Kerrys Best Days Out
Beaufort is centrally located for the many scenic beauties of South West Ireland. Enjoy some of Kerrys best days out from our doorstep…
Gap of Dunloe and the Lakes of Killarney
Two of Ireland’s most famous beauty spots, the Gap of Dunloe and the Lakes of Killarney are only minutes away. Day trips can be arranged going through the Gap of Dunloe by pony and trap or on horseback to the Black Valley and coming through the Upper, Middle and Lower Lakes by boat.
One of the really special days out. Guests can be collected by Vintage Bus from the House and taken to Kate Kearney’s Cottage in the Gap of Dunloe. From there they can either take a pony and trap, ride a pony or walk through the Gap to Lord Brandon’s Cottage where a boat will take them through the Upper, Middle and Lower Lakes to Ross Castle where the bus will collect them and return them to the House. Rates are €30 for the bus and boat and €25 for the ponies per person.
The Ring Of Kerry
The Inner Ring
A wild and beautiful drive which skirts the foothills of McGillycuddy’s Reeks and Lough Acoose and traverses the Ballaghbeama Pass, one of the most remote and spectacular landscapes in Ireland, before joining the Ring of Kerry road at Moll’s Gap and returning to Killarney. About 2 1/2 hours.
The Dingle Peninsula
The Dingle Peninsula is less than forty miles away and was the setting for the films Ryan’s Daughter and Far And Away. The Slea Head drive around the western most tip of the Dingle Peninsula brings one to Dunquin, the most westerly village in Europe, and the splendid Kruger Kavanagh’s bar where you can drink the most westerly pint of Guinness in Europe, before visiting the 7th century Gallarus Oratory, a drystone chapel still waterproof after a thousand years. About 4 – 5 hours
"The most beautiful place on Earth"
National Geographic
The Skellig Rocks
If the weather is fine, a trip to Skelligs, a spectacular pair of Rocks rising vertiginously from the sea 10 miles off the coast is a must. Taking a boat from Valentia or Portmagee, the trip passes Little Skellig, a bare rock which contains the largest gannet colony in Europe, and lands on Skellig Michael, which has the amazingly well preserved ruins of a seventh century monastic settlement on one of its two peaks. The climb of six hundred steps is not recommended to the very young or very old or the faint hearted.
The many tour providers, mostly based at Portmagee provide landing trips to Skellig Michael and also eco-cruises areound the area.
The Beara Peninsula
The Beara Peninsula is a wild and beautiful drive starting in Kenmare and ending in Glengarrif. The Miskish and Caha mountains form the rugged spine of the peninsula which stretches into the wild Atlantic ocean ensuring that the coastline is ever-present.
Endless hedgerows line the leisurely roads that meander between Beara’s cosy, colourful villages and parishes.
At the southwestern tip is Dursey Island, accessible only by Cable Car, and there are the attractive villages of Allihies and Castletown Bearhaven. It is a much less frequented than the Ring of Kerry and equally as attractive. About 4-5 hours .
Muckross House
For guests exhausted by driving, a visit to Muckross House, just the other side of Killarney, is recommended. Apart from the walks mentioned on the walking page, there is the Victorian Mansion, built in 1840 by the Herbert family and given to the nation in 1932 by the Bourne and Vincent families. The house contains fine examples of Irish furniture, craft shops and a restaurant.
The estate includes beautiful gardens, the ruins of Muckross Abbey and a fascinating re creation of three Kerry farms showing how life was lived in rural Ireland fifty years ago. Nearby is Ross Castle, the last castle in Ireland to resist Oliver Cromwell.
