Getting Oriented

Getting Oriented

In the Southwest, five-star scenery is everywhere. This is Ireland's picture postcard country, from Kinsale on the south coast of County Cork, across Bantry Bay, inland to the mountains and lakes of Killarney, and out to Kerry's craggy western peninsulas. Brightly painted villages and small harbors encourage you to stop and linger—and when you do, you're rewarded with exceptional food, particularly in Kinsale and Kenmare, towns that vie for the title of Ireland's culinary capital. Off the western coast, the Skelligs rank as the region's most awesome sight, though it takes an often choppy boat ride to reach them.