hill from the car park brings you to the edge of the rugged cliffs, layered into horizontal stripes over millions of years and in parts obscured by a build-up of bright sea-moss. Waves crash at their base, sea-foam gathering around the protruding rocks.
This area is also known for its birdlife. Keep an eye out for various breeds of puffin, gulls and gannets – the latter sailing along on the strong winds beating the cliffs.
Another highlight of the Skellig Ring for me was at Ballingskelligs. The sandy beach there is overlooked by a stout ruined castle. A short walk along the beach leads you to the ruins of the twelfth-century Ballingskelligs Abbey. As you stoop through its crumbling arches, you’ll find that it is still in use today as a burial ground, marble gravestones still glinting in the coastal sun. It’s a peaceful place, and certainly worth stopping, sitting and reflecting for a while before you return along the beach to the village.
What is the best bit of the Ring of Kerry?
My favourite section is in Killarney National Park. I had never seen so many shades of green in one place before. When you are crunching gently through the bed of leaves on the forest floor, rain pattering on the leaves above, you will feel that you are truly out in the wild.