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Road trips, driving tips, and insider knowledge from a team that has driven every road on the island.

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A panoramic coastal road winding along the West Cork coastline at sunset, with green cliffs and the Atlantic Ocean.

Cork and Southwest Ireland by Car: The Self-Drive Guide Beyond the Ring of Kerry

A self-drive guide to Cork and Southwest Ireland, covering Kinsale, Clonakilty, Mizen Head, the Beara Peninsula, Gougane Barra, Cobh and the practical driving notes you need for the route.

Winding coastal road on the Beara Peninsula in Southwest Ireland with dramatic Atlantic cliffs and green hills, no people.

Road Trips & Itineraries

Ring of Beara by Car: The Full Loop, Healy Pass and Dursey

The Ring of Beara is the quieter, wilder answer to the Ring of Kerry. Here is how to drive the full loop, what to stop for at Healy Pass, Castletownbere and Dursey Island, and where the Beara beats its famous neighbour outright.

Dursey Island cable car crossing the Atlantic channel between rugged cliffs on the Beara Peninsula

Destinations & Attractions

Dursey Island by Car: Cable Car, Loop Walk and the Atlantic End

Dursey Island is the last stop on the Beara Peninsula, reached by Ireland's only cable car. Here's how to get there, walk the loop, and what to expect at the Atlantic end.

Charles Fort star-shaped military fortress on a grassy headland overlooking Kinsale Harbour, County Cork, no people.

Destinations & Attractions

Charles Fort Kinsale by Car: Parking and the Harbour View

Charles Fort guards the entrance to Kinsale Harbour from a grassy headland. Here is how to get there by car, where to park, what the view delivers, and what to know before you climb the walls.

Gougane Barra Lake with the small stone oratory church on its island, surrounded by forested hills and soft mist

Destinations & Attractions

Gougane Barra by Car: Forest Park, Lake and the Hidden Church

Plan a self-drive visit to Gougane Barra in West Cork. Get honest advice on the approach road, parking, forest walks, the island oratory and what to skip.

The Mizen Head suspension bridge and signal station on the clifftop, County Cork

Destinations & Attractions

Mizen Head by Car: Ireland's Most Southwesterly Point

How to drive to Mizen Head, Ireland's most southwesterly point, plus what the walk, bridge, signal station, parking and nearby Barleycove Beach involve.

A wide coastal view of Bantry Bay with green hills and a winding road in County Cork

Destinations & Attractions

Bantry by Car: Bay Views, Bantry House and the Gateway to Beara

Bantry is one of Ireland's most useful base towns for a southwest road trip. Here's how to drive in, park, visit Bantry House, walk the bay, and use the town as the gateway to the Beara Peninsula.

Cobh harbour town at sunrise with pastel houses climbing the hill and St Colman's Cathedral spire above the rooftops

Destinations & Attractions

Cobh by Car: Titanic, St Colman's Cathedral and the Steep Hill

Cobh is Cork Harbour's showpiece town — Titanic history, a cathedral that dominates the skyline, and streets steep enough to test your calves. Here's how to do it by car without the usual parking headaches.

The Old Head of Kinsale peninsula rising above the Atlantic Ocean

Destinations & Attractions

Old Head of Kinsale by Car: Cliffs, Lighthouse and the Loop

A practical guide to driving the Old Head of Kinsale, with parking tips, the loop walk, lighthouse views, golf course access rules, and how to pair it with Kinsale town and Charles Fort.