The Road to Iveragh Peninsula

Our adventure continued as we made our way from Loop Head heading further South toward the Iveragh Peninsula and the Ring of Kerry in County Kerry.  We decided to save some travel time and take the ferry from Killimer to Tarbert instead of driving all the way around the bay through Shannon and Limerick.  Again, meeting our goal of steering clear of major metro areas.  The bypass of the Dingle Peninsula was intentional; instead we headed toward Killarney area where our next scheduled B&B was located.

West of Killarney on N72; just North of Beaufort is another remarkable stone arch bridge.  I never tired of these beautiful bridges.

Hillcrest Farmhouse

We stayed at Hillcrest Farmhouse, Black Valley B&B for two nights.  This B&B was a perfect place to spend two days and explore area attractions such as Ring of Kerry, Ring of Reeks, The Black Valley, Killarney National Park and Dingle Peninsula.

You don’t just simply make a few quick turns on the main road and arrive at Hillcrest Farmhouse.  At least that is not the case when coming from the Northside.  You path goes right through The Gap of Dunloe.    The Gap of Dunloe is a lovely mountain pass. The pass is located between Macgillycuddy’s Reeks (west) and Purple Mountain (east) in County Kerry, Ireland. It is about 11 km (6.8 mi) from north to south.

Once through the gap, you enter The Black Valley.  The views are something to see.  Once in the valley our B&B was a short distance away.  Most areas of Ireland are very well marked with signs.  From the B&B sign, it was a single lane road around a small bend.  You can see where the Purple Mountains get their name from, the rock here had a definite purple hue to it.

As if appearing out of nowhere; nestled in among the hillside was our home for the next two nights.

 

Once we checked in and got settled into our room we explored the valley a bit and set out to find some dinner on the Ring of Kerry in town named Sneem.

The second highest peak on the Macgillycuddy’s Reeks range

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