Overview
Cycle the Beara peninsula, a 196-km route circumnavigating the dramatic Beara peninsula located in Ireland’s south-west corner and one of the country’s best-kept secrets. Beara is quieter than its northern neighbour, the famed Kerry Way, but is equally beautiful and offers superb cycling. It is a largely undiscovered area, hilly but not mountainous, with some good open sections.
The route travels along the entire Beara peninsula passing through all towns and villages along the way. The principal town Castletownbere is blessed with a safe sheltered anchorage of one of the largest natural harbours in the world. The picturesque villages of Eyeries and Allihies are famous for their rows of brightly contrasting houses featuring every shade of the rainbow.
At the head of Bantry Bay is the village of Glengarriff, from where you can take a short boat trip to Garinish Island. Its unique micro climate allows an amazing range of exotic species to flourish. At the tip of the peninsula is Dursey Island, now home to only five people, and connected to the mainland by Ireland’s only cable car. There is a chance your fellow passenger bleats to you as sheep are travelling to Dursey Island with the cable car as well. Enjoy the view and you might be lucky enough to see a dolphin wandering around beneath you.
- Killarney National Park – Ireland’s oldest National Park
- Gap of Dunloe and the stunning views of Auger Lake
- Uragh Stone Circle – a megalithic monuments from a bygone age
- Gleninchaquin Nature Park – long narrow coombe valley, formed by glaciation approximately 70,000 years ago
- Dursey Island – separated from the mainland by a narrow stretch of water called the Dursey Sound
- Glengarriff Nature Reserve – an extensive old oak woodland nestled in a rugged glen
- Garnish Island and its beautiful gardens
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Tralee
Upon arrival in Tralee, check in at your B&B. If time allows, enjoy a scenic cycle along the Tralee to Fenit Greenway, where you can relax on Fenit’s blue-flag beach or hike up the steps to the St. Brendan the Navigator statue, offering views of the northern side of the Dingle Peninsula
- Accommodation: Meadowlands Hotel or similar
Day 2: Tralee to Killarney | 33-53km
Cycle southeast towards Killarney National Park. With views of Carrauntoohill ahead, arrive to the village of Fossa. before taking the Fossa Way to the lake side town of Killarney. Explore the National Park further and add a looped cycle and visit the 16th Century Muckross Abbey. Continue your journey to Muckross House, a grand Victorian mansion with vast gardens. Feel free to take a break from the bikes and explore the mansion. Finish the day back in Killarney town and wind down and even indulge in a locally brewed pint.
- Cycling for the day: 33-53km
- Accommodation: Abbey Lodge or similar
Day 3: Killarney to Kenmare | 46km
Today’s journey commences along the Fossa Way, before reaching the Gap of Dunloe. Winding between lakes, climb to the top of the gap, where panoramic await. From here descend into the Black Valley, you’ll appreciate its serene seclusion. Continue and finish the day at the heritage town of Kenmare.
- Cycling for the day: 46km
- Accommodation: Golf Course View B&B or similar
Day 4: Kenmare to Eyeries | 58km
Cross what was Ireland’s first suspension bridge, before following the Kenmare coast. Turn inland, and jounrney into the Gleninchaquinn Valley. Take the opportunity to visit the Iron-Age Uragh Stone Circle. A short cycle away, take a rest from the bike and venture into Gleninchaquinn Nature Park (entry free payable locally). Grab the bike and finish the day on winding roads that lead to the village of Eyeries.
- Cycling for the day: 58km
- Accommodation: Coulagh Bay House or similar
Day 5: Eyeries to Castletownbere | 49km
Today offers an array of choices, but a local recommendation is to venture further west to Dursey Sound. Cross over on Ireland’s only cable car. Please note that the cable car costs £10 and your bikes will remain on the mainland (payable locally). Return to the mainland and continue the cycle eastwards and arrive in the fishing port of Castletownbere. A town known for their exceptionally fresh seafood, the perfect place to savour the local cuisine.
- Cycling for the day: 49km
- Accommodation: Summerhill B&B or similar
Day 6: Castletownbere to Glengarriff | 38km
Today you have the option to take your bike over to Bere Island for a cycle around this beautiful place. From Castletownbere cycle east through Adrigole hugging the coastline. Adrigole is the gateway to the Ring of Beara. The highest Waterfall in Ireland is located on the famous Hungry Hill. The Healy Pass road is a scenic mountain route linking both sides of the Peninsula – take the Healy Pass or follow the route to Castletownbere along the main road, overlooking Berehaven harbour. Finish your cycle in the quaint village of Glengarriff which has for many years been a popular and renowned holiday resort. Glengarriff nestles in a glen in the midst of rocks, cliffs, and mountains, at the head of a tiny inlet, in Bantry Bay’s north-eastern corner.
- Cycling for the day: 38km
- Accommodation: Island View B&B or similar
Day 7: Glengarriff to Kenmare | 48km
This stunning inland route brings you through rugged countryside which this region is known for. With stunning mountains and valleys in all directions, you are never far from another impressive vista. Cycle the quiet country roads with some good uphill sections before descending to the riverside route. Back to the town of Kenmare for your last overnight.
- Cycling for the day: 48km
- Accommodation: Golf Course View B&B or similar
Day 8: Departure
After breakfast you officially finish the trip and will be transferred along with your bike back to Killarney.
