Day trip to Dingle Peninsula

11/21/2018

The country side of Ireland is so incredibly dreamy that is a pity if you do not get out of the city at least for a little trip

I never drove on the other side of the road so I got quite well along with the day trips that are being organized by the different companies. I booked the trip via PaddyWagon as I never had bad experiences with them and they always have some funny stories to share.

Cost/person is 39 Euro out of Cork
Bridge St Tourist Office (next to St Patrick's Bridge)
Departs: 8:20 AM
Returns: 7:00 PM

As in all such trips there are several stops along the way so you can take wonderful pictures. The guide will share different interesting or funny facts about Ireland or the area being visited.

Stop 1: Killarney

This stop is a common stop with the tour going on Ring of Kerry. If you do the trip one after the other it can be a bit boring as the city is first of all not very big and second you don't really have enough time to go far.

You always have the option to go on a carriage tour that would bring you till the national park but it depends on your mood. This tour is about 12 Euros and takes approx. 1h. It looks like a good option if it is raining heavily as the carriage is covered.

If you decide to walk the streets, here how it would look like.
Head first to St. Mary's Cathedral which was designed by the renowned English Architect Augustus Welby Pugin who is said to have gained inspiration from the ruins of Ardfert Cathedral "which is particularly evident in the slender triple lancets in the east and west walls." (Source). It took several years to built due to the Great Famine period taking place in Ireland at that time 1842-1855

As at some point it started raining I took advantage to enter into a coffee place to re-energize :). I tried the Flat White & the cheese cake @Noelle's Cafe

2. Inch Beach

Second stop on your itinerary is at Inch Beach. This "Blue Flag Inch Beach spans for 5 kilometres and is the perfect place with an easy gradient and plenty of space providing a safe environment for all types of water sports including Surfing, Kayaking, Windsurfing, Kite Surfing, Hangliding and Fishing. " (Source). It was very windy and the sun was fighting hard to come out but it's amazing how huge this beach is :)

3. Slea Head Drive

The views are absolutely spectacular, you get the chance to stop 3 times along this road to spot different views over the ocean.

1. Stop

2. Stop is at the Dun Chaoin location. Some details from an information board available on site is mentioning that the population back in 2016 was of 159 people. This parish is farmed for the richness of the Irish language found here and for the close connection to Blasket Island. Here lived the writers Tomas O Criomhthain, Peig Sayers and Muiris O'Sullivan.

3. Stop is at Cleann Sraithe. This place was featured in Star Wars VIII. If you are lucky enough you have the chance to spot Puffins, cormorants, whales or sharks.

4. Dignle Town

On your way back to Cork you will be stopped for about 1.5h in Dingle. This is the place where the Dingle whiskey is made and you can get the chance to give it a try in a bar. Buying it though is hard as in general it is sold out.

Make sure you have some fish and chips as with the proximity to the fish you will have some super fresh fish (catch of the day). I had mine at the Dingle Bay Hotel

Another must try seems to be the ice cream @Murrphy's. The ice cream is good but extremely expensive from my point of view. I tried the Dingle Sea Salt Flavor but they change them throughout the year.

Whether you take a picture of the statue or go on a boat tour don't miss out Fungie a wild Bottlenose Dolphin. It's believed he is about 32 years old with a life expectation as per experts of 40-50 years. Now if it's Fungie or any other dolphin it's still a super cute animal.