Page 325 - Lonely Planet Europe’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

landscape of green hills
and golden sands give AN ANCIENT FORT
rise to aquatic adventures
and to fishing fleets that For a look at a well-preserved caher (walled fort) of
haul in fresh seafood that the late Iron Age to early Christian period, stop at
appears on the menus of Caherconnell Fort (www.burrenforts.ie; R480; adult/
some of the county’s child €7/4, with sheepdog demo €9.60/5.60; h10am-6pm
finest restaurants. Jul & Aug, 10am-5pm Mar-Apr & Oct, 10am-5.30pm May,
Centred on charming June & Sept), a privately run heritage attraction that’s
Dingle town, there’s an more serious than sideshow. Exhibits detail how the
alternative way of life evolution of these defensive settlements may have
here, lived by artisans reflected territorialism and competition for land
and idiosyncratic char- among a growing, settling population. The drystone
acters and found at trad walling of the fort is in excellent condition. The top-
sessions and folkloric notch visitor centre also has information on many
festivals across Dingle’s other monuments in the area. It’s about 1km south of IRELAND 23 THE LONG WAY ROuND
tiny settlements. Poulnabrone Dolman on the R480.
The classic loop drive
around Slea Head from
Dingle town is 50km, but its most rugged between Kate Kearney’s Cottage is
allow a day to take it all Waterville and Caherdan- a pub where most visitors
in – longer if you have iel in the southwest of park their cars before
time to stay overnight in the peninsula. It can get walking up to the gap.
Dingle town. crowded in summer, but
even then the remote
54 p313, p327 Skellig Ring can be un- c Kenmare
crowded and serene – and If you’ve done the Ring in
The Drive » Take the N86
as far as Annascaul and starkly beautiful. an anticlockwise fashion
then the coastal R561 as far The Ring of Kerry can (or cut through the Gap
as Castlemaine. Then head easily be done as a day of Dunloe), you’ll end up
southwest on the N70 to trip, but if you want to in handsome Kenmare, a
Killorglin and the Ring of Kerry. stretch it out, places to largely 18th-century town
From Dingle, it’s 53km. stay are scattered along and the ideal alternative
the route. Killorglin and to Killarney as a place to
Kenmare have the best stay overnight.
b Ring of Kerry dining options, with
The Ring of Kerry is the some excellent restau- 54 p313, p327
longest and the most rants; elsewhere, basic The Drive » Picturesque
diverse of Ireland’s big (sometimes very basic) villages, a fine stone circle and
circle drives, combining pub fare is the norm. calming coastal scenery mark
jaw-dropping coastal The Ring’s most popular the less-taken, 143km route
scenery with emerald diversion is the Gap of from Kenmare to Cork city.
pastures and villages. Dunloe, an awe-inspiring When you get to Leap, turn
The 179km circuit usu- mountain pass at the right onto the R597 and go as
ally begins in Killarney western edge of Kil- far as Rosscarbery; or, even
better, take twice as long (even
and winds past pristine larney National Park. It’s though it’s only 24km more)
beaches, the island-dotted signposted off the N72 and freelance your way along
Atlantic, medieval ruins, between Killarney to narrow roads near the water the
mountains and loughs Killorglin. The incredibly entire way.
(lakes). The coastline is at popular 19th-century

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