A Detailed Guide for Dingle’s Slea Head Drive
If you’re planning a trip in Ireland, you have probably read about the Ring of Kerry drive in the southwest part of the country. It’s less likely that you’ve heard of the Slea Head Drive in Dingle, though. While both are similar, if you can only do one, I recommend heading to Dingle for the Slea Head Drive!
In this guide, I’ll briefly break down the differences between the Ring of Kerry and Slea Head Drive. From there, I’ll dive into the highlights of the drive.
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Ring of Kerry Versus Slea Head Drive
At first, you might think the Ring of Kerry is the obvious choice between the two. It’s significantly longer at 130 miles rather than the 30-mile drive that Slea Head offers. Because the drive is longer, there are more things to see. You drive through the popular cities of Killarney and Kenmare. To cap it off, many people say it has some of the most beautiful sights in all of Ireland including the Gap of Dunloe and Killarney National Park.
With all that said, why should you pick the Slea Head Drive instead? For all of the same things I listed above.
Hear me out.
Because of how long the Ring of Kerry is and how much there is to see, you’re going to be too rushed to appreciate it unless you have a full day to commit to only doing the drive. If you’re visiting Ireland for the first time, odds are this is not the case.
On the other hand, the Slea Head Drive is a much more compact drive with proportionally just as much to see. That means you can spend more time at each site. Additionally, the Slea Head Drive is less popular and well-known than the Ring of Kerry. So, there are less tourists visiting each location. These two reasons combine to create a more intimate experience for those doing the Slea Head Drive.
Another thing to consider is the homebase for each drive. I cannot vouch for this personally as I’ve only stayed in Dingle, but many people recommend Dingle as a better option than Kenmare. The consensus seems to be that Dingle is a smaller town making it easier to visit and that it’s more traditionally “Irish” than Kenmare.
Here is my 2-day Dingle itinerary for other things to do in the area!
The Slea Head Drive
Before I get into the drive, I want to go over some general info first. As I mentioned above, Dingle is where you’ll start and end your drive. As such, you should plan to stay in Dingle for a couple days to visit the town itself. This will also make it easier for the drive since you can just hop in your car and go.
There are a couple places to stop for food along your drive. My recommendation, though, is to bring your own picnic. Besides saving you money, this option lets you take your lunch whenever and wherever you like along your drive.
The start of the drive according to this guide is at Oceanworld by Dingle Harbor. Reset your odometer here so that each kilometer marker in this guide (in the parentheses of each heading) matches up with where you’re at on the drive.
It’s important to note that the drive should be done in a clockwise direction to avoid tour buses. As such, shortly after passing Oceanworld you’ll come to a roundabout where you turn left to start the drive. There are signs along the road in case you get lost. There are a couple stops near the end of this itinerary that take you off the main road; I’ll detail these later.
Our drive took around five hours including a stop at a pub for a beer and lunch. I spend a lot of time exploring ruins so you could possibly do the drive in 3-4 hours if you’re quick.
Make sure to have enough gas to complete the drive. It’s only 30 miles, but there are no gas stations once you leave Dingle.
Now that all of that is out of the way, let’s start driving!
Ventry Beach (6.6 km)
If you visited Inch Beach on your way to Dingle, Ventry Beach is similar in that it is a flat, wide beach with sweeping views out into the harbor and, farther out, Dingle Bay. When we visited, the skies were gray, the weather damp and cool, and there were a handful of fishing boats out in the harbor. It all added up to make a perfect atmosphere for the start of this Irish drive.
You can take guided horseback rides along the beach with Long’s Horseriding Centre. We did not personally do this because of the time commitment, but we did see a few people doing a tour. If you have time or want to come back another day, this could be a great way to visit the beach.
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Ring Fort (12 km)
This ring fort is a small, unexcavated relic from Ireland’s Stone Age past. The fort itself resembles little more than raised hedgerows at this point. You can climb along the raised edges and try to imagine what it would have been like here thousands of years ago.
Depending on who you ask (my wife, for instance), the real draw of this stop are the roving farm animals you can feed. For a couple Euros (cash only) you get some feed and milk to feed the goats, sheep, horses and donkeys.
I admit, it was kind of fun feeding them. Just be careful because one of the goats was a bit feisty and there are some big pigs that were also pretty aggressive. If you have someone who is skittish around animals, you may want to skip the food.
Dunberg Fort (12.5 km)
Dating from the Iron Age, this fort sits up against some dramatic ocean cliffsides. There’s a €3 fee (cash only) to enter. You get a small brochure explaining the history of the fort with your entry fee which is important to add substance to what is otherwise some rather nondescript rock walls.
Apparently, you used to be able to walk through the fort, but several years ago a storm caused part of the fort to fall into the sea. Since then, the fort has been closed off. In fact, when we visited (September, 2021), there was construction going on making access even more limited.
The fort is neat, but it’s a little disappointing you can’t get very close to it. However, there are some good views of the waves crashing against the cliffside you can see.
