Ring of Beara
R571 / R572 · Glengarriff → Kenmare · Ireland
- Length
- 85 miles
- Drive time
- 3 h
- Type
- Coastal road
- Region
- Ireland & the Isle of Man
The connoisseur's Kerry ring: wilder, narrower and far quieter than its famous neighbour, looping the Beara peninsula through Castletownbere and the copper-mining villages — combine with the Healy Pass across the middle.
Highlights of the Ring of Beara
- Dursey Island cable car
- Eyeries' painted houses
- Healy Pass through the middle
Where to stop on the Ring of Beara
- O'Sullivans filling station, Glengarriff fuel — Fill up at the start — next dependable fuel is Castletownbere, 25 miles of R572 away
- MacCarthy's Bar, Castletownbere food — Bar and working grocery on the square since 1860 — the one from Pete McCarthy's book
- Dursey Cable Car viewpoint — Ireland's only cable car swinging over Dursey Sound — wild end-of-the-road car park
Drive the Ring of Beara
Open Ring of Beara on the map → ⬇ Download GPX
GPX works with Garmin, TomTom, Beeline and most bike sat-navs. Free, no sign-up — these are indicative waypoints, so follow the road signs, not the arrow.
Plot it, add it to a club run with a meeting point and pit stops, then share the whole trip as one link. Free, no account, works offline.
Route research: Club road index
More driving roads in Ireland & the Isle of Man
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- Isle of Man Mountain Road (TT Course) A18 · 14 mi · Isle of Man
- Causeway Coastal Route A2 · 120 mi · Northern Ireland
- Torr Head Scenic Route Torr Rd · 12 mi · Northern Ireland