Itinerary: Walking Weekend in West Cork.
Day 1) Transfer from Dublin to Glengarriff via Gougane Barra followed by a hike around the Lake.
Gougane Barra
In the morning, we will leave Dublin and make our way towards Glengarriff. This is a small, colourful coastal town, considered a springboard to The Beara Peninsula. Our hotel is in the heart of this town, and you have a great range of shops, restaurants and pubs within a short walk.
We will have a stop along the way in Gougane Barra.
Gougane Barra and walk on Sli na Sleibhe (The Mountain Way)
Gougane Barra is the home of St Finbarr, the founder of Cork City and the source of the River Lee. Lough Gougane Barra, situated under the sheer heights of the Sheehy Mountains, is a magnificent corrie lake. It was here that St Finbarr founded an oratory in the 6th Century and is said to have drowned a monster that St Patrick, in his banishing of the snakes, overlooked!
During the times of the Penal Laws, Gougane Barra’s remoteness meant that it became a popular place for the celebration of the Roman Catholic Mass and a place of sanctuary. Nowadays it is a Coillte National Forest Park with beautiful walks and fine views over Kerry and the Western sea from the Mountain tops.
Grade: Easy. Length 3 km, Duration: 1.5hrs, Ascent: 400m, Terrain: Gravel tracks and paved mountain paths.
Afterwards we will travel to Glengarriff to freshen up enjoy before having dinner together. Afterwards we can check out the nightlife in this lively town and perhaps enjoy some music in one of its traditional pubs.
Day 2) Walk on Hungry Hill 685m and visit Bonane Heritage Park.
This morning after breakfast we travel just past Adrigole to walk Hungry Hill.
With a height of 685m, Hungry hill is the highest peak in the Caha Mountains and dominates the Eastern central plain of the Beara Peninsula. It sits right on the Cork and Kerry border and we could approach from the Healy Pass. There are many ways to approach this walk and can decide on the day depending on the weather and the group which way we will approach it. The views across the Peninsula from Hungry hill can be wonderful on a clear day.
Grade: Medium, Length approx. 11Km, Duration: 4 -5 hrs, Ascent: 800m, Terrain: Open mountain.
Afterwards if we still have some energy, we will visit the Bonane Heritage Park.
This sits between Glengarriff and Kenmare and just off the Caha pass. The park is unique in that it has an abundance of well-preserved multi – period archaeological sites from the Stone, Bronze and Iron Age. Sites include a stone circle, a ring-fort, standing stones and a fulacht fiadh.
Day 3) Walk in Glengarriff Nature Reserve or visit to Garnish Island.
This morning after breakfast you can decide to visit Garnish Island. Garnish Island sits in Bantry Bay and just a short boat journey from Glengarriff. The Gardens on the Island are the result of the creative partnership of Annan Bryce and Harold Peto, architect and garden designer. The island was given to the Irish people in 1953.
If you have visited Garnish Island before you can enjoy a walk in the Glengarriff Nature Reserve. There are a number of trails to choose from within the reserve.
Whether you choose to do another short walk or visit Garnish we will meet back up in Glengarriff for a bite to eat before making our way back to Dublin.
We should be back in Dublin for approx 18:00.
