Southwest Ireland scenic drives are a network of coastal touring routes across County Kerry and west Cork along Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way. These routes feature famous loops like the Ring of Kerry. They also include Slea Head Drive on the Dingle Peninsula and the Ring of Beara. Additionally, there are lesser known mountain passes such as Ballaghbeama Pass and Priest’s Leap. This network creates one of the most scenic road trip regions in Ireland. It combines Atlantic cliffs, historic villages, ancient archaeological landscapes, and remote upland terrain. This guide explains the major southwest Ireland scenic drives. It shows how to combine them into a realistic road trip across Kerry and west Cork.

Why Kerry and West Cork Hold the Best Scenic Drives

Southwest Ireland offers a vast number of classic scenic drives. This high concentration exists because the region is built around a chain of Atlantic peninsulas extending into the ocean. Tourism Ireland refers to this area as the “southern peninsulas” of the Wild Atlantic Way. These include the Dingle Peninsula, Iveragh Peninsula, Beara Peninsula, and Sheep’s Head Peninsula.

Each peninsula creates its own coastal driving loop. Mountain ranges between them create dramatic inland passes. As a result, travelers can experience a wide variety of landscapes within a relatively compact area.

The geography creates three types of scenic drives:

• Coastal peninsula loops
• Atlantic cliff roads
• Mountain passes connecting peninsulas

Combining these routes gives travelers one of the most varied road trip experiences in Ireland.

The Ring of Kerry

The Ring of Kerry is the best known scenic drive in southwest Ireland. It circles the Iveragh Peninsula for roughly 179 kilometers and traditionally begins and ends in Killarney.

The route passes through:

• Killarney National Park
• the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks mountains
• coastal villages such as Sneem and Waterville
• Atlantic viewpoints along Ballinskelligs Bay

The Ring of Kerry has been a touring route since the nineteenth century. Visitors began traveling to Killarney during this time. They came to see its lakes and mountains.

Despite its popularity, the route still delivers extraordinary scenery. Mountains rise directly above the Atlantic coastline. Inland lakes reflect peaks such as Carrauntoohil, Ireland’s highest mountain.

Travelers often combine the Ring of Kerry with the Skellig Ring for a more dramatic experience.

The Skellig Ring

The Skellig Ring is a smaller loop branching from the Ring of Kerry near Waterville and Portmagee. It circles the western tip of the Iveragh Peninsula and provides closer views of the Skellig Islands.

The road is narrower than the Ring of Kerry and passes through traditional fishing communities such as Ballinskelligs. Offshore, the twin rock pinnacles of Skellig Michael and Little Skellig dominate the Atlantic horizon. (Checkout our article “Skellig Michael: Ireland’s Edge of Heaven“.)

Skellig Michael is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is due to its early medieval monastic settlement. The settlement dates to around the sixth century.

Driving the Skellig Ring adds dramatic coastal scenery and historic context to the Ring of Kerry route.

Slea Head Drive

Slea Head Drive circles the western end of the Dingle Peninsula. It is widely considered one of the most scenic short drives in Ireland.

The route runs west from the town of Dingle. It loops around the Slea Head promontory. Then, it returns along the north side of the peninsula.

Travelers encounter:

• views of the Blasket Islands
• ancient beehive huts and early Christian sites
• sandy Atlantic beaches
• Gaelic speaking communities

The Dingle Peninsula has one of the strongest surviving Irish language cultures in the country. The region is officially designated as part of the Gaeltacht, an Irish speaking district.

Because of the density of scenery and historic sites, Slea Head Drive can be explored comfortably in half a day.

Ballaghbeama Pass

Ballaghbeama Pass cuts through the mountains of the Iveragh Peninsula between Glencar and Ballaghisheen.

The road is narrow and winding but offers some of the most remote landscapes in Kerry. Unlike the coastal drives, Ballaghbeama reveals the interior mountain scenery of southwest Ireland.

Drivers encounter:

• open upland bog
• glacial valleys
• stone farm walls
• very little traffic

The pass sits between two mountain ranges of the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks and the Slieve Mish Mountains.

For travelers seeking quieter routes, Ballaghbeama offers a peaceful drive away from major tour buses. It provides one of the most atmospheric drives in the region.

Priest’s Leap Drive

Priest’s Leap is one of the highest mountain passes in southwest Ireland. It crosses the Cork Kerry border between the villages of Bonane and Coomhola.

The road climbs steeply to roughly 463 meters above sea level before descending toward Bantry Bay.

According to local legend, the name refers to a priest. He supposedly escaped pursuing soldiers by leaping his horse across the mountain ridge. The horse’s hoofprints are said to remain imprinted in the rock.

Although the story belongs to local folklore, the dramatic views from the pass are very real.

Drivers can see:

• Bantry Bay
• the Caha Mountains
• remote valleys between Cork and Kerry

Because the road is narrow and steep, travelers should drive carefully and avoid poor weather conditions.

The Ring of Beara

The Ring of Beara is a peninsula drive shared between County Cork and County Kerry. It circles the Beara Peninsula for approximately 137 kilometers. (See our article “Ireland’s Best-Kept Secret: A Journey to the Beara Peninsula” for a deep dive.)

Compared with the Ring of Kerry, the Beara Peninsula receives far fewer visitors. Many travelers consider it the most underrated scenic drive in Ireland.

Highlights include:

• colorful harbor villages such as Allihies
• Dursey Island at the tip of the peninsula
• rugged Atlantic headlands
• the dramatic Healy Pass mountain road

Because the Beara Peninsula is quieter than the Iveragh Peninsula, it offers a slower and more intimate travel experience.

Sheep’s Head Drive

Sheep’s Head Peninsula lies south of the Beara Peninsula between Bantry Bay and Dunmanus Bay.

The peninsula is known for its unspoiled landscape and its long distance walking route, the Sheep’s Head Way.

The scenic drive along the peninsula passes:

• small farms
• historic churches
• stone walls and coastal headlands

The narrow road ends near the Sheep’s Head Lighthouse at the western tip of the peninsula.

Because the area receives fewer visitors than Kerry’s famous routes, it provides a peaceful conclusion to a southwest Ireland road trip.

Suggested 4 Day Scenic Drive Route

Travelers can combine the major southwest Ireland scenic drives into a manageable four day itinerary.

Day:

1-Explore Killarney National Park and drive the Ring of Kerry.

2-Add the Skellig Ring and cross Ballaghbeama Pass.

3-Visit Dingle and drive Slea Head.

4-Explore the Beara Peninsula or Sheep’s Head Peninsula.

This route balances famous highlights with quieter drives.

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Terry Donlan is the founder of Irish Scottish Roots and has researched his Irish and Scottish family history since 1985. He has made five research trips to Ireland and Scotland. He writes about genealogy, heritage travel, historical records, and the people and places that shaped Irish and Scottish family stories.

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