Page 332 - Lonely Planet Europe’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

4¼
R560
Dingle
22
\ # # \ 4¼ FG # \
N86
Ventry
24 Ring of Kerry Dingle
Bay

You can drive the Ring of Kerry in a day, but the Knocknadobar
longer you spend, the more you’ll enjoy it. The circuit Killelan (688m)
R
winds past pristine beaches, the island-dotted Mountain
(275m)
R
Atlantic, medieval ruins, mountains and loughs, with Cahersiveen 5 # #
\ #
the coastline at its most rugged between Waterville Knightstown
and Caherdaniel in the peninsula’s southwest. You’ll Valentia # \
Island #H
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also find plenty of opportunities for serene, starkly # PortmageeFG
22
beautiful detours, such as the Skellig Ring and the \ 4¼
N70
Cromane Peninsula. 4¼
R565
Waterville#
#
6
#
\
# \
Ballinskelligs
Ballinskelligs
Bolus Bay
Head
Derrynane
site of some important Bay
1 Killarney Bronze Age settle-
A town that’s been prac- ments, based on the Scariff
tising the tourism game copper ore mined on
for more than 250 years, Ross Island. Killarney
changed hands between
Killarney is a well-oiled
machine driven by the warring tribes, the most
sublime scenery of its notable of which were Romantic poet Percy
namesake national park, the Fir Bolg (‘Bag Men’), Bysshe Shelley, who be-
and competition keeps expert stonemasons who gan Queen Mab here.
built forts and devised
standards high. Killarney The town can easily
nights are lively and Ogham script. It wasn’t be explored on foot in an
most pubs put on live until the 17th century hour or two, or you can
music. that Viscount Kenmare get around by taking a
Killarney and its developed the town horse-drawn jaunting car.
surrounds have been as an Irish version of
inhabited probably since England’s Lake District. 54 p313, p339
the Neolithic period Among its notable The Drive » From Killarney,
and were certainly the 19th-century tourists head 22km west to Killorglin
were Queen Victoria and
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