The 10-day walking tour starts in Glengarriff village on the southeastern mouth of the peninsula and finishes in Kenmare. It includes a days walking to Dursey Island on the southwestern tip and the pretty village of Allihies.
Tour Highlights
- Exploring Bere Island http://www.bereisland.net/
- A thriving island population of 200, living in an archaeological and historical bag of gems.
- Getting to Dursey Island….the cable car is worth the walk! http://www.bearatourism.com/bwdursey.html
- Allihies village and O’Neill’s Pub. A wonderful rural community.
Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrival to Glengarriff
Travel to Glengarriff situated on beautiful Bantry Bay. “Glengarriff” means the “rugged glen”, and is now a wooded and attractive valley. You may wish to visit Garinish Island, a planted sub-tropical garden about 10 minutes off the coast by ferry, famous for its Italian Garden and ancient sun temple.
Overnight accommodation in Glengarriff village.
Day 2 – Glengarriff to Adrigole
Walk through the Glengarriff woods and Glenlough Mountains, following old tracks alongside Coomarkane River, climbing the flank of the Sugarloaf, skirting mountain lakes to descend from Mass Mount and the Holy Well. Tonight’s evening meal will be in your guesthouse.
Distance 16km. Ascents 510m. Approximate walking time 6 hours.
Overnight accommodation near Adrigole. Dinner tonight is in your guesthouse.
Day 3 – Adrigole to Castletownbere
Wonderful views over Bantry Bay and a series of pre-historic sites close to the route. A series of bog roads, farm tracks and minor roads are linked today to cross the rugged slopes of Hungry Hill. Castletownbere, nestled in the lee of Bere Haven Harbour and sheltered by Bere Island, is the principal town of the peninsula and the largest whitefish port in Ireland. It offers a full range of services.
Distance 22km. Ascents 550m. Approximate walking time 6 hours.
Overnight accommodation in Castletownbere town.
Day 4 – Free Day in Castletownbere
Visit Bere Island with a resident community of 210 people. Walk through open sheep farming country, visiting Ardnakinna Lighthouse and a Martello Tower. Or on the mainland, visit Dunboy Castle home to O’Sullivan clan who ruled the area for three centuries. Puxley mansion was a 19th century family home of the Puxley’s, who mined copper in the area. Bicycles are for hire in Castletownbere for more exploration.
Distance 8km or 24km. Ascents 250m. Approximate walking time 6 hours.
Overnight accommodation in Castletownebere town.
Day 5 – Castletownebere to Allihies
Through the Slieve Miskish Mountains, conifer forests, crossing open hill terrain under the peak of Knockgour at 481m. Pass a ringfort – an ancient farm enclosure, which would have served as a home for people and animals. Allihies is a colourful coastal village, surrounded by the remains of copper mines – crushed stones from the mines formed the beach.
Distance 12km. Ascents 220m. Approximate walking time 3 hours.
Overnight accommodation in Allihies village.
Day 6 – Explore Dursey Island
Local transfer to Dursey cable car and explore Dursey Island. The remote southwest is a beautiful, desolate part of the peninsula. The Dursey cable car is the only one of its type in Ireland. It was constructed in the 1973 and crosses a 200m strait approximately 25m above sea level. You will see deserted farming villages on the island and superb cliff scenery.
Distance 24km or 35km. Ascents 200m. Approximate walking time 6 hours.
Overnight accommodation in Allihies village.
Day 7 – Allihies to Eyeries
Mining tracks link Allihies with Eyeries and the views are to the north of Coulagh Bay and the mouth of the Kenmare River. The coastal route takes you past coastguard ruins and rocky shorelines to the Ballycrovane Standing stone – 4.7m and quite a sight!
Distance 20km. Ascents 500m. Approximate walking time 6 hours.
Overnight accommodation in Eyeries village.
Day 8 – Eyeries to Lauragh
Climb the slopes of Gortbrack hill over the stunning Cleanderry Harbour to the pretty village of Ardgroom. Under the striated glaciated face of Tooreenamna and Coomacloghane there are no less than ten prehistoric monuments. The Owenashagh River meets Killmackillogue Harbour at Lauragh – a glorious sub tropical setting of rhododendron and Scot’s Pine. Dereen House & Gardens are well worth a visit.
Distance 22km. Ascents 300m. Approximate walking time 6 hours.
Overnight accommodation in Lauragh village.
Day 9 – Lauragh to Kenmare
A minor road climbs to a saddle at 150m between the hills of Knockatee and Knockanoughanish, before climbing higher through open hillside. Superb views of the Cloonee Lakes descending to Lough Inchiquin and a stone circle from the Neolithic era 3500 – 2000 B.C. Descend into Kenmare town, an interesting market town founded in 1670, on the banks of the Roughty River.
Distance 24km. Ascents 470m. Approximate walking time 6 hours.
Overnight accommodation in Kenmare town.
Day 10 – Departure from Kenmare
Scheduled bus services from Kenmare to Killarney or Cork for onward connections.
Prices & Booking
€270 single supplement.
What’s Included
* Nine nights Bed & Breakfast guesthouse accommodation;
* Luggage transfers each day;
* Detailed route descriptions;
* Relevant 1:50000 maps.
What’s not included
* Other meals.
* Entries or excursions.
* Transfers to Glengarriff or from Kenmare.
Guest Reviews
August 2021 – K. Moshkowitz, New York, USA
I did want to let you know I had a wonderful trip! The Beara Way was just spectacular, and the B&B’s were lovely and the hosts as welcoming as could be. I didn’t make it to Allihies as that was the one day I had horrible weather, but the rest of the time I was out, was actually gorgeous. Thank you SO much.
July 2019 – G. Wickham, Virginia, USA
Thanks for checking in. We’ve had some beautiful days walking. Currently eating the best mussels ever in a pub near Lauragh!!
July 2019 – N. Roest, The Netherlands
Just wanted to let you know i had a great Holiday! The Beara way was amazingly beautiful. Everything was perfectly arranged and all of the B&B’s I stayed in were great. Even the weather wasn’t too bad… Just 1 day and a half of rain…. Even got a lot of sun…!
The Way itself is really beautiful. It has a few good challenges and the amount of road isn’t too much.
Location & Grade
