Dingle - My Top 5
From all the peninsulas in southwest Ireland, the Dingle Peninsula is probably the best-known. For me the Dingle peninsula has always been the place to be when it comes to spending my summer holidays (especially as a child).
Memories consist of quiet and peaceful weeks in a small secluded cottage at Brandon Point, with no neighbours except donkeys and sheep. Cloghane seemed like big city life back then, with Maura O’Neill giving me the chance to cuddle lambs and sheep in their backyard all day long, drinking hot chocolate with friends and enjoying live music and chats at the local pub.
As an adult, I absolutely love driving through Dingle’s ancient and spectacular landscape. There are old churches and Neolithic structures, the most westerly landscape in Europe (Dunmore Head + Blasket Islands) and the dramatic scenery you’ll fall in love with when driving the Slea Head Drive. Mount Brandon is impressive, the cliffs are beautiful (you might remember Peer’s amazing drone shots) and the sandy beaches are truly a gem you won’t forget.
But there are times when you just don’t have the time to explore it all, I know that.
So here they are, my Top 5 Things To Do in Dingle:
1 Slea Head Drive
At Slea Head Drive, I’ve seen breathtaking scenery of cliffs, sea and islands, spotted Skellig Michael in the distance, explored beehive huts, ring forts, beautiful beaches, early Christian sites, inscribed stones, miles and miles of ancient stone walls and cuddled a baby lamb.
Sounds amazing? It is!
What I love most is that it looks different anytime you go there, depending on light and weather. The scenery is especially dramatic in shifting mist and in autumn and early spring.
I’ve listed all of our favourite spots (like Dunquin Pier and Great Blasket Island) >> in this blog post here << . I got the adventure lovers and history lovers covered - and added some of our photos and videos from our trips around Slea Head Drive. It is one of my favourite places in Ireland for sure.
2 Dingle Sea Safari
This is fun! The Dingle Sea Safari cruise takes you all around Dingle Bay, Slea Head Drive (a completely different experience compared to driving it), Great Blasket Island and the other islands like Inishvickillane and Inishnabro. You can watch the seals of Great Blasket Island, the puffins flying around and might even see some dolphins (or if you’re really lucky, whales). The tour guide has all the (local) information and it’s great fun.
3 Explore Dingle Town
I love wandering around downtown Dingle and Dingle Harbour. The shops and colourful houses are beautiful and you can spend hours there. Watch the fishing boats come and go, take pictures with the statue of famous Fungie or get lost in as many of the amazing little shops as you can.
I heard there are about 40 pubs there and although I didn’t count them, I don’t doubt it. The quality of the Irish live music is outstanding and if there’s one thing you should definitely do when you’re in Dingle - that’s it! I can’t describe it properly as it has to be experienced but the happy atmosphere, music and crowd coming together is simply amazing and one of the best things about Ireland.
Being probably one of the most famous pubs in Dingle, Dick Mack’s Pub is the place to be for a fine whiskey or a pint of the good stuff. The pub itself is very traditional and beautiful and it’s the perfect place to experience a unique Irish pub.
Dingle also has some great local foods. Be sure to stop at Bean in Dingle, the Bácús Bakery Dingle, My Boy Blue and Murphy’s Ice Cream.
Want to know more? >> Here is a whole blog post about Dingle Town <<
4 Conor Pass
Are you ready for an adventure? You probably already know from instagram that I LOVE the views from Conor Pass, don’t you? The Conor Pass is Ireland’s highest route and the road rises quickly, winding its way to the summit. There’s a parking space at the top which is the perfect place to start your hike or to just enjoy the view on Mount Brandon, Cloghane and Fermoyle Beach. I love the views from up there and can’t get enough of them. The panorama view has it all - mountains, the sea, beaches, glacial lakes, valleys. Looking south, you can see Dingle Bay stretched out in front of you. Looking north, you can see Mountain Brandon, Brandon, Cloghane, Fermoyle Beach and the whole beauty of the Maharees Peninsula.
Read more about Conor Pass, Cloghane and Brandon Point in our blog post >> here << . Which already brings us to number 5:
5 Explore Cloghane and Brandon Point
As mentioned before, Cloghane (An Chlochán) is packed with memories for Henriette. Peer loves its secluded and rough scenery, especially for drone shots. Both Cloghane and Brandon are amazing if you fancy quiet and secluded stays. Cloghane’s few buildings (and a beautiful church) shelter in the lee of Mount Brandon, looking out to the bay.
Stop at O’Connors in Cloghane for some local food and pub life - ask why there’s an aeroplane engine out the front! Or enjoy the spectacular views at Murphy’s Bar Brandon, a great pub on the pier in Brandon, right between the mountains and the sea.
Follow the road through Cloghane and Brandon until you reach the small car park at Brandon Point. If you can, enjoy the fantastic views (and sheep!) and maybe even go for a hike. Read more about Cloghane and Brandon Point >> here << .
I hope you enjoyed my top recommendations for the Dingle Peninsula! Several of my favourite airbnbs are located on the Dingle Peninsula, so be sure to check them out if you’re planning to visit: my favourite airbnbs and dog-friendly hotels in Ireland .