Dingle Peninsula VS Ring of Kerry

Are you struggling to decide between driving Ireland's uber-famous Ring of Kerry and the lesser known Dingle Peninsula?  Then this is the blog post for YOU!  I have some pros and cons for each drive, to help you choose what will work better for your perfect Ireland road trip itinerary.

Sunset Views of the Dingle Peninsula 

I was fortunate enough to spend a week renting a thatch-roofed cottage on the actual ring of Kerry between Cahairsiveen and Killorglin, allowing me to drive around both the Ring of Kerry on the Iveragh Peninsula and the Slea Head Loop on the Dingle Peninsula.  Many folks have asked me which scenic drive I would recommend to them because they have limited time on the West Coast.  If you are getting around by public transport, then your choices are minimal, especially if you are travelling in the shoulder or off-season.   Tour buses leave from Killarney to drive around the Ring of Kerry making this a much busier road to drive than the Dingle's Slea Head Drive.  So if you want to avoid crowds, head to Dingle. If driving in Ireland makes you nervous, and you don't want to rent a car then the Ring of Kerry would be your choice, because there are very few tours offered for the Dingle Peninsula.  This article is geared towards travels who have access to a vehicle.



Views

Both the Ring of Kerry and the Slea Head drive offer stunning ocean views.  The Slea Head road is closer to the sea, whereas The Ring of Kerry has some beautiful cliff-top vistas overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.  You can also take a side road off of the Ring of Kerry and drive the 32 kilometres Skellig Ring Road to see the beautiful Cliffs of Kerry and Skellig Islands off in the distance.  
My vote for better views goes to the Dingle Peninsula because you are driving next to the ocean more than on the Ring of Kerry.

The Cliffs Of Kerry

Slea Head

Historical Points of Interest

There are many archaeological points of interest on both scenic drives, yet each loop holds different and unique sites. 

Gallarus Oratory, Dingle Peninsula

Slea Head has beehive huts that were used by early inhabitants and later by Christian Monks.  Gallarus Oratory is a very early Christian church that was made by hand corbeled stone in a stunning setting.  Kilmalkedar Church with its Celtic cross graveyard and ancient Ogham stone is picturesque and evocative. DUNBEG RINGFORT IS CLOSED.   If you want to see a stone ringfort, you will have to see it on the Ring of Kerry. 

Staigue Ringfort, Ring of Kerry

Ring of Kerry has three bronze age stone ring forts; two at Cahirsiveen and a huge one at Staigue Ring Fort. The cute town of Kenmare has a  prehistoric pagan stone circle in the middle of the city, and Killarney National Park on the Ring of Kerry has a ruined castle and a few deserted abbeys to explore.

My vote is tied between these two drives; each has completely different types of historical monuments.

Attractions

Jaunting Car At Muckross House

With Killarney National Park being situated on the Ring of Kerry, the town of Killarney is much better set up for tourist activities than Dingle.  Killarney Park has Muckross House and Traditional Farms which is a grand Victorian House, and it's working open-air museum farm, Ross Castle and Muckross Abbey.  You can hike many of the gorgeous trails in Killarney park, rent a bike and explore the park, rent a boat, take a boat tour or hire a jaunting car through the Gap of Dunloe. 

Mysterious Beehive Huts On Skellig Michael

Another famous tourist attraction that is along the Ring of Kerry is the Skellig Islands.  Skellig Michael is a remote island 12 miles off the Kerry coast that is one of two of Ireland's  UNESCO world heritage sites.  The islands have become very popular in the last few years because of the filming of the Star Wars movies, and you must READ THIS BEFORE GOING TO SKELLIG MICHAEL!

Honourable mention for attractions on the Ring of Kerry is Derrynane (rhymes with Mary Ann) House, which was the home of Daniel O'Connell who gained equality for Catholics in Ireland back in the 1800s.

The town of Dingle has an aquarium called Oceanworld that is very popular with children. See www.dingle-oceanworld.ie for more information.  Another favourite activity in Dingle is a boat cruise around the harbour to spot Fungie the dolphin, Dingle's wild "mascot."  Or * NEW FOR 2019* you can take a cruise from Dingle to the Skellig Islands (this is not a landing tour, just a boat trip.  Check out Dingle Bay Charters for their cruise schedule.  If you want a taste of "real Ireland" visit the Blasket Islands just off the coast of Dunquin. Dingle Bay Charters in Dingle harbour has a ferry service daily to the remote Gaelic speaking Islands.  If you don't want to make the trip all the way out to Great Blasket Island, you can stop in at the Blasket Islands Visitor Center in Dunquin.  

My vote: Offering so many more attractions and activities, I would have to say the winner for the best attractions is Ring of Kerry.

Beaches

Both the Ring of Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula have gorgeous sandy beaches, some are popular swimming areas full of frolicking children, and some are a bit more isolated and remote feeling.  For two of the most popular swimming beaches here my picks:

Ballinskellig Beach photo by Patrick Cotter

Ballinskellig Beach (also known as Ladies Beach) along the Skellig Ring Road has a 1-kilometre long sandy strand, lifeguards on duty in July and August, and the ruins of a 16th-century castle to explore.  Most of the beaches along the ring of Kerry are located around the village of Sneem or around Ballinskellig on the Skellig Ring Road.  This is a popular beach with locals and holiday cottage renters in the summer, so finding parking can be a bit difficult.

Inch Strand Near Dingle

Inch Beach or Ínse (in Irish meaning Sea Meadow) is a sandy spit that juts out four miles into Dingle Bay making it the biggest beach in County Kerry.  This beach is perfect for swimming, beachcombing, horseback riding and surfing.  You can also drive up along the sand at Inch Beach!  There are several surf schools located on Inch Beach that offer lessons from May through September and surfing is great year round.

This was a tough decision!  My vote for the best beach would have to be Inch Strand, on the Dingle Peninsula.  



Towns

Downtown Kenmare

While Killarney is a large town on the ring of Kerry, for me it lacks charm and authenticity.  It seems like Killarney is all just strip malls and chain hotels with a lot of forgettable pubs and restaurants.  While there are many other charming towns on the Iveragh Peninsula like Killorglin, Waterville, Sneem and Kenmare which is my favourite on the Ring of Kerry.  Kenmare is an ancient market town that is very easy to walk with lots of shops, restaurants and pubs.  There is also a stone "Druid's Circle" in the city that dates back over 3,000 years!

Dingle's Colourful Main Street

The Dingle Peninsula's namesake town of Dingle, however, is one of the most charming places on the West Coast of Ireland.  Nestled on the water's edge, Dingle is a fishing port before a tourist town.  Colourfully painted little shops and restaurants line Dingle's streets and keep tourists happy.  Dingle's real charm comes out at night when locals and tourists alike head into the pubs for a pint and a session.  A "session" you may know is an evening of Irish Traditional Music, and in the evening out of almost every pub spills the sound of drums, fiddles and lots of laughter.  Dingle is rather well known in Ireland for its music scene, and it is worth spending an overnight, other than Dingle there are no other towns that I would say you must stop to visit.

The vote here would be for Dingle on the Dingle Peninsula for quality over quantity. Dingle is a super little town!

There you have it, folks!  If you have limited time on Ireland's West Coast, I would head over to Killarney National Park, then overnight in Dingle and drive the Slea Head Loop trail.  If you do have the luxury of time to do both drives I would highly recommend it, as each peninsula is unique with a unique vibe on each.

Have you been to County Kerry?  What was your favourite drive?

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