How to See the Ring of Kerry in One Day

A day is not long for a loop this big, but with an early start you can still take in the highlights without spending the whole time behind the wheel. The trick is to be selective: pick a handful of stops and give them proper time, rather than trying to photograph everything.

Start in the national park

Begin close to base in Killarney National Park, where the lakes, woods and mountains are at their best in the early light. If you have an hour to spare before the drive, the Gap of Dunloe gives you the most dramatic mountain scenery within easy reach of the town.

Drive the coast

Set out anticlockwise and keep moving through the first villages, saving your time for the far west. The Kerry Cliffs, on the Skellig Ring near Portmagee, are the single most spectacular stop on the peninsula and worth the short detour. Back on the main road, the pull-in at Coomakista Pass is the classic Ring of Kerry panorama, with the Skelligs on the horizon if the weather plays along.

One cultural stop

If you make only one indoor stop, make it Derrynane House, the coastal home of Daniel O'Connell set in a beautiful national park of dunes and woodland - history and a beach walk in one.

Finish over the mountains

Close the loop on the N71 through Kenmare, timing the run so you reach Ladies View as the afternoon light softens over the lakes. A meal in Kenmare, Kerry's finest food town, is the perfect way to end the day before the short drive back to Killarney.