Advice for Wild Atlantic Way in Feb?

Sean,

I'm guessing you may have already seen WildAtlanticWay.com - which is a good STARTING point. I will say as a negative: a few of us were looking at it closely yesterday, and a big glitch is this: it appears someone in an office in Dublin put the itineraries together, rather than someone who knows the area. I say this because, for example: it shows driving from dingle to Kenmare to be something like an hour 15 minutes. Well, it is if you're rushing to a doctor's appointment, or something! But if you're driving along the WAW with a camera in hand and stopping at scenic points and a cafe for a coffee.... then it's about 3 hours. So though the itineraries will tell you what may be there to see, do not take their times as anywhere near accurate!

I strongly suggest one place for a few nights and then do day trips. Your profile doesn't tell much about you - young, fit, older, not walking much - so I can't throw out recommendations not knowing what you want to do other than hillwalking - what about, kayaking, cycling, history? .... but there are all those things, almost everywhere around! I'm a big photography buff as well, and my first two years here with no work visa, all I could do was walk and cycle and take thousands of photos!! It's a photographers dream here in Kerry!

An example of a place would be Cahersiveen to stay a few days. You could enjoy Skellig Coast region; the Ring of Kerry & a bit of Killarney, and maybe even Dingle! Or stay in Sneem, and do RoK, Skellig/Valentia Island, Beara peninsula..... I know the area well in Kerry, so if that part of the WAW interests you you can indeed ask me more questions!

Do you know about Kerry Dark Sky reserve for stargazing? You're going to be here at the perfect time! Be ready to be knocked off your feet as far as astronomy goes!

Susan
Expat in Waterville.

We spent four nights in Cahersiveen and it was a wonderful base of operations! There are castle ruins and two ring forts to explore and there is even a nearby beach. On our second day we drove the Skellig Ring (be sure to stop at the Cliffs of Kerry--wonderful scenery!), picnicked in Waterville and drove all the way to Derrynane House (interesting, though not a must see). For our third day we headed to Valentia Island where there is quite a lot to see and do. The Skellig Experience was very interesting--I don't think you'll be able to visit Skellig Michael in February but the film at the visitors' center gives a pretty good picture of what it is like. There is (or was 2 years ago) a neaby hiking trail too (but watch out for the cow pies!). There is also a lighthouse on the island (it was closed when we were there) and further on you can hike down to see some tetrapods. We were really happy with our decision to base ourselves in Cahersiveen. On that same trip we spent several nights in Westport--a lovely little town with great pub music. As a day trip we drove up to Sligo County to see the megalithic cemetery at Carrowmore--not as spectacular as New Grange, but still very interesting! We didn't make it to Carrowkeel but it is another megalithic cemetery in that area that I understand is somewhat similar to New Grange except that one of the passage tombs is lit by the sun on the summer, rather than winter, solstice.

As an aside--we also stopped in Enniscorthy to do a little family research. The folks at Doyle's Bar were lovely--they wouldn't let me pay for my Guinness because "we might be related".

Thank you for the advice! Cahersiveen sounds like an ideal location, as I definitely want to check out the Kerry Dark Sky Reserve. I lived on the Big Island of Hawaii for many years and enjoyed stargazing atop Mauna Kea.

I now live in Tokyo, and to be honest, I can't stand the big city and especially the crowds (maybe I'm getting old? Late 40s here). The Tokyo night skies never get dark and I am lucky if I see more than three stars on a moonless night!

I just want to enjoy quiet scenery and open country without feeling rushed or pressured to adhere to a jam-packed schedule. I am hoping to keep the WAW portion of my trip as open as possible and just go where the road takes me. I am not necessarily interested in activities like golfing, kayaking, fishing, etc. Rather, I am interested in history, music, megalithic structures and natural beauty. I am more after spiritual connection than action-packed itineraries.

In general, I prefer to experience everyday life from a local's perspective instead of hitting all the tourist highlights. Of course, there are a few places I want to see, like the Book of Kells in Dublin and the Cobh Titantic Museum, but other than that, I just want to relax and take it all in.

I plan on renting a sat nav with my car, but does it work well in rural/remote areas? I don't want to waste time getting lost, and I think the suggestion of staying in one place and taking day trips is good because I can research places to stay and even book ahead of time, although it sounds like it is pretty easy to find vacancies on the fly in Feb.

Thanks again for your help!

We've had good luck with this website on previous trips: http://www.irishtrails.ie/
It provides handy reviews, ratings and maps for trail sections in each county. Might be a good supplement to the other websites you're looking at.
Not to be a master of the obvious, but your most valuable piece of gear will be a pair of good waterproof boots. Even during otherwise dry weather you'll encounter boggy places on the trails. As long as you're prepared with the appropriate gear you should be fine - we generally found that the rain (and sleet, snow, hail, etc) was transitory, ie we could wait it out and be assured that it would pass after a half hour or 45 minutes, with the sky giving way to bright sunshine to help dry us out. One thing about hiking in Ireland is that it's never boring - the "wild" part of the Wild Atlantic Way can refer to the weather as much as the scenery.

