Arrival in Shannon. Transfer to Gougane Barra. Optional 4km/2.5mi, easy

From your arrival point of Shannon, you are met and transferred about 2½ hours to the small hamlet of Gougane Barra in western Cork, a wonderfully pristine part of Ireland, and to your lakeside family-run hotel overlooking St Finbarr’s oratory on a small island. Surrounded by heather-clad mountains, the lake is a beautiful and peaceful place, and there is a lovely walk available to stretch your legs.

Gougane Barra Forest Park; 9.25km/6mi, easy to moderate

Awakening to the lakeside tranquility and a full Irish breakfast, today you explore the Gougane Barra Forest Park, which offers a range of trails of varying distances and degrees of difficulty, each one with a specific theme that best showcases the spectacular panoramas of mountain, valley, stream, and lake. Developed as a forest park in the early 1960s and officially opened in 1966, the Gougane Barra valley and lake owe their dramatic geology to glacial origins. The Forest Park of over 350 acres was planted in the late 1930s over what was once farmland. Now you walk amidst impressive stands of Lodgepole Pine, Sitka Spruce, and light green Japanese Larch. Finbarre, the founder of Cork, established a monastery here in the 6th century as well as a hermitage on the small island in Gougane Barra Lake (Lough an Ghugain), which can be reached by a short causeway.

Beara Way to Kenmare; 11.5km/7mi, easy to moderate

Today’s walk is on the Beara Way, in an area that is probably one of the least developed regions of Ireland. The route starts at Bonane Heritage Park. The walk around the archaeological site takes approximately 30 minutes and provides panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. An amazing Bronze Age stone circle with complex lunar and solar alignments, a ringfort, standing stone, famine house, and a fulacht fiadh (ancient cooking pit) can be seen. These structures reflect the long history of habitation in this area, dating back 5,000 years. Your final destination of the day is Kenmare. Founded in 1670 by Sir William Petty, it is one of Ireland’s few “planned” towns, and with its wide range of pubs and restaurants where you can sample the “local flavors,” it has been chosen by the Irish Tourist Board as one of only two Heritage towns in County Kerry. The county is a golfing destination, and the town’s 18-hole golf course is just across from your deluxe lodge. In addition to walking, nearby are options for horseback riding, cycling, and fishing. The town also has one of Ireland’s finest woolen shops.

Derrycunnihy church to Killarney; 11.4km/7mi or 14.5km/9mi, easy to moderate, 1000-ft elevation gain

Today begins with a transfer (45 minutes) over Moll’s Gap, with the famous Ladies’ View over the Killarney Lakes, and to the start of your walk. The route takes you through the Killarney National Park, the home of the only natural herd of red deer in Britain or Ireland. You continue through the mountains to the Torc Waterfall and on to Muckross House and Abbey, where Queen Victoria paid a visit to the Herbert family in 1861. Today, many of the rooms in this magnificent mansion have been restored to their original Victorian splendor, and between the months of April and July, the mature rhododendrons of Muckross Gardens are in spectacular bloom. Adjacent to the house are Muckross Traditional Farms, which portray the farming methods and way of life of a typical rural community of the 1930s. Its workshops, shops, and restaurant are all worth exploring. From here you can either continue on foot, or take the famous “jaunting car,” a local horse-drawn carriage, on into Killarney.

Layover day in Killarney

At your doorstep are a plethora of options in and around the town of Killarney, from a range of walks, to castle touring, town strolling and shopping, bike riding or pony trekking. Perhaps one of the best known natural sites is the Gap of Dunloe, a narrow mountain pass between Macgillycuddy’s Reeks and Purple Mountain. About 7 miles in length, from north to south, within it are five lakes—Coosaun Lough, Black Lake, Cushnavally Lake, Auger Lake, and Black Lough, —all connected by the River Loe. Connecting the first two lakes is the Wishing Bridge, because it is said that wishes made while upon it are destined to come true. Nearby is Ross Castle, standing on the shore of Lough Leane. The original home of the O’Donoghue Ross Chieftains in the 15th century, the castle has been magnificently restored. The site holds evidence of human habitation going back 9,000 years, with one of Europe’s earliest Bronze Age copper mines dating back some 4,500 years. One walking option here is a 90- minute route around the archeological sites of Ross Island. You can also walk into the vibrant and charming town center of Killarney, with its long tradition of late-evening shopping, tall-spired St. Mary’s Cathedral, as well as a Gothic Franciscan church.

Ventry to Dunquin; 10.5km/6.5mi, 11.5km/7mi, or 13km/8mi, easy to moderate, 650-ft elevation gain

This morning’s destination is the Dingle Peninsula, just over an hour’s drive away. A first short stop is at the fabulous Inch beach, made famous in David Lean’s 1970 film, “Ryan’s Daughter.” The drive takes you past Dingle (though you’ll have plenty of time upon your return to explore the town and surroundings) and on to Ventry Beach, where you begin the day’s walk. The route starts out along the beach before rising slightly to skirt the base of Mount Eagle. Here spectacular views open up over the Blasket Islands and the Atlantic Ocean as you pass beside Neolithic beehive stone huts. The walk ends at the excellent Blasket Islands visitor center, which provides an informative overview. You soon return to Dingle, perhaps for a pint of Guinness at one of the town’s 52 pubs!

Layover day in Dingle

The town of Dingle invites exploration—with its colorful houses, lively fishing port (and resident dolphin Funghi), pubs and restaurants, inviting shops, and livestock market. Nearby are local walks as well as boating options. A vibrant town of only 2,000 residents, it is a flourishing tourist, fishing, and agricultural center. Boat trips from Dingle include whalewatching excursions and deep-sea fishing. As a market and fishing town, its numerous pubs not only provide delicious food and drink, but some also specialize in selling items from Wellington boots to sheets, blankets, and fertilizer! A center for traditional music, you can listen to it in the pubs in the evening, and by day perhaps visit the Dingle Record Shop on Green Street, or the Dingle Music School, dedicated to making Irish music as accessible as possible. Pottery is another local craft.

Departure

You depart Dingle this morning and make the 45-minute drive to Tralee for onward train or bus connections.