What To Do In Dingle Ireland
Many of our friends who had been to Ireland stateside as well as lots of local Irish told us that the Dingle Peninsula was their favorite part of the Emerald Isle!
We knew we had to check it out..and let me tell you..it did not disappoint! I wasn’t even prepared for how beautiful, culturally rich, and historical this area is!
On our way to the Dingle peninsula our GPS had us go down the smallest backroads I had ever been on, and I am so glad that it did (it took us by the Minard Castle ruins)!
We were able to see how the locals live and we saw some amazing sites along the way too. Eventually the GPS took us to Slea Head Drive which is the road to take on the coast of the Dingle Peninsula! Below are some of our favorite stops on the Peninsula.
FairyForts
There is so many historical stops on Slea Head Drive. The first one we stopped at was a RingFort, otherwise known as a FairyFort.
These are circular prehistoric stone forts that date back to pre-celtic times. We’re talking over 2000 years ago. Although the remains looked more like a mound of dirt, it was easy to see that something was definitely underneath it all.
We were also able to feed all of the sheep, ponies, and goats out of our hand. That made the 2.50 Euros worth it to me.
Dunbeg Fort
Next on the road was the Dunbeg Fort. My favorite part about this stop was the Stonehouse Restaurant. The building was incredible being 100% stone, even the roof.
My husband and I went into the souvenir shop and watched the documentary that is included in the ticket to Dunberg (2.50 Euros) and then we walked across the street to see the fort.
Unfortunately you cannot get super close to the structure of the fort and there is fence all around to keep people from touching it. It was a bit of a bummer.
The view of the cliffs, however, was breathtaking! We grabbed some Irish food at the restaurant (delicious) and hit the road again!
Irish Famine Cottages
By this point on the Dingle loop we had already stopped quite a bit and spent a good bit of cash so we skipped this stop.
However, I would have loved to see these.
They look like museum houses that were set up to imitate what a cottage could have looked like in the days of the famine. So neat! I might have skipped the FairyFort for these if I knew they would be farther down the road.
Beehive Forts
This was one of the stops I was looking forward to the most after my research of the Dingle Peninsula. Seeing an entire structure made up of stone that were built 2000 years ago…blew my mind!
This was another 2.50 Euros, but well worth it for me. The view from the hill overlooking the amazing cliffs was epic in itself!
The history here is so rich and you can just picture what life might have been like all those years ago. Be careful coming in and out of the beehives though, you will hit your head on the door frame if you’re not careful!
Clogher Strand
This is a beautiful beach with an incredible view of cliff formations out into the ocean. My husband and I sat here just watching the waves crash for a solid 15 minutes. It was so peaceful and serene! It was a beautiful sunny day, so there were lots of cars parked. If you are looking to spend some time on the beach be sure to get their early!
You won’t be disappointed. One last piece of advice I will leave, one that our Bed & Breakfast host gave us.
Be sure to get up super early and be on the Dingle Peninsula before the tour buses!
They usually get on the scene around 10 am. It is almost impossible to pass a tour bus on these extremely narrow roads!
The Dingle Peninsula is a unique and delightful part of the world, and well worth visiting. And although there are many other areas of Ireland worth seeing, this was definitely one of our top 2 favorite places we visited in Ireland.
That said, if you’re planning to visit this beautiful country, be sure to leave plenty of time for the Dingle area.
Although the Dingle Peninsula is just a little speck of land in the southwest corner of the country, it’s a place that shouldn’t be missed, especially when it comes to outdoor adventure and fun!
I highly recommend to anybody and everybody!
Wait, before you go!
More Resources:
Ireland Travel | Ireland Has Its Perks
5 Things Americans Must Know Before Traveling to Ireland
Best Stops on the Ring of Kerry
