Kerry & the Ring
The Ring of Kerry is Ireland's most beloved scenic drive, a 110-mile loop around the Iveragh Peninsula in the lush southwest that threads together everything that makes the country magical. Along the way you pass rugged mountains and Ireland's highest peaks in the MacGillycuddy's Reeks, the jewel-like lakes and ancient woods of Killarney National Park, emerald farmland dotted with sheep, dramatic Atlantic coastline, and stone forts and ruins thousands of years old.
The highlights come thick and fast: Muckross House and the lakes of Killarney, the panoramic Ladies View, and the colorful villages of Sneem and Kenmare, where you can pause for a pot of tea or a bowl of seafood chowder. On a clear day, a boat carries travelers out to the jagged monastic island of Skellig Michael, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Star Wars filming location, where early monks built their beehive huts above the crashing sea.
Driven over a single day or savored over several, the Ring is the essence of Ireland's wild beauty. We love it for the way it shifts mood with the weather, from soft mist over the mountains to long golden light across the water, and for the small detours, the viewpoints and the unhurried villages that reward anyone willing to slow down.