What to expect
Accommodation
We have carefully hand-picked all places and regularly monitor their quality. We have tried to choose accommodations that offer friendly service, clean and comfortable rooms and local flavour.
Click to view default hotels
- Meadowlands Hotel (Tralee)
- Abbey Lodge (Killarney)
- Golf Course View B&B (Kenmare)
- Coulagh Bay House (Eyeries)
- Summerhill B&B (Castletownbere)
- Island View B&B (Glengarriff)
*Note that hotels are subject to availability. In case a particular hotel is fully booked for your desired dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation!
Meals
Full Irish breakfast each day. When no restaurant location is available on route, lunches and snacks should either be bought from local shops, or packed lunch can be pre-ordered from your hotel the night before. Evening meals can be enjoyed in the charming restaurants along the way.
Difficulty and terrain
The cycling is not hard, still, in order to enjoy the trip to the maximum, it is recommendable to have some cycling experience and be in a good physical shape. You will be cycling on most parts on country roads and close to the coastline. (read more about difficulty grades). The route is well sign-posted with a logo and a bicycle symbol. We will email you the essential pre-departure info. Upon arrival, you will receive detailed travel information with route maps, route description and access to our exclusive GPS Navigation App.
When to go
This trip is available from April until October. Weather is best in June – August. The flexibility of self guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates and you can start your trip on any date in the season – so please indicate desired beginning date when booking. For more information, see our blog on the best time to go to Ireland.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By plane
Our recommended airports for this tour are Dublin (DUB), Kerry (KIR), Cork (ORK) or Shannon (SNN).
By train or bus
- If you’d like to travel to Ireland without flying, read our blog, How to travel to Ireland by train and ferry
- Kerry airport: Outside the main terminal is a Bus Terminus with bus services available directly from Kerry Airport to Killarney. Ryanair offers flights to Kerry from London and Manchester.
- Dublin Airport: Take the bus (best option is the direct shuttle bus 747) or taxi to Huston station. Train to Killarney (every two hours). Bus services via Limerick also available. Aer Lingus offers direct flights from Dublin to Kerry twice daily.
- Cork airport: Local bus service to Cork city bus station (Parnell Place). From there take the bus to Killarney (every two hours).
- Shannon airport: Bus services via Limerick to Killarney.
- For train schedules, visit Irish Rail. For bus schedules, see Bus Éireann, Dublin Coach or use the Omio planner above.
Inclusions
Included
- Accommodation in en-suite rooms (guesthouses and B&Bs)
- Full Irish Breakfast each morning
- Welcome briefing
- Hybrid bike rental
- Luggage transfer between the accommodations on cycling days (max. 2 bags per person – keeping the combined weight to 15 kg)
- Detailed travel documents with cycling descriptions and maps of each cycling day (Please note that the info pack is emailed to you prior to departure and no printed documents are mailed or provided on-site)
- Access to our exclusive GPS Navigation App
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes and entry fees (payable on-site)
- Any items not explicitly listed as included
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- A supplement applies to members of a group who require a single room
- This holiday is available for solo travellers; a supplement will be charged as accommodation and luggage transfer costs are not shared (we never mix and match – solo travellers will be accommodated in single rooms)
- Extra nights along the trail are bookable upon request
Rental Bikes
Ridgeback Elements Hybrid Bike (included):
Perfect all-round bike for town, country and beyond. It offers a fast and smooth ride thanks to a lightweight aluminium frame, fork and speedy 35mm tyres. A wide range of 27 gears means you’ll never struggle on steep climbs, and you can spin at speed on faster, flatter sections. Shimano Acera components are hardwearing and reliable, giving smooth shifting every time. Shimano hydraulic disc brakes also give assured and powerful stopping performance in all conditions, operated from a riser-handlebar that allows a more comfortable and upright position. Weight – 14.8kg.
SLR 8.9 Carbon Boardman Road Bike:
Frame: C7 Carbon – Aero-Optimised. Forks: C7 Carbon with tapered steerer. Gears: 22 speed Shimano 105 and 11-30 cassette gives slick shifting over a wide range. Brakes: Tektro R315 brakes for controlled and powerful stopping. Handlebar: Boardman Alloy, 31.8mm clamp, 70mm reach, 120mm drop. Tyres: Vittoria Zaffiro Pro G2.0 folding, 700x25c. Weight: Approx. 8.9kg.
Trekking 7 Low e-bike:
Engine: Yamaha, PW-X3, 250W, 85Nm, 25km/h. Battery: InTube, 720 Wh. Fork: RockShox, Recon RL, Remote Lockout, Air, travel= 100 mm, Aluminium steerer tube 1 1/8″ – 1 1/2″ tapered, 15 x 100mm thru-axle. Gear Shift: Shimano, Nexus. Brakes: Shimano, MT420, 4-piston disc brake. Tyres: Schwalbe, Johnny Watts, 60-584, 27.5″ x 2.35″.
Trekking 5 Low e-bike:
Engine: Yamaha PW-S2 System, 75Nm, 25km/h. Battery: InTube, 720 Wh. Fork: SR Suntour, Mobie 25 LOR, Lockout, Steel spring, travel= 100 mm, Aluminium steerer tube 1 1/8″ – 1 1/2″ tapered, 15 x 100mm thru-axle. Gear Shift: Shimano, Nexus. Brakes: Shimano, MT410, Hydraulic disc brakes. Tyres: Continental, Ruban Reflex, 27.5″ x 2.3″