Related: Hiking the Doolin Cliff Walk to the Cliffs of Moher
Famine Cottages (12.5 km)
Just a very short way up the road and to the right from Dunberg Fort is a small homestead displaying original Famine cottages for another €3 fee(again, cash only). These cottages were abandoned by the Kavanaugh family during the Famine.
The brochure you get when you enter gives some of the details about what the Kavanaugh’s faced during this time. There are also several detailed signs describing the Famine itself and what the Irish people endured. Some of the information is frankly kind of grisly, but it does a great job at painting a picture of the era.
This stop also has roving animals you can feed. Food is available with the €3 you paid to enter. We passed on this opportunity this time around. We both felt bad about it (as if these animals don’t get fed!), especially after the owner said, “Already had your fill at the first stop then, huh?” So, make sure at least some of you save your animal-feeding itch for this stop!
Beehive Huts (13 km)
Another €3 fee (cash only) to enter this site of beehive huts. These huts are a reconstruction of the originals. Despite that, they’re still fascinating to wonder at and walk through. You can even walk inside them and pretend you’re a monk living in the Middle Ages.
About 1.5 km farther up the road is another set of original beehive huts on the left. We chose not to stop at these, having read that the first stop was the better option. This second stop could be a better choice, though, if you have kids as they can hold a baby lamb here for €3.
White Crucifix (16 km)
This point of the drive has the Slea Head Crucifix, a gorgeous alabaster white statue of a crucifixion scene set amidst the black and gray rocks. It’s worth a quick stop to take in the details.
I’m not a religious person, but there is something about this statue set in the rocks that is absolutely mesmerizing. It’s such a perfect juxtaposition with the rocks and the misty, bleak ocean atmosphere all around you.
Viewing Area (17 km)
This stop doesn’t have a name like most of the others on this list. Nevertheless, it is a stop worth making for some great views of the Blasket Islands and Dunmore Head a little farther up the coast.
If you’d like to hike to the tip of Dunmore Head, keep an eye out for a parking lot between here and the next listed stop. We skipped this so I can’t speak to the quality of the hike.
Great Blasket Centre (21 km)
We didn’t make this stop as it was closed due to COVID-19 restrictions. I feel it’s still worth mentioning due to the popularity of this museum.
The Great Blasket Centre (you may also see it written elsewhere simply as the Blasket Centre) tells the story of the former inhabitants of the namesake island and their culture.
Clogher Head (23 km)
Here is my favorite stop along the whole drive. Regardless of the direction you look, the views from this pullout are absolutely stunning!
Some of the landmarks you can see ahead up along the coast, in order, are Sybil Head, the Three Sisters and then Mount Brandon. Looking out into the ocean you can see the Blasket Islands, the Sleeping Giant and the Skellig islands.
In addition to the views, there is also a fun little hike you can do that takes you out almost to the very edge of the coastal cliffs. In total, the hike only takes around 20-30 minutes out and back. It is absolutely worth it for the views! When we went in early September, the hike was covered in gorgeous yellow and purple heather. These blooms by themselves would have made the hike worth it.
Tiġ Bhric & West Kerry Brewery (30 km)
Tiġ Bhric’s is the perfect place to stop for a drink and some food after all of the driving and sightseeing so far. The pub itself is nice with lots of various art and decorations. There is also an outdoor garden sitting area with some scenic views.
The beer we had was very good. I had their Carraig Dubh, a dark porter with chocolate and coffee notes. If you like dark beer, I definitely recommend giving that a try. Michelle had the Béal Bán, a golden ale, which she enjoyed.
Tiġ Bhric’s does have food, but we brought along a charcuterie picnic to enjoy outside with our beer.
Reasc Monastery (30 km)
Just past Tiġ Bhric’s on the right is a small, unmarked road going up the hill; it’s very easy to miss so keep your eyes peeled. At the top of this road is Reasc Monastery, a settlement dating back to the 6th century.
Now, the monastery is mostly just remnants of piled rocks that formed walls and beehive huts. Like the earlier beehive huts you saw, it is just impressive walking around this land and thinking how it must have been living here hundreds of years ago. This area is also nice because not as many people visit it so it’s a very peaceful stop among the more touristed parts of the drive.
There are two highlights at the monastery that stand out among the walls. The main one is the Ogham standing stone. This stone is likely the first thing you’ll notice upon arriving at the Monastery. Despite the settlement being Christian, the stone is actually Celtic in origin. The monks simply drew a cross over some of the design to make it more Christian in appearance.
The second highlight is the kiln that the monks used to earn income. Unlike the standing stone, this does take a little bit of effort to find. There is a sign that shows where various structures are, but the map isn’t oriented in a way that makes sense with how you’re looking at it. It actually makes it kind of fun. It’s like a puzzle trying to figure out where the kiln is.
Gallarus Oratory (33 km)
To get to this stop, follow the sign to turn off the main road. From here, there are two parking lots. The first lot is the “official” lot. To park here you have to pay €3 (I assume cash), but you also get access to the visitor center where you can watch a short video detailing the site. If you want to skip the visitor center and park for free, continue up the lane from the main road till you see a small parking area to your left.
We skipped the video. I doubt it detracted much from our visit.
