Dingle Peninsula, Dingle Town, Fungi The Dolphin - County Kerry.
Head west from Millstreet, out of County Cork and into County Kerry and you’ll find an area of Ireland that ranks as one of the world’s top destinations – the Dingle Peninsula. Accessed by car and bus, it will take less than two hours to reach via Killarney.
The Dingle Peninsula is Europe’s most westerly point and is certainly well deserving of its numerous accolades for beauty and fantastic scenery. Ranking in the world’s top destinations, it offers a varied landscape of rugged green hills and mountains, extended golden sandy beaches and cliffs. Not only does the area offer a varied landscape but it also offers a huge range of outdoor activities to suit everyone’s taste and interest from walking and hiking, cycling and horse riding, diving, golf, fishing and swimming. There really is something for everyone here.
Superb Walks
The 30 mile road circuit of the Dingle Peninsula by car taking in stops along the way could take up to 4 hours to complete. The Dingle Peninsula is a walker’s heaven. The two way-marked walking routes are The Dingle Way (168km trail) and The Pilgrims Route (approx 48km). However, there are many other walks to suit all ages and levels of fitness and ability. Walking trails and routes provide experienced as well as in-experienced walkers with a variety and quality of roads and lanes, mountain paths and hills, beaches, strands and seaside cliff paths.
Mount Brandon
Mount Brandon, at 952m, is the country’s second largest mountain. Connor Pass, at 456m, is the highest pass in Ireland and is well worth the visit either on foot or by car for the spectacular views it gives over Dingle Harbour and Mount Brandon. There is a car park near the summit of the pass. Walking tours are available to join locally.
Cycling & Horse Riding
Alternatively, visitors are able to rent bikes locally and go cycling on varied terrain from country lanes to mountain paths – great exercise in fantastic scenery for all the family. Horse riding and trekking is also a firm favourite with visitors in this area, providing riders of all levels and ability with a variety of mountain treks, beach rides and peninsula tours all of which can be arranged locally with Dingle Horse Riding in the town.
Diving & Beaches
The Dingle Marina Diving Centre can arrange courses and wreck dives, snorkelling and scuba diving in Dingle Bay and around the Blasket Islands. The Blasket Islands are the most westerly islands in Europe reaching 5km out into the Atlantic and are no longer inhabited due to the remote and harsh conditions and lack of facilities.
Beaches
Beaches in the area vary from small sheltered coves to vast sandy stands. None of them are ever too busy or over-crowded even in the height of summer. Popular beaches include Ventry Beach (two small sandy beaches in a sheltered bay), Murreach Strand, Clogher Strand, Inch Strand (5km long sand spit, west facing beach popular with surfers). Tralee Bay and Brandon Bay on the north-side of the Peninsula are also popular beaches.
Gaeltacht
Dingle Town is one of Ireland’s largest Gaeltacht towns where the Irish language and traditional Irish music are woven into its fabric. As one of Ireland’s government-protected Irish speaking areas, most of signposts will appear in Irish. Tourism has become increasingly important to the Dingle Peninsula along with fishing (Dingle is home to an active fishing fleet) and farming.
Fishing port
The market town and fishing port of Dingle is well known for its number of pubs (at its height 52 were counted), many of them doubling as shops by day and coming alive at night with great music around a turf fire. Excellent award winning seafood restaurants can also be found. Visitors will also find handmade, arts and craft shops and art galleries featuring local artists.
Festivals & Races
Local festivals and celebrations include the Dingle Races every second weekend in August and the Dingle Regatta which is held at the end of August involves racing traditional Irish canoes in the harbour.
Aquarium
The aquarium at Dingle’s Ocean World located in Dingle Harbour includes an Ocean tunnel, wave tank and rock pool, touch pool, shark tank and tropical coral reef display. Slea Head is the most south-westerly point of the peninsula and overlooks the mouth of Dingle Bay. It is known for its pristine beaches, pretty walks, archaeology and views of Mount Eagle and the Blasket Islands.
Slea Head
Slea Head Drive is a popular route for cyclists. On the edge of Ireland’s dramatic southwest coastline, Dingle Golf Links welcomes visitors all year round to its unique and dramatic landscape. Deep-sea fishing is available in Dingle Bay on board fully equipped boats operated by local fishermen.
Fungi the Dolphin
Fungi The Dolphin is a great attraction for visitors to the area. In the early 1980’s the solitary dolphin was regularly being seen by local fishermen who subsequently named him ‘Fungi’ and has made his home in the mouth of Dingle Harbour ever since. Now regular daily boat trips take visitors out to the mouth of the harbour to see this ‘international celebrity’ as well as the unparalleled views of Dingle Bay.
Dolphin-spotting
Visitors can also swim with Fungi (wetsuits available to hire locally) who is very friendly and loves the interaction with the tourist boats. Regular Dolphin-spotting trips are available from the pier in Dingle daily.