Trails and Viewpoints in Co. Kerry
14 places
1.Bray Head (Co. Kerry) Loop Walk(Siúlóid Lúb Ceann Bhré)
Napoleonic tower with Star Wars views
A dramatic coastal walk on Valentia Island to a Napoleonic-era signal tower perched above sheer cliffs, with unforgettable views of the Skellig Islands and the Wild Atlantic Way.
- Highlights
- Skellig Islands views (UNESCO World Heritage, Star Wars location)
- 1815 Napoleonic signal tower at the summit
- WWII 'ÉIRE' coastal marker stone sign
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
2.Cé Dhún Chaoin / Dunquin Pier
a zigzag slipway featured in Ryan's Daughter
A dramatic zigzag concrete slipway tumbling down Kerry's cliffs toward the Atlantic — one of Ireland's most photographed coastal scenes and the departure point for the Blasket Islands.
- Highlights
- Most westerly point of the Dingle Peninsula
- Iconic zigzag slipway — 'Ireland's Sheep Highway'
- Panoramic views of the Blasket Islands and Atlantic
3.Glanageenty Forest Recreation Area
three waymarked walks in a steep river glen
A steep, river-cut glen of mixed broadleaf and conifer woodland in the Stacks Mountains, with three waymarked looped trails, picnic tables and free entry — about 12km from Tralee.
- Highlights
- Three strenuous waymarked loops (4km, 5km, 9km)
- Steep glen carved by the Glanageenty river
- Free entry — donation box at the trailhead
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Dog-friendly
4.Head of the Gap of Dunloe
Stand at 240m and see five lakes below
The highest point of the Gap of Dunloe — a 240 m glacial pass between the MacGillycuddy Reeks and Purple Mountain where the entire valley opens up in a single, breathtaking panorama.
- Highlights
- Highest point (240 m) of Ireland's most famous glacial mountain pass
- Panoramic views of the five lakes and zig-zag road below
- Dramatic V-shaped valley framed by MacGillycuddy Reeks and Purple Mountain
5.An Chonair / Conor Pass
Second-highest public mountain pass
One of Ireland's highest mountain passes, this dramatic 12km road cuts across the spine of the Dingle Peninsula with heart-stopping views of glacial corrie lakes, sheer cliffs, and sweeping valleys to the Atlantic.
- Highlights
- Ireland's second-highest public mountain pass (456m / 1,496 ft)
- Wild Atlantic Way Discovery Point with panoramic north-south views
- Glacial corrie lake — Pedlar's Lake / Lough Doon
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
6.Ballybunion Cliff Walk
Nine Daughters Hole blowhole and Virgin Rock arch
A short but spectacular cliff-top stroll linking Ballybunion's glorious Blue Flag beaches, packed with folklore, sea arches, blowholes and big Atlantic views — all on an easy, family-friendly gravel path.
- Highlights
- Virgin Rock sea arch
- Nine Daughters Hole blowhole
- Druid's Lair (Scoilt na nDraoithe)
7.Geokaun Mountain and Cliffs
360° views from a 600ft clifftop you can drive to
The highest point on Valentia Island delivers jaw-dropping 360° panoramas — from the Skelligs and Dingle Peninsula to the Kerry Mountains — and you can drive right to the summit.
- Highlights
- Highest point on Valentia Island (266m)
- Drive or walk — accessible for pushchairs and wheelchairs
- 600ft Fogher Cliffs with secure viewing deck
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
8.Glanteenassig Forest Park
a free 450-hectare forest with a lake boardwalk loop
A remote 450-hectare Coillte forest park in a sheltered valley below the Slieve Mish mountains, where boardwalk trails loop two lakes and the views stretch across Brandon and Tralee Bays to the Maharees.
- Highlights
- Boardwalk loop around Lough Caum
- Views of Brandon Bay, Tralee Bay and the Maharees
- Waterfalls after wet weather
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Dog-friendly · Wheelchair access
9.Ladies' View Viewpoint
Named after Queen Victoria's spellbound ladies
One of Ireland's most celebrated roadside panoramas — a sweeping view over the Lakes of Killarney from a rocky perch on the Ring of Kerry, named for Queen Victoria's ladies-in-waiting who were spellbound here in 1861.
- Highlights
- Panorama over Upper Lake, Muckross Lake, and Lough Leane
- Queen Victoria link — named after her 1861 visit
- Roof terrace café with elevated views
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
10.Brandon Point
clifftop views, seabirds and the Sauce Creek walk
The road west of Cloghane ends here: a wild Atlantic headland at the foot of Mount Brandon, with a viewing deck sitting right beside the car park and the best seabird-watching on the Dingle Peninsula.
- Highlights
- Viewing deck a few steps from the car park
- Autumn seabird passage: skuas, shearwaters, phalaropes
- Cliff-top Sauce Creek loop from the car park
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
11.Cúm an Easpaig (Cliff View)
one of Ireland's highest viewpoints reachable by car
A free roadside viewpoint at the top of Coomanaspig Pass, 248 m above the Atlantic on the Skellig Ring, with sweeping views over Portmagee, Valentia Island, Dingle Bay and the Skellig Islands.
- Highlights
- 797 ft (248 m) pass — among Ireland's highest points reachable by car
- Official Wild Atlantic Way Discovery Point
- Panoramas over Portmagee, Valentia Island, Dingle Bay and the Skelligs
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
12.Mountain Stage Viewpoint
a free roadside panorama of Dingle Bay
A free roadside Wild Atlantic Way discovery point on the Ring of Kerry with sweeping views over Dingle Bay, the Dingle Peninsula and the long sands of Rossbeigh and Inch.
- Highlights
- Views over Dingle Bay, Dingle Peninsula and the Iveragh mountains
- Rossbeigh and Inch strands visible below
- Remains of the 1893–1960 railway, Gleensk viaduct and tunnels
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
13.Bromore Cliffs
Guided walk with the landowner on 180-ft cliffs
A hidden 180-foot cliff-top walk on private farmland just north of Ballybunion — less crowded and many say more impressive than the Cliffs of Moher, with sea stacks, an Iron Age fort, and wildflower meadows rolling right to the edge.
- Highlights
- 180-ft cliffs stretching 1.5 km
- The Devil's Castle sea stack
- Iron Age promontory fort (dún)
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
14.Ring of Kerry
Drive clockwise to beat tour coaches
Ireland's most famous scenic drive: a 179km loop around the Iveragh Peninsula delivering Atlantic cliffs, mountain passes, ancient stone forts, and colourful coastal villages. Start early, drive clockwise, and detour onto the Skellig Ring — the coaches can't follow you there.
- Highlights
- 179km coastal loop around the Iveragh Peninsula
- Drive clockwise to stay ahead of tour coaches
- Skellig Ring detour: no coaches, best views, fewer people