Planning Your Trip

Planning Your Trip

If you're here for a short stay -- three days or fewer -- you'd do well to base yourself in Killarney and devote your time to exploring the surrounding area, then heading out to the Ring of Kerry or the Dingle Peninsula. With more time at your disposal, spend a day driving through Kenmare to Glengarriff on the famous tunnel road, and take a boat out to Illnacullin (Garnish Island). Other highlights are the drive from Kinsale to the Mizen Head along the coast of West Cork; elegant Glin Castle on the Shannon Estuary; Adare, one of Ireland's prettiest villages; and the magnificently restored Bunratty Castle. Though the scenery is the top draw in the Southwest, Cork City is good for a day or two of urban fun, topped off with a visit to nearby Blarney Castle.