Rolling hills, castles, traditional Irish music, fish and chips, Irish whiskey, Guinness, Guinness and more Guinness! All these words beautifully describe the magnificent country of Ireland, and all the unique attractions each town and village have to offer. I spent one day exploring Dingle, a town located in southern Ireland in County Kerry on the Atlantic coast. This quaint fishing village and its stunning landscape make this town a must stop!!! I hope this Blog post helps you best plan your next visit to Dingle.
Where To Stay in Dingle
–Dingle Bay Hotel
I stayed at the Dingle Bay Hotel for one night and thought it was a good choice and the perfect location. Located in the heart of the picturesque town of Dingle, the hotel is nestled amongst the local shops and pubs. The hotel prides itself on providing modern, simplistic and comfortable facilities for visitors after a long day. It was definitely a very simple hotel (as many European hotels are) but it was clean and an ideal location for reaching everything in town on foot. The hotel also has one of the most popular pubs inside…Paudie’s Bar with live entertainment!
Where To Eat in Dingle
The Chart House is an award-winning restaurant located in the heart of Dingle. The Chart House is family owned and operated and constantly striving to make each dining experience memorable. I thought the restaurant was super charming, a small stone building on the exterior with stone accents, romantic lighting and open seating inside. The service is top-notch, and the food is delicious serving only the highest quality ingredients. I enjoyed the Dingle Bay seafood chowder, the roasted free-range chicken and dark chocolate tart!
Murphy’s Ice Cream is a local ice cream company with locations in Dingle, Galway, Dublin and Killarney. The ice cream makers of Murphy’s use milk from a rare, indigenous breed of Kerry cows to make their perfected ice cream flavors. Whether you like simple flavors or have more adventurous tastebuds…there’s a flavor for all. Christmas pudding, smooth chocolate, Kieran’s cookies, Irish brown bread, brownie, honeycomb caramel, rum raisin, Irish coffee and my personal favorite Dingle Sea Salt! This flavor is the best-selling as it comes directly from Dingle Sea water collected at Bin Ban Beach. Make sure to grab a scoop at one of their locations.
Things To Do in Dingle
Most people choose to rent a car and drive through Ireland exploring at their own pace. A few things to note once you decide to rent a car…Ireland drives on the opposite side of the road from the United States and the roads are quite narrow and windy. I visited Ireland as a family trip for my mom’s birthday and because there were six adults, we decided to hire a company to drive. This is a great alternative if you do not feel comfortable or have a larger group.
Conor Pass is the highest mountain pass in Ireland, connecting the north and south coast of Dingle. To describe this drive as “scenic” does not give justice to just how breathtaking the views truly are! This is where you will see it all…a landscape of glaciated mountains, corrie lakes and sweeping valleys. There are two great viewing points where you can pull over for photos along the trek. The first is at Peddlar’s Lake which is on the north side and the second is Conor Pass Waterfall which is located at the top of the mountain.
Flying into the Shannon airport, our tour guide took us through the Conor Pass on the drive into Dingle. Depending upon your itinerary, the Conor Pass can easily be integrated either coming or going from Dingle.
Slea Head Drive is known as one of the world’s top coastal scenic drives! Slea Head drive is a loop, starting and ending in Dingle with lots of attractions and…spectacular views. While other popular drives in this region include the Ring of Kerry and the Ring of Beara, the views along Slea Head rival the best and the drive is less crowded. Expect to spend at least half a day exploring and plan to drive in a clockwise direction to avoid large tour buses. The best places to stop along the drive include Ventry Beach, Dunbeg Fort (further information below), Beehive Huts, White Crucifix, Coumeenoole Beach, Dunmore Head (sandstone cliffs featured in Star Wars), Dunquin Harbour (one of the most photographed places in Ireland), and the Gallarus Oratory (further information below).
Dunbeg Fort is a small but impressive fort located on the Dingle Peninsula along the Slea Head drive. Dating back to the 8th and 9th century, the fort was created strategically on the edge of a cliff for protection against potential invaders. However, more recently, storms have contributed to the destruction of the fort as a large portion has been lost to sea.
Gallarus Oratory is located along the Slea Head drive and is a very popular stopping point for visitors. This unique, small, stoned chapel has an unknown history, but many believe date back to the 12th– century. Well-known and impressive due to the masonry and unique shape of an upside-down boat, the chapel is completely waterproof and can be visited any time of the year.
Take a Dingle Bay Boat Tour with a local tour guide. The two most popular boat tours include the Harbour tour and the Blasket Island tour. The Habour tour is a quick, one-hour tour that brings beautiful scenery and viewing of notable landmarks. The Blasket Island tour is a three-hour tour, around the coast of the Blasket Islands that provides spectacular views of marine wildlife and birds.
Shop Downtown Dingle to get a little souvenir as a reminder of your visit! If you’re looking for anything sheep related (shirts, bags, magnets, sweaters, socks, toys) …Dingle is your place! BAAAA
Visit a Pub…and if you think this tiny fishing town doesn’t have many options…you’re wrong! Like any great town in Ireland, Dingle has a pub on every street. The more popular pubs amongst tourists and locals include:
–An Droichead Beag meaning “the small bridge” is located next to…the small bridge in town and provides nightly traditional Irish music, with bands and musicians changing every night.
–The Dingle Pub located in the heart of Dingle on main street is said to be one of the livelier pubs in town. It is a larger pub with pool tables and live nightly music that brings in all people young and old.
–Foxy John’s is a small traditional pub that is also a hardware store so don’t be fooled! Foxy John’s is half pub and half store with an outdoor beer garden in the summer months. This pub ranks high amongst locals for the homey ambiance!
–Murphy’s is another favorite amongst the community! If you’re looking to meet and get to know the locals, you’ll be sure to find them here! This pub is traditional with a rustic wooden bar, stool seating and low tables for dinning.
–John Benny’s is perhaps one of the most well-known pubs all over the Dingle Peninsula. The pub is located on a pier and specializes in fresh seafood. This is a must visit for traditional Irish music and dancing! My family and I stopped in after dinner for a few pints and had a fantastic time!
–Dick Mack’s Pub & Brewery was definitely my favorite!!! I stopped in for a drink during the afternoon after a day exploring the countryside. The staff was very friendly as well as the locals who were eager to talk to me! This pub draws in a crowd throughout the year as it offers the widest selection of craft beers in Dingle. In the summer months, the brewery features an outdoor beer garden with picnic tables and food vendors. During the winter months, which is when I visited, we found a cozy spot inside and admired the eclectic display of memorabilia.
