The Dingle Way is a 101 mile trail that circles the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry Ireland. It had breathtaking views and all the Irish country atmosphere you could ask for. The Dingle takes about 8 days but we walked for 5 days from Camp to Cloghane.
DINK Details
A week in the Dingle Peninsula, walking the countryside
Difficulty: Moderate to Easy Date: September 2024 | Time: 7 days, 5 days walking Distance: 64 miles Elv. Gain: 2,100 ft saddle between saddle near Mount Brandon |
Obstacles Irish Weather - Wet and Muddy Some heavily trafficked roads | Prep Luggage service¹ Rain & Mud Gear² |
1. There are services that transport luggage from one hotel to another. We used Absolute Escapes. 2. Waterproof and water resistant boots and layers are essential because it usually rains at least once a day
"You're the first Americans we've seen with proper luggage"
Getting to the Dingle (Camp)
In order to start the Dingle Way, you have to make it to Tralee. If you're flying into the Shannon airport (like we did) your best bet is the bus to Limerick and then another bus from Limerick to Tralee. This site was incredible helpful with bus schedules and trip planning. We booked our bus tickets in advance for that leg of the journey.
Once you reach Tralee, you can take a local bus to wherever you'd like to start the Dingle. We took the https://www.locallinkkerry.ie/Tralee/#route273 to Camp. You can pay onboard (cash or tap) or download the TFI GO app and purchase a ticket there. It is not necessary to pre-book this bus as it is very local and runs quite often.
If you look at maps of the trail from Tralee to Camp the route seems to parallel the main road. I would recommend taking the bus because you'll get the same views and you can rest up for more scenic legs of the trip.
Stay - Camp Junction House B&B
A cozy 6-room B&B is right next to bus stop. The owner, John, is friendly, chatty and familiar with Dingle Way walkers. They offer packed lunches for hikers for Є7.50 and have a tasty traditional breakfast.
Dinner - The Junction Bar
A traditional pub with a great views and seating out back. Food service ends promptly at 8pm and includes the usual pub fare (friend fish, toasties, soup, burgers, & curry). There are a few other dining options closer to town but you have to walk along a very busy road to get there.
Walking the Dingle
Camp to Annascaul
Distance: 11mi
Elev. gain: 880 ft (more if you decide to head down to Inch Beach)
Time: 5 hours
Lunch: Packed lunch recommended
Instead of taking the busy road into Camp, we continued the trail by taking the local back roads on Curraduff. From there, the trail is a mixture of footpaths and country roads that can be a little wet and muddy at times. The route is well-marked; many of the signs say "Kerry Camino," which is the route from Tralee to Dingle.
About an hour and a half before the end of our journey into Annascal, we reached Inch Beach. We decided to take a detour off the trail to explore the beach and eat our packed lunch. There were restrooms (open) and areas for seasonal food trucks (closed). We fed bits of our sandwich to the rooks (small crows) that are everywhere along the beach.
Stay - The Old Anchor Inn B&B
Located right in the center of the village. We reached our B&B too early for check-in so we went to check out Annascaul Cafe & Pottery for some tea & treats.
Beata was ready for us after our snack. She let us check-in and put our wet socks / boots in the closet with the heater to dry out. This B&B has cozy breakfast room on the ground floor with a few bedrooms upstairs.
Breakfast must be ordered the night before by marking down your order and the time you want to eat in a notebook in the upstairs hall.
Dinner - The South Pole Inn & Tom Crean
The South Pole Inn, previously owned by the renowned resident of Annascaul, by Tom Crean, is a pub rich with history. Crean, was known for his expeditions to Antarctica, notably the one where the ship Endurance sank, leaving the crew stranded on the ice for 492 days. Upon retiring in 1920, Crean returned to Annascaul and established the South Pole Inn. The pub, now filled with Crean memorabilia in his honor, even showcases images of his sled dog puppies. We enjoyed a refreshing round of drinks and delicious salads there. Don't miss their unique "window" to the South Pole.
Annascaul to Dingle
Distance: 14mi
Elev. gain: 1115 ft
Time: 7 hours
Lunch: Keanes Shop
The trail between Annascaul and Dingle is mostly made up of winding country road with some muddy treks through farmland. During the first half of the journey, we passed the ruins of Minard Castle. It started to rain (not unusual for Ireland) but heavily (not as usual). So we took a slight detour for shelter and sustenance at Keanes Shop in Cluain An Fjiaidh. With no seating inside, we opted to huddle on a picnic table under the gas pump overhang. We met a very friendly cat that we we shared our lunch with. Warm tea and snacks hit the spot.
The latter half of the trip featured our first set of sheep stiles. Our B&B was located at the other end of town, so we got to see a large stretch of Dingle Harbor as we made our way into the town for the night.
Stay - Tower View B&B
If you walk into Dingle along Strand Street, you'll come across over a dozen B&Bs. As we made our way to ours, we noticed that most of them had "no vacancy" signs. This was mid-September. I would definitely recommend making your reservations early (especially for weekends). Tower View had a spacious triple room for us with a large bathroom and a towel warmer (great for drying wet socks and hiking clothes). The breakfast room is cozy and if you walk around the parking area of the hotel, you'll find a small paddock with a donkey and a goat.
Dinner - John Benny's Pub
As with the accommodations, restaurants book up during the high season and weekends. If you don't want to eat very early or very late, I would recommend making a reservation. Weary from our day's hike, we had no trouble finding somewhere to eat at 5 pm, but by the time we finished our dinner, there wasn't a seat left in the pub. Most pubs hold traditional music sessions on weekends around 9 pm. John Benny's had comfortable seating, tasty Guinness, and an excellent curry.
