Most of what this page covers sits within an hour of Killarney. The Gap of Dunloe cuts a U-shaped glacial pass between the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks and the Purple Mountain group, past five small lakes and the stone Wishing Bridge; driving it in summer is a bad idea, so people walk, cycle or take a jaunting-car. Aghadoe is the easy one, a free open site on a ridge above the town, looking over Lough Leane and Innisfallen, with a 12th-century cathedral and an Ogham stone on the same patch of ground. Carrauntoohil, at 1,038.6 m, is the highest point in the country and a full day out, usually up the scree of the Devil’s Ladder.
West of that, the Dingle Peninsula carries its own set. The Conor Pass climbs to 456 m on a single-lane road of tight bends and sheer drops, with the view south across Dingle Bay from the summit car park; vehicles over two tonnes are banned, and winter can close it. Dunmore Head, the westernmost point of mainland Ireland, is a two-kilometre loop walk from the car park above Coumeenoole Beach, which fills by midday.
The rest is spread wide: the 179 km Ring of Kerry around the Iveragh Peninsula, Geokaun on Valentia Island, where a road runs to the 266 m summit, and Kerry Head above Ballyheigue in the north. Between them, expect long drives; the peninsulas do not join up quickly.
A 179 km loop around the Iveragh Peninsula from Killarney, stringing together Staigue fort, the Kerry Cliffs and Derrynane with a Dark Sky Reserve detour.
A living Gaeltacht running west into the Atlantic, ringed by the 38 km Slea Head Drive and holding the highest mountain pass in Ireland.
A glacial pass between the Reeks and Purple Mountain, walked, cycled or ridden past five small lakes rather than driven in summer.
At 1,038.6 m the highest point in Ireland, climbed most often by the loose scree of the Devil's Ladder on a serious mountain day.
A free ridge-top site above Killarney gathering a 12th-century cathedral, an Ogham stone and a round-tower base, with Lough Leane laid out below.
29 of 29 shown — tap a pin for the place.
Ring of Kerry, kerry
The Ring of Kerry runs 179 km around the Iveragh Peninsula from Killarney, on the N71, N70 and N72. It strings together Ross Castle, Muckross, the Staigue stone fort, the Kerry Cliffs and Derrynane, with the Skellig Ring detour and one of only three Gold Tier Dark Sky Reserves in the northern hemisphere near Portmagee.
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The Dingle Peninsula (Corca Dhuibhne) runs west into the Atlantic at the tip of County Kerry, a living Gaeltacht ringed by the 38 km Slea Head Drive. Its 583 sq km hold dry-stone oratories, the highest mountain pass in Ireland, and a string of long sandy beaches.
Gap of Dunloe, kerry
A U-shaped glacial pass between the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks and the Purple Mountain group, carved by ice 25,000 years ago. Visitors walk, cycle or ride horse-drawn jaunting-cars past five small lakes, historic cottages and the stone Wishing Bridge. Driving it in summer is a bad idea.
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At 1,038.6 m, Carrauntoohil is the highest point in Ireland and the crown of the MacGillycuddy's Reeks in Kerry. Most walkers go up the loose scree of the Devil's Ladder; the climb is free and open year-round, but it is a serious mountain day, not a stroll.
Aghadoe, kerry
Aghadoe stands on a ridge above Killarney, looking down on Lough Leane, Innisfallen island and the MacGillycuddy's Reeks. The free, open site gathers a 12th-century cathedral with a Romanesque doorway, a 6th- or 7th-century Ogham stone, a round-tower base and the cylindrical keep of Parkavonear Castle.
MacGillycuddy's Reeks, kerry
Beenkeragh is Ireland's second-highest mountain at 1,008 m, but people climb it for the arete: the narrow, rocky ridge linking it to Carrauntoohil is one of the finest and most exposed scrambles in the country. It's the northern turn of the Coomloughra Horseshoe, a 12.6 km circuit over Ireland's three highest peaks that takes a full 6 to 8 hours. Not a mountain for a casual walk, and lethal in wind or ice.
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The Black Valley was the last place in mainland Ireland to be connected to the electricity and telephone networks, in 1976. It's a remote glen at the southern foot of the MacGillycuddy's Reeks, threaded by a stage of the Kerry Way and best known now for Molly's Cottage, an abandoned stone dwelling near Lough Reagh.
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Mount Brandon rises to 952m, the highest mountain in Ireland outside the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks. Its slopes carry a 5th-century pilgrim path, the highest Ogham stone in the country, and the scattered wreckage of four WWII aircraft. The classic climb is the Faha Ridge, and it is a serious mountain day.
