Gardens in Co. Cork
5 places
1.Garinish Island (Oileán Garinis)
Subtropical garden warmed by Gulf Stream
A tiny island garden of rare beauty in Glengarriff harbour — Italianate gardens, a Martello tower, and subtropical planting flourish in the warmth of the Gulf Stream, reached by a seal-spotting ferry ride.
- Highlights
- Italian Garden with casita, pavilion, and lily pond
- Bryce House — restored Edwardian island home
- Martello Tower (1805) with panoramic bay views
2.Glenview Gardens
home to Ireland's only hobbit house
A family-run, three-acre themed garden near Enniskeane where a hobbit house, fairy trail, exotic birds and a dozen interlocking garden styles hide around every corner.
- Highlights
- Hobbit house with underground tunnel bedroom
- Fairy trail with dozens of fairy houses
- 11 themed garden styles in 3 acres
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
3.The Ewe Experience
Voted Ireland's #1 Garden by The Irish Times
Ireland's only interactive sculpture garden — a playful, thought-provoking 1 km trail of art, poetry, games, and nature threaded along a waterfall in the hills above Glengarriff.
- Highlights
- Voted Ireland's #1 Garden by The Irish Times
- Ireland's Top Ten Experience — Lufthansa
- McKenna Guide: Ireland's 100 Best Places
4.Annes Grove House & Gardens
Rare Himalayan rhododendrons from 1930s expeditions
A Robinsonian-style historic estate where rare plant-hunter rhododendrons meet an 18th-century walled garden along the wooded banks of the River Awbeg — quietly reopened by the OPW in 2022 after a meticulous restoration.
- Highlights
- 30 acres of Robinsonian gardens on a 190-acre estate
- Rare rhododendrons from Frank Kingdon-Ward's Himalayan expeditions
- 18th-century walled garden with viewing mount and ribbon beds
5.Bamboo Park
a garden of 30 bamboo species with harbour views
A family-run exotic garden on the Glengarriff coast, where 30 species of bamboo grow alongside palms and tree ferns, with paths leading down to a private beach and views over the harbour.
- Highlights
- 30 species of bamboo plus palms, tree ferns and tropical plants
- Views over Glengarriff Harbour and Garnish Island from the shoreline
- Private beach access with possible seal sightings
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Dog-friendly · Wheelchair access