Everyone tells you to do the Ring of Kerry. You’ve seen the photos of the buses, the crowds at Ladies View, and the gift shops selling "authentic" tweed made in a factory. It’s fine. It really is. But if you want the version of Ireland that feels like it hasn't been tidied up for a postcard, you turn the car around and head for the Ireland Ring of Beara.
Seriously.
This peninsula is the rugged, wilder cousin to Kerry. It’s where the tour buses literally aren't allowed because the roads are too narrow for them to navigate the hairpins. It’s 137 kilometers of "holy crap, look at that view" mixed with "is that sheep actually going to move?"
Honestly, most people miss Beara because they’re in a rush to hit the famous spots. Big mistake. Huge. If you like salty air, colorful villages that don't feel like movie sets, and ancient stone circles tucked into sheep paddocks, this is your spot.
The Healy Pass: A Road That Might Make You Sweat
You can't talk about the Ireland Ring of Beara without mentioning the Healy Pass. It crosses the Caha Mountains, connecting Lauragh in Kerry to Adrigole in Cork.
It’s not just a road. It’s a 12-kilometer serpentine zig-zag that looks like someone dropped a piece of grey yarn on a pile of mossy rocks. Driving it in 2026 is still as heart-pounding as ever. One minute you're looking at Glanmore Lake, and the next, you're staring down at Bantry Bay.
Why you shouldn't skip the "wrong" side
Most people drive the Ring of Beara clockwise from Kenmare. That’s fine, but the Healy Pass is the shortcut across the middle that everyone says they’ll "do later" and then they get tired and skip it. Don't be that person.
The pass was actually upgraded during the Famine as a relief project. It’s got this somber, epic weight to it. When you reach the top at 334 meters, pull over. There’s a tiny grotto and a view that makes you feel very, very small.
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The Cable Car to Nowhere (Well, to Dursey)
At the very tip of the peninsula, you’ll find the Dursey Island Cable Car. It’s the only one in Ireland. It’s also the only cable car in Europe that crosses open seawater.
It’s basically a wooden crate hanging from a wire.
In 2026, the car still operates on a first-come, first-served basis. No bookings. If there’s a local farmer with a bag of coal or a sheep, they get priority. That’s just the way it works here. The trip takes about ten minutes, and the "Sound" below is notorious for its ripping currents.
Once you’re on Dursey, there are no pubs. No shops. No hotels. Just the ruins of a monastery, some very lonely-looking houses, and a lot of birds. It’s the ultimate "get away from it all" move. Just check the wind forecast; if it blows too hard, the cable car stops, and you’re staying the night with the puffins.
Castletownbere and the Best Murphy’s in the World
Castletownbere is the "capital" of the peninsula. It’s one of the biggest whitefish ports in Ireland, so it feels real. It smells like diesel and sea salt.
You’ve gotta go to McCarthy’s Bar. If you’ve read Pete McCarthy’s book McCarthy's Bar, this is the place. It’s a grocery store and a pub in one. You can buy a loaf of bread and a pint of Murphy’s (the local stout, don't ask for Guinness here unless you want a side-eye) at the same counter.
What to eat?
- Seafood Chowder: Get it at O’Donoghue’s or Murphy’s Restaurant. It’s usually 90% fish and 10% cream.
- Fish and Chips: Lynch’s on the Pier. It was probably swimming four hours ago.
The Stone Circles Nobody Guards
One of the best things about the Ireland Ring of Beara is how casual the history is. In other countries, a 3,000-year-old monument would have a gift shop and a glass fence.
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In Beara, you just open a rusty gate and walk into a field.
Uragh Stone Circle is the one to beat. It’s sitting right on the edge of Loch Inchiquin with a massive waterfall (the Gleninchaquin falls) dropping down the cliffs behind it. It feels ancient in a way that’s hard to describe—like the rocks are still vibrating.
Then there’s the Ardgroom Stone Circle. It’s a bit of a hike through a boggy field, but when the sun hits those jagged stones, it’s magic. Just watch your step; the ground is basically a giant sponge.
The Sub-Tropical Jungle of Derreen
Wait, palm trees in Ireland?
Yeah, actually. Because of the North Atlantic Drift (the Gulf Stream), the Beara Peninsula stays weirdly warm. Derreen Gardens in Lauragh is a 60-acre "wild" garden planted in the 1870s. It feels more like a jungle in the South Pacific than the west of Ireland.
There are New Zealand tree ferns that grow 20 feet high and a labyrinth of mossy paths. If you have kids, tell them to look for "Derreenies"—the tiny people the locals swear live in the woods. There are even little fairy houses hidden in the roots of the rhododendrons.
Eyeries and Allihies: The Color Wars
The two most beautiful villages on the Ring are Eyeries and Allihies.
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Eyeries is famous for its houses. They are painted in neon shades of pink, electric blue, and lime green. It looks like a bowl of Skittles against the grey Atlantic.
Allihies, just a bit further down, has a grittier history. It was a copper mining hub in the 1800s. You can still see the old engine houses standing like sentinels on the hills. The beach there, Ballydonegan, is actually made of crushed quartz from the mines. It’s bright white and looks tropical until you stick your toe in the 12°C water and realize you are definitely still in Ireland.
Essential Practical Bits for 2026
Driving the Ireland Ring of Beara takes longer than you think. The road is about 140km total, but you’ll be doing 30km/h for half of it.
- The Roads: They are narrow. If you meet a tractor, you’re reversing. Learn where the "passing places" are.
- Fuel: Fill up in Kenmare or Glengarriff. There isn't much in between except for a lonely pump in Castletownbere.
- Connectivity: It’s spotty. Download your maps offline because the mountains love to eat 5G signals.
- Timing: Give it a full day. Two if you want to walk the Beara Way (the hiking trail that loops the whole thing).
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception is that Beara is just "Kerry Lite." It’s not. Kerry is dramatic and grand. Beara is intimate and slightly haunted. It’s less about the "big sights" and more about the silence.
If you’re looking for high-end resorts and valet parking, stay in Killarney. If you want a pint in a pub where the guy next to you is talking about the price of mackerels, come to Beara.
Your Next Steps
- Rent a small car. Seriously, do not get an SUV. You will regret it the first time you have to squeeze past a milk truck on a cliff edge.
- Pack "the layers." You’ll have four seasons in twenty minutes.
- Check the Dursey Cable Car status. Sometimes it closes for maintenance or high winds. Check the Cork County Council alerts before you drive all the way to the end of the world.
- Stay in a B&B. The locals are the best part of the peninsula. Ask them where "The Hag of Beara" is—it's a rock that looks like an old woman waiting for her husband to return from the sea.
The Ring of Beara doesn't need your business the way other places do, and that’s why it’s so good. It just exists. Go there, be quiet, and let the landscape do the talking.
Actionable Insight: Start your journey in Glengarriff and head toward Adrigole. If the weather is clear, take the Healy Pass immediately to see the Caha Mountains at their best, then loop back around the coast through Castletownbere to catch the sunset at Allihies.