Gleninchaquin Park

Tucked at the very end of a valley near Tuosist, on the Beara shore of Kenmare Bay, Gleninchaquin is the kind of place you have to mean to visit. The narrow road in winds south-west from Kenmare, single-track for much of the way, and delivers you to a hidden glen carved long ago by glaciers into a classic hanging valley. From the car park the eye is drawn straight to the waterfall, a long white ribbon that spills from an unseen lake on the shelf above and drops down the head-wall of the glen - one of the tallest and most photographed falls in the country, and at its most thunderous after rain.

The land is a working family sheep farm, opened to walkers and threaded with a set of colour-coded looped trails. These range from an easy riverside stroll of under an hour to a stiff climb of a couple of hours that switchbacks up beside the waterfall to the lake at the top, using log bridges, cut steps and passages through the rock along the way. Longer routes press deeper into the upper valley for those with the legs and the weather for it. Scattered across the slopes are old stone ruins, evidence that people scratched a living here long before the walkers came, and there is a small tea room for scones and coffee when you come back down.

A visit typically runs from one to three hours depending on how high you climb, and it's best saved for a dry, clear day when the paths are firm and the views open up. There is an admission charge, usually taken in cash at the entrance, and the park opens seasonally through the warmer months rather than year-round, so it's worth checking before you set out. Bring proper footwear, and dogs are welcome on a lead among the grazing sheep.