This luxury guided walking tour of County Kerry and parts of West Cork is designed to give active travelers with an interest in moderate-level walking and hiking the opportunity to experience an Ireland often spoken of but rarely encountered.
The trip can be enjoyed anytime from early spring to late fall. Luxury accommodations are strategically located at just two locations — perfect base camps from which to explore the spectacular southwest.
Travelers can expect every day to be an intimate study of
nature, history and archaeology of the peninsulas of Beara, Iveragh (Ring of
Kerry) and Dingle. You
will experience a hidden Ireland of breathtaking beauty and remarkable
diversity as you pass through Killarney Valley and
Killarney National Park, see the extraordinary landscape of the Macgillycuddy’s
Reeks and witness the majestic islands of Skellig Michael and the Great
Blasket. Your guide will unlock the rich cultural history of Ireland as
well as provide insight into its mythic lore.
Our itineraries are for your inspiration. Please contact a travel advisor to customize this itinerary to fit your needs.
From the spectacular base of the Aghadoe Heights Hotel & Spa, which overlooks the magnificent Killarney Valley, this cultural adventure begins by exploring Killarney National Park itself and surroundings such as the Black Valley and Gap of Dunloe.
The beautiful town of Kenmare, nestled between mountain and ocean and recognized as a gourmet and arts center, is a gateway to the wild and rugged Beara Peninsula. Running south and west of Kenmare, Beara holds some of the most scenic walking opportunities in Ireland. It is an area rich in archaeology, particularly in Bronze Age sites, among them stone circles and tombs, and a host of passionate creators of Slow Food.
The great peninsula of Iveragh (Uibh Ráthach) holds some wonderful remote and hidden places. The lofty Macgillycuddy’s Reeks dominate the interior and overlook intricate coastlines and islands, with hikes along ancient ways and holy landscapes, over wild beaches and Atlantic headlands at “the edge of the world.” A particular highlight of today’s trip is the opportunity to reach the sacred rock-island of Skellig Michael. These pointed peaks in the North Atlantic are home to tens of thousands of seabirds and the site of the world’s most spectacular hermitage.
Enjoy a leisurely morning before a lunch of local artisan foods, and then
head out onto the Dingle Peninsula, the most northerly of the five fingerlike
promontories of the southwest. This is a powerful place where almost 10,000
years of history is etched on a landscape described by National Geographic as “probably
the most beautiful on earth,” and where Gaelic culture thrives. Here the
coastal hill walking is simply breathtaking, and in the company of your local guide,
you will walk on hallowed land and not see a footprint. Our hiking entry to
Dingle township this afternoon will be via the Conair Pass, a high saddle
overlooking mountains and ocean, before an evening of the finest seafood in
Ireland.
Mount Eagle is one of the most notable coastal hill walks on Ireland’s Atlantic seaboard. Our route here follows a turf-cutter’s road to the rounded summit before we descend a tapering ridgeline that extends to the westernmost rocks in Ireland. This lofty site and its vast panoramas of the Atlantic bays, local headlands, mountains and islands make this a particularly awesome place to take in the majestic light of the region. There will be opportunities to check out the archaeology of the region, time to meet some of the fine artisans living on the peninsula and join intimate sessions with traditional musicians.
The Great Blasket Island is the largest in an archipelago that lies off the western end of the Dingle Peninsula. It is a place of rugged oceanic scenery where the elements of nature are powerfully present. The island has an extraordinary natural history, and no exploration of it is possible without touching on the incredibly vibrant cultural tapestry woven into its history. Our walks here are guided by those with strong connections to the people of the Blaskets, whose stories of this land and seascape, and the gifted writers who called it home, will resonate long after one departs the island for Dingle or the nearer Dún Chaoin.
Contact a travel advisor to book your custom itinerary. Fill out the form or call (630) 734-4610.
Andrew Harper members have access to full travel-planning services through Andrew Harper Travel.
1 (800) 375-4685
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