The Complete Ring of Kerry Driving Itinerary

The Ring of Kerry is the great scenic drive of south-west Ireland - a loop of around 180 kilometres around the Iveragh Peninsula, taking in mountains, beaches, cliffs, ancient forts and a string of colourful villages. You can lap it in half a day if you only stop for photographs, but it deserves a full day at the very least, and rewards two or three.

Which way to drive

Most tour coaches run the loop anticlockwise, setting out from Killarney towards Killorglin and returning through Kenmare. On the narrow western stretches it pays to go the same way, so you are following the buses rather than meeting one head-on around every blind bend. An early start buys you the best light and the quietest roads.

Killorglin and the north coast

The first town on the loop is Killorglin, famous for its ancient Puck Fair, where the road meets the sea. Beyond it, a short detour drops down to the long golden spit of Rossbeigh Beach, backed by dunes and looking straight across Dingle Bay - a fine place to stretch your legs before the drive west.

The Skellig coast

Cahersiveen, the peninsula's largest town, marks the halfway-out point and the birthplace of Daniel O'Connell. From here the best detour of the whole trip loops onto the Skellig Ring: the harbour village of Portmagee, the towering Kerry Cliffs with their view of the Skellig Islands, and - for those who plan far ahead - the boats to Skellig Michael itself.

The southern stretch

Rejoining the main road, you reach Waterville on its neck of land between the ocean and a lake, then climb to the grandstand view at Coomakista Pass. Just beyond lie two unmissable stops: Derrynane House, O'Connell's coastal home, and, up a lonely inland glen, the great Iron Age rampart of Staigue Fort.

Sneem, Kenmare and the road home

The rainbow-painted village of Sneem makes a natural coffee stop before the elegant food town of Kenmare. From here, rather than retracing the coast, most drivers close the loop on the spectacular N71 mountain road back to Killarney, pausing at Moll's Gap and the celebrated overlook of Ladies View - a fittingly dramatic finish to the drive.