Since you mention megalithic tombs, check Iveragh Historical Tours. They do various tours, one being archaeology! Don't know how much you're into Irish history, but there's lots of lore about Amergin, Oisin, and more in the area around Cahersiveen..... as mentioned by PJ above...

Susan
Expat in Waterville

oh, and Sean - a Japanese film crew came over and did a documentary on Kerry Dark Sky. I'm betting you can find it on line - and if you speak Japanese you'll understand more of it than I!!!

Susan

Robert--thank you very much for the Irish Trails link! That is an excellent resource that should come in quite handy. I wonder if there is a "right to roam" in Ireland similar to that in the UK?

Susan--thank you again for all your advice. I am very interested in Irish history (I just purchased a couple of titles by R.F. Foster). The tour service you recommend looks very interesting.

I did quite a bit of research on the Kerry DSR, and I plan to be there during the new moon--perfect timing, indeed! I also saw a bit of the NHK documentary on YouTube, although I haven't found the full program yet.

Based on the RS Best of Ireland guidebook, it appears I won't be missing out on too much if I go from my base (TBD) near Kinsale & Cobh straight to to Cahersiveen. Or am I? If anyone has any ideas, please let me know.

Sean,

I think that depends on what you mean by "go straight to Cahersiveen?"

Susan
Expat in Waterville

Susan,

I am thinking about driving from the Kinsale area straight to the ROK via N22 to save time, as opposed to taking the southernmost route (N71) via Skibbereen and Bantry. I just wondered if the longer way is worth the extra time...

Hi Sean,

In answer to your most recent question: My husband and I drove the N71 from Kinsale to Kenmare last May. It was pretty, but not exactly "scenic"-- no real views of the coast or hills. I remember it being more woodsy. I haven't driven that stretch of the N22, but it's most likely just as pretty, and probably faster.

One possible reason to take the N71 route: the Drombeg stone circle is a short detour, near the village of Roscarbery. It's a smallish circle, with some additional ruins nearby (stone hut foundations), but very well worth stopping. You feel like you're on some farmer's land (but you're not! Definitely a "right to trespass" moment.). In May, when we stopped, there were maybe 4 other people there. It was very cool.

I have no idea if it's accessible in the winter, though. I'm guessing it would be, unless there's a lot of snow or ice, which is unlikely.

PS re sat nav: I think it will be very helpful to you, but take the time to get used to it before you start driving, so you can use it on the fly. Also, keep in mind that the recommended "shortest" route might take you on a tiny dirt farm track! Sometimes bigger roads are better.

You'll have a wonderful time!

There's really nothing on the N71 that's going to rival what you'll see once you arrive in Cahersiveen. With so much to see and explore in that area I'd opt for the shortest route and get there as quickly as possible.

oooh..... I just perused the map and I think rushing it might not be the wisest option. You're rushing through some beautiful areas (not sure what the other posters means contrary to that) and I think a slower drive, via slower roads along the West Cork area, through Kenmare (stone circle) and then Sneem, Parknasilla and the Ring of Kerry..... OR head towards Killarney then cut left and go over Ballyghisheen Pass (weather permitting). There's so much beauty on the South side of the Ring of Kerry road! I personally believe (even though we have a summer place in Glenbeigh) that the side with Sneem/Castlecove is the prettiest part of the Ring of Kerry road!

Susan
Expat in Waterville....

While I agree that the southern part of the ROK (theN 70) is a beautiful stretch, I'm not sure that getting there via the meandering N71 would be the best use of your limited time. Going that way in order to reach Kenmare, and then driving the loop up to Cahersiveen, will take most of a day, whereas the more direct route via the N22 will take less than 3 hours (plus stops along the way).
Once you're established at Cahersiveen there are numerous scenic options that will take an hour or less to reach...the drive from there to Sneem for example, so I think the option of saving time by going via the N22 is a good one.

Thanks everyone for your feedback. Having lived on the Big Island of Hawaii (which, as its name implies, is BIG), I know that if you try to see it all you only end up seeing the inside of a car for most of your stay. This is what I want to avoid! Staying in a base location for 2-3 days each and doing day trips sounds like the best approach.

I would prefer to book accommodations ahead, but I have a feeling that keeping it open will allow me more freedom to linger longer in some places, or leave earlier to explore more. Plus, I tend to get stressed when driving in an unfamiliar place, and I am sure I will make some wrong turns. I don't want the added pressure of having to stick to a tight schedule. Without a navigator, I will be relying on the sat-nav, maps and serendipity. There is just so much to do and see, but now I need to make some difficult choices in terms of what is a must-see and what I will have to save for another time...