More to do in Dingle...
As the only "town" on a peninsula of little villages, Dingle felt enormous. The large harbor offers Whale & Dolphin watching tours as well as trips to the Blasket Islands. There's a local distillery, a small aquarium, and a number of cafes and tourist shops.
Due to a few tummy troubles, we didn't do much during our extra day in Dingle. Our original goals were to walk 2 hours to Eask Tower for a better view of Dingle or to visit Kingdom Falconry.
Dingle to Dunquin
Distance: 12 mi
Elev. gain: 1,214 ft
Time: 6 hours
Lunch: Buy provisions in Dingle to take with you
With the trip behind me, I can look back and say this might have been my favorite stretch of the Dingle. While there's some elevation to contend with, the scenery is fantastic! The trek starts with the some muddy paths between hedgerows and some quiet country roads that lead you to the village of Ventry (Ceann Tra) and a nice stretch of beach. We had some lunch before heading to a portion of the trail on a busy road. This is where we reached our much anticipated roadside attraction for the day, the Fairy Fort.
The "Fairy Fort" (Lios) structure is said to date back to the Bronze age and is imbued with druid magic. There many superstitions related to disturbing the whitethorn trees near the settlement. Trimming or removing this special plant is said to lead to death and misfortune. The area is now a tourist destination and a petting zoo. For Є2.50 you can enter the area and feed the animals. There are sheep, goats, horses, mini horses, a pair of pigs, and some rather pushy llamas.
After our visit, we took on some elevation and we found ourselves following the stone fences of sheep fields on a trail parallel to road around Slea Head. Gorgeous views!
This renovated farmhouse B&B was charming. My cousins and I each got our own apartment style room with private bathrooms, and small sitting room & kitchen. The owner, Lelia was very welcoming and ask us when we'd like our breakfast served (to our rooms!). The next morning I went to my cousins' room and Lelia met us with trays of tea along with yogurt, and homemade granola & jams. Then she came by again with a "full Irish" for each of us and a pot of coffee. Definitely the best breakfast of the trip!
We bought packed lunches from Lelia as well. They were excellent and included crisps, biscuits, and fruit.
Dinner - Krugers Bar
Less than a ten minute walk from the B&B, this is the only restaurant in the area. (The next one is 3 miles down R559). During dinnertime, it is packed! A bus full of men pulled up singing for drinks when we arrived. They stayed to have a few pints and headed off to the next bar (I'm pretty sure it was the one down the road). Even with the large crowd and only two women working the bar (who were incredibly quick on their feet), we were able to get our food and pints in less than 20 minutes. They must be used to this!
Dunquin to Ballycurrane
Distance: 12 mi
Elev. gain: 410 ft
Time: 5.5 hours
Lunch: Tigh T.P.
This portion of the walk has a lot of flat stretches walking along the beach. I am sure the views are beautiful but the wind was strong, the rain was heavy. We kept our eyes down and heads covered for most of the trek. At one point we were walking past a bit of beach and it was so windy that I saw a gull stranded on its back on the sand (like an overturned turtle). A random gentleman walking by, scooped it up and threw it into the sky! I didn't expect that...
A few hours past midday, it started to clear up and and we made it to Tigh T.P. for some much needed drying off and ringing out. We were soon set right with soup, tea, and coffee. When we finished our lunch, the sun was out but the ground was still very muddy. We decided to detour and take the quiet country roads instead of the footpaths until we reached Ballydavid.
Now that the rain had cleared we had views of Dooneen Pier and some nice looking rural B&Bs. Once we reached Ballydavid, we turned away from the coast and headed on a footpath through some windy fields toward An Bothar Guesthouse Restaurant & Bar.
Stay & Dinner - An Bothar Guesthouse Restaurant & Bar
This cozy inn and bar gave us a large 3 person room upstairs with a hot shower. They let us do my favorite thing, leave our wet boots down by the radiator again! After freshening up, we headed downstairs to the restaurant and bar.
Ballycurrane to Cloghane
Distance: 14mi
Elev. gain: 2,150
Time: 8 hours
Lunch: Packed from An Bothar & Gleann Dearg
The final leg of our Dingle journey took us over Mount Brandon, the 8th highest peak in Ireland. Most of the journey is spent climbing and descending the saddle (the low point between peaks). The views on the way up were gorgeous until we became completely enveloped in fog. Spotting the white trail markers got a little difficult at this point but it's not too bad if you keep your eyes peeled. The trail is a bit boggy and muddy in spots. The descent has been recently refreshed with stone steps on the way down, making our journey much easier. Caution, the stairs can be slippery. On the way down we saw a memorial for Polish airmen who died in a plane crash on the mountain during WWII.
Once we reached the other side of Mount Brandon, we took country roads toward Cloghane. The village is a smattering of houses along Brandon Bay. The main street consists of a hostel, O'Connors Bar & Guesthouse, a church, and a shop. The last census listed Cloghane as having just under 300 residents.
Stay & Dinner - O'Connor's Bar & Guesthouse
This is the kind of bar people go to Ireland for. The building is over 100 years old with a fireplace, low ceilings, and chock-full of memorabilia. The evening we arrived, the chef was sadly ill. The staff was deeply apologetic and offered to whip us up pizzas or chips. We ordered both, unbothered. After climbing over a mountain, pizza and beer was all we wanted!
While we were waiting on our food, the owner told us stories about some of the planes that went down on Mount Brandon during WWII. Memorials to these crashes and parts of their planes are scattered around the bar. One of the planes mentioned was related to the memorial we had seen for Polish soldiers.
Maps
Google Map
Reference: https://www.rucsacs.com/book/dingle-way/
All Trails
Note: This one starts from the town of Dingle