The Ring of Kerry is a 179km ring road route around County Kerry in the Iveragh Peninsula in South Western Ireland.

Just to confuse you a little bit, the Ring of Kerry is within the Wild Atlantic way so it’s basically a route within a route. I guess that means even when you drive the Ring of Kerry, you’re technically in the Wild Atlantic Way.

After a night in Dingle, I spent the day stopping off at various points in the Ring of Kerry before heading to Cork.

By this point I covered so much ground, I lost track of my mileage. I know the total mileage on the trip was around 1,300 miles, but christ does it take it out of you. I rarely need breaks when I drive but I took as many as I could to refresh. Driving around and exploring is fun, until you try packing too much into your day and it becomes a chore.

Kells Bay

Kells Bay is set in an old fishing village between Glenbeigh and Cahersiveen in country Kerry, and has been undisturbed by recent developments.

The beach is in a small harbour and is ideal for a day trip if not for a short stop over.

It’s a small and sheltered beach which in itself is an appeal. Some might call it a modest beach.

The location is the biggest appeal. It’s fairly secluded, and gives off a tranquil vibe. It doesn’t seem like the sort of area that gets busy, so it’s ideal for those of you that don’t enjoy big crowds.

Waterville

Waterville is the only seafront village in the Ring of Kerry.

In hindsight if I was going to spend longer anywhere in the Ring of Kerry it would be Waterville.

It’s a small place and has that community feel. The locals are welcoming to all visitors, and are eager to give you the lowdown, not to mention how nice of a place it is.

I spent less than a couple hours here, but if you get a chance and you’re on a flexible itinerary, spend a night here. Waterville is well located for day trip and activity opportunities.

I look at Waterville and the only sad thing about it is knowing that a lot of people who travel to Ireland, will likely only visit Dublin.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand people are time and budget restricted, and then there’s different preferences for travelling.

But if ever an opportunity presents itself to explore other places apart from your Londons, Dublins, Paris and so forth, take it, because you get to see the character, charm and authenticity of different parts of a country.

Waterville has got a lot to attract people with various interests. Whether it be golfers, cyclists, trekkers, fisherman, water sports enthusiasts and more.

Derrynane Beach

Drive less than 20 minutes from Waterville and you’ll find yourself in Derrynane.

Derrynane is one of the more popular beaches in the Ring of Kerry. It stretches at approximately 1.5km long making it an ideal beach for walkers, and it’s surrounded by the Atlantic ocean. The beach forms part of Derrynane National Park.

Its been said that Derrynane beach is good to visit in the evening for the sunset and star gazing. On a clear night you can even see the Milky Way.

I got here too early to experience it but on the flip side there was hardly anyone here so I could enjoy a chilled beach walk. Every cloud and all that.

Kenmare

Kenmare was founded in 1670. The charm and beauty of the town has remained unchanged. It has been known as a jewel in the Ring of Kerry.

I’m not even sure if I planned to stop in Kenmare or not. All I remember was that I was starting to get tired from driving and was in need of a break. I happened to be approaching Kenmare so it seemed like a good time to park up and stretch my legs.

The centre of Kenmare is small and easy to walk around. After walking around and exploring the centre, I stopped off for a bite to eat before heading off.

I’m not sure I would have found a better places to enjoy switching off. Looking back Kenmare ended up being the ideal place at the ideal time.

Killarney National Park

The last stop on the Ring of Kerry was Killarney National Park.

Finding Killarney National Park can be a bit of a mission if you don’t know where you’re going. Sometimes you can’t fully rely on GPS navigation to take you to where you need to park.

Killarney National is the jewel in County Kerry. Here you will find Ireland’s highest mountain range, along with waterfalls, lakes, mansions and castles amongst many things over the 26,000 acres it stretches.

It’s one of the most beautiful national parks you’ll visit.

I only intended to walk a bit and sit to rest. But the more i saw of the park, the more I explored on foot.

There are plenty of trails to walk, and you can go to Torc Waterfall and even go up the 100 or so steps to get a view of the lake and park. You can also do a boat tour.

A visit to Killarney National Park can take up half a day if you wanted to. The park is open 24/7 but of course keep your visits during daylight hours.

I hadn’t originally known about the Ring of Kerry until one of my Irish friends told me about it. It was on the way to Cork, where I would be stopping at for a couple of nights.

It’s not that big a route. If you were to drive the Ring of Kerry without stopping, you could probably complete it in three and a half hours.

Obviously you’re not going to drive without stopping, and there are plenty of other places apart from the ones I visited to stop at.

You can cover a lot without feeling like you need to rush and pack too much in a day.

The Ring of Kerry is a good alternative option to add to your itinerary whether it be for a day or two.