Driving the Ring of Kerry – The Highlights

If you’re looking for a quick but scenic Irish road trip with stunning coastal views, ancient sites, and wonderful rural vistas, the Ring of Kerry is a must. This part of south west Ireland pointing out into the Atlantic has wonderful uncrowded beaches, a glorious national park – complete with waterfall, breath-taking views and some good eats along the way. What more could you want?

The Best Stops on the Ring of Kerry

Depending who you ask, you may be told to visit 40+ places along the Ring of Kerry. Here are my 10 highlights – 15 if you also visit Skellig Ring! I’ve marked them on this map. (Stops 10 – 14 are the Skellig Ring, so skip those if you are only completing the Ring of Kerry).

Ross Castle

Just outside Killarney, Ross Castle makes an impressive first stop. For a 500+ year-old structure, the small tower house is in remarkable condition and Lough Leane makes a beautiful backdrop. Visitors can take a guided tour, stroll the grounds or enjoy a lakeside horse and trap ride from just outside the castle. Muckross Abbey (a well-preserved ruin) and Muckross House (a Victorian mansion, farm and gardens) are nearby too.

Killarney National Park

One of the best bits of exploring the Ring of Kerry is enjoying Ireland’s first national park, and UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Killarney National Park. The park encompasses forest, mountains, the Lakes of Killarney, waterfalls and some truly beautiful natural scenery.

Torc Waterfall

A quick stroll from the nearby car parks, Torc Waterfall (meaning ‘cascade of the wild boar’) is small (20m tall) but pretty and relatively easy to access via a hillside walking path, but watch your footing as the steps are not even and often wet. The area can get busy with visitors too, so it’s good to be here early or later in the day.

Ladies View

Apparently named after Queen Victoria’s ladies in waiting, because they were so charmed by the view, this magnificent landscape is well worth a stop. There is parking nearby and a small café (if you prefer to enjoy the view in comfort!) and a souvenir shop. I enjoyed looking out over the view across the Lakes of Killarney and thinking of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert doing the same more than a century before.

Moll’s Gap

For a more isolated and highland feel, Moll’s Gap is a good place to stop for coffee. Named after a local woman who ran an unlicensed pub up here in the 1800s while the road was being built, the café and shop at this hilltop pass offer wonderful remote, rugged views and, if you’re lucky, you may even meet a few sheep.

Staigue Stone Fort

Nestled in the hills along the coastline, Staigue Stone Fort is at the end of a long, narrow lane leading off the main road. Much of the winding lane is only wide enough for a single vehicle, making it very picturesque. The ancient fort is believed to date from the Iron Age (around 300 – 400AD). The walls are around 5-6m tall and the structure is surrounded by a wide ditch. Visitors can enter the circular construction and admire the ancient stonework up close, as well as the surrounding countryside from this hillside location. There is a large car park, a public toilet, and a coffee van that also sells ice cream.

Derrynane Beach

Not far from Derrynane House (childhood home of Daniel O’Connor), and the bold yellow country pub ‘The Blind Piper’, is one of the prettiest beaches in County Kerry. Derrynane beach is on a circular bay, and a great spot to relax and get some sand between your toes. The wide beach backs onto beautiful sand dunes and across the water lies Abbey Island, home to Derrynane Abbey (now in ruins), which you can walk to at low tide.

Com an Chiste viewpoint

Just before the Ring of Kerry turns north, the Com an Chiste viewpoint offers a final and spectacular coastal view across the Atlantic towards Deenish Island and Scariff Island. There is an enormous car park here, so it’s easy to pause and take in the view.

Charlie Chaplin statue in Waterville

Charming Waterville stretches along the Atlantic Ocean on one side and Lough Currane on the other. A lovely long beach stretches along the Main Street, on which there stands a statue of Charlie Chaplin in honour of his regular holidays in the town over several years.

Is Skellig Ring worth it?

Skellig ring is an extra loop around the western finger of the peninsular that you can add to your itinerary. Visitors can join it just after Waterville and return to the Ring of Kerry route just before Cahersiveen. The loop features more scenic coastal views and beaches, including Ballinskelligs which also has a castle, Coomanaspig viewpoint (Cum an Easpaig), the magnificent Kerry Cliffs which rival the better-known (and much busier) Cliffs of Moher, pretty Portmagee village and Valentia Island. It’s a great ‘extra’ if you’re on a two-day itinerary. Alternatively, if you only have one day, you can always come back and do the Ring of Skellig another time.

Rossbeigh Beach

Along with the wonderful coastal views towards the Dingle Peninsular, along the road between Kells and Glenbeigh, Rossbeigh Beach is a wonderful final stop when exploring the Ring of Kerry. It offers wide sand beach at the bottom of tall sand dunes, and is within easy reach of Killarney. Perhaps finish your day by watching the sun set over the Atlantic?

Practical tips:

Is it difficult to drive the Ring of Kerry?

The Ring of Kerry is a 179 km / 111 mile loop of road (the N71 and N70) around County Kerry’s beautiful Iveragh peninsular. The roads are in good condition and not difficult to drive. However, some sections are narrow so it is important to drive carefully.

How long does it take to drive the Ring of Kerry?

Non-stop, it would take around three hours. Factoring in the stops, and prioritising them carefully, you can complete the circuit in one day. Two days allows more time to also explore the Skellig Ring (more on that later).

Which direction should you drive the Ring of Kerry?

Most people start and end at Killarney, which has several hotels and restaurants but you can join at any point on the route. Organised tours, in large coaches, go counter-clockwise. So, to avoid getting stuck behind them and therefore arriving everywhere with the crowd, it’s better to go clockwise.

When is the best time to visit County Kerry?

This depends if you’re looking for the best weather or hoping to avoid the crowds. Weather-wise, rainfall is typically lowest in County Kerry in May and June. However, whenever you visit, you should be prepared for unpredictable Irish weather, with rainproof clothing and good walking shoes. The Ring of Kerry is busiest in high summer, July and August.

Are you planning to drive the Ring of Kerry in south west Ireland? If you have any questions, let me know in the comments.