An Chonair, kerry
The Conor Pass climbs to 456 m over the Dingle Peninsula on a narrow, single-lane road of tight bends and sheer drops, one of the highest and most dramatic drives in Ireland. From the summit car park the views run south across Dingle Bay to the Skelligs and north towards Brandon Bay, and on a clear day as far as the Aran Islands. Vehicles over two tonnes are banned, and winter weather can close it.
Dunquin, kerry
Dunmore Head is the westernmost point of mainland Ireland, a sandstone promontory on the Slea Head Drive that stood in for the planet Ahch-To in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. You can't drive onto it: park above Coumeenoole Beach and walk the exposed two-kilometre loop to an Ogham stone and an old wartime lookout, with the Blasket Islands filling the view. The car park is tiny and fills by midday.
Valentia Island, kerry
Geokaun is the highest point on Valentia Island at 266 metres, and you can drive to the summit. From the deck the view runs a full 360° over the Skellig Islands, the Dingle Peninsula and the sheer Fogher Cliffs, while interpretive panels along the loop cover everything from the first transatlantic cable to the island's tetrapod trackway.
Kenmare, kerry
Ireland’s largest southwestern peninsula offers a dramatic mix of Atlantic coastline, ancient rock art, and the wild beauty of the Skellig Islands. Home to Daniel O’Connell’s Derrynane House and the Kerry International Dark-Sky Reserve, it delivers outstanding hiking, stargazing, and maritime heritage.
Kerry Head, kerry
Kerry Head is the most northerly of Kerry’s four peninsulas, a low, exposed headland between Tralee Bay and the Shannon Estuary. From Ballyheigue you can walk or cycle a signposted coastal loop past ring forts thought to be over 2,000 years old, with free access and no gates all year.
Killarney, kerry
Mangerton is the highest mountain lying entirely within Killarney National Park, a broad boggy dome rather than a rocky peak. The walk most people come for climbs to the Devil's Punchbowl, a dark corrie lake ringed by cliffs, with MacGillycuddy's Reeks and the Lakes of Killarney laid out behind you.
Moll's Gap, kerry
Moll's Gap is a roadside viewpoint high on the N71 between Killarney and Kenmare, looking across to the MacGillycuddy's Reeks. It's free, open all hours, and has an Avoca café and shop opposite the car park. Twenty minutes is plenty – it's a stop on the Ring of Kerry, not a day out.
Dingle Peninsula, kerry
At 952m, Mount Brandon is the highest summit outside the MacGillycuddy's Reeks and eighth-highest in Ireland. The Cosán na Naomh pilgrim path is the gentlest way up; the Faha Grotto route, past a chain of glacial lakes, is the one most walkers remember. A large iron cross and a ruined stone oratory mark the top.
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Purple Mountain rises to 832 metres above the Gap of Dunloe, its Old Red Sandstone slopes named for the purple cast they take in low light. It is a proper hillwalk, not a waymarked trail – the classic Gap of Dunloe loop runs 14 km over an unmarked ridge to Tomies, with views of Lough Leane, the Reeks and the Black Valley, so carry a map and compass.
Dingle Peninsula, kerry
Follow the R559 clockwise around the western tip of the Dingle Peninsula, past sea cliffs, dry-stone beehive huts and the Gallarus Oratory. The loop links the White Cross viewpoint and Dún Chaoin pier, gateway to the Great Blasket, through Ireland's largest Gaeltacht.
cork
Straddling Cork, Kerry and Limerick, Sliabh Luachra is a plateau of heather hills, bog and hidden glens best known as the heartland of Ireland's polka-and-slide music tradition. It is a place you come to for a session and a story rather than dramatic scenery, with a signed driving trail linking its villages and heritage sites.
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The Slieve Mish range runs 19 km along the eastern Dingle Peninsula, its Old Red Sandstone stained purple-red by iron and reddest in the late-afternoon light. Walks run from a short family loop above Tralee Bay to the Derrymore Glen horseshoe over Baurtregaum (851 m), and the Caherconree promontory fort, high on the mountain, ties the range to the Cú Roí and Cú Chulainn legends.
Cromwell Point, kerry
Valentia's white lighthouse stands on Cromwell Point, built into the walls of a 17th-century artillery fort. Climb the granite stair to the balcony for a 360-degree view that reaches Skellig Michael and the Blasket Islands on a clear day. It's open March to November, weather permitting.
Dingle Peninsula, kerry
Cahersiveen, kerry
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Iveragh Peninsula, kerry
Macgillycuddy's Reeks, kerry
Waterville, kerry
Ballyferriter, kerry
Killarney, kerry
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