Gallarus Oratory as a millennia-old church built by Ireland’s early Christians. Despite being roughly 1,300 years old, the construction is still intact from when it was first used.
The construction is impressive to admire in its practical simplicity. Yet, like with some of the other ruins mentioned in this post, the construction is not the draw. Not for me, at least.
The best part of the oratory is walking inside the church and marveling at the evocative setting. In and of itself, the inside is frankly unremarkable, but when you consider the years that those walls have seen it adds an almost emotional quality to the experience.
St. Brendan’s Oratory (37 km)
(At this point of the drive, you’re going to leave the main Slea Head Drive route. If you are ready to head back to Dingle, stay on the main road and skip these two stops.
From Gallarus Oratory, head back to the road from where you turned right on to the small lane. Continue northward on R-559 until you come to a junction in the village of Murreagh. Turn right to continue on R-559. Both stops are on this stretch of R-559.)
Getting to this second-to-last stop is a little tricky if you don’t know what to look for. After following the directions listed above, you are looking for a small, modern cemetery on the right side of the road. Park here and look across the road for a rough-looking path through the hedge (it’s not terribly obvious). Once you find the trail, take it for about 200 yards to access the oratory.
St. Brendan’s Oratory is similar to Gallarus except older and with far less people. In fact, when we visited we were the only people there until a local came up the path on her daily walk. She was surprised that anyone was there!
If you like ruins, you should definitely stop here. If not, you can probably skip it and head to the next stop.
Kilmalkeder Church (37 km)
Finally, the last stop! Just a little farther along the road from St Brendan’s Oratory, you’ll find Kilmalkedar Church on your left. Look for a yellow hiker sign, but you’ll also likely see other cars or tour vans parked along the lane leading to the church.
Like with St. Brendan’s Oratory, if you are getting exhausted and don’t particularly like ruins, you could skip this last stop. However, the church ruins have some great architectural details and several artifacts that I think are well worth seeing.
The church itself dates to the 12th century, but there is evidence of the importance of this area going back to the 6th or 7th century.
Highlights of Kilmalkedar include an early Christian cross, an Ogham standing stone, the sundial stone and the alphabet stone. Besides these stand-alone features, the church itself also has some excellent examples of Romanesque motifs found on some of its arches.
Once you’re done exploring the church, continue along R-559 to eventually return to Dingle. Once back, grab a Guinness and reflect on everything you just saw!
Resources to Book Your Trip to the Dingle Peninsula
Whether you’re looking for tours, hotels or flights, here are some tools to help get you started planning your trip to Dingle to do the Slea Head Drive!
Look for activities and tours offered through GetYourGuide or Viator!
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42 Comments
Retirestyle Travel
This was a lovely scenic drive through rustic landscape and beautiful nature. Great views. We need to go for a drive like this one day.
paulpassingthrough
I know of a good one in Ireland 😉
Nithin RS
Awesome pictures and awesome narration. Those rock aligned structures were stunning. Looking forward to more travels of yours.
paulpassingthrough
Thank you for the positive feedback! I post new things daily; I’m excited to share more with you 🙂
Barry
Such a brilliantly detailed post. I love how you put the info together as a drive and with detailed instructions. The photos are great and very atmospheric.
Having done both these drives many years ago with a Irish friend I would probably agree with you that Slea Head is the more historical of the two, with smaller sites that are easier to see Seeing big old buildings on the Ring of Kerry (Muckross House, Kenmare Abbey etc) is good but very time -consuming to do in one day. We took two days.
The pics brought back great memories. I absolutely agree with you that standing inside the Gallarus Oratory is captivating. We visited on a blustery day but it was silent and still inside. Amazing to think how old it is yet still exists.
The Dingle Peninsular is also famous as a Gaeltacht area (Irish language area), Did you ever here any of it?
paulpassingthrough
We did hear some but not a ton. A couple of the pubs we went to had some older men speaking it. I would like to do Ring of Kerry next time I visit, but yeah, it needs at the very least one full day.
Molly Transatlantic Notes
Such a great post that has me wanting to get out and explore here one day — anywhere that has beautiful nature and an interesting history, etc is top of my list!
paulpassingthrough
Ireland has all of that and more! Thanks for visiting 🙂
Laura
What a beautiful drive. Love the detail. I will have to keep this in mind whenever I get to Ireland. Are the roads busy? And wide enough for us attempting to drive on the wrong side of the road without getting hit?
paulpassingthrough
The road for this drive was pretty easy to navigate. The drive up to Reasc Monastery was narrow but everything else was fine. Now, some of the other roads throughout Ireland…lol
Jamieadstories
The views are wonderful. I can imagine the history attached to these intriguing relics.
paulpassingthrough
I wish there were a way to convey the feel of these places through photos and words because that’s the best part of visiting many of these places.
Nyxie
Despite living here my whole life, I’ve never visited this part of Ireland. In fact, I’ve barely been to the south at all. I vow that this year and beyond I will see more of my own country before going elsewhere.
paulpassingthrough
There’s plenty to see everywhere in the country so it’s forgivable lol It’s no different than when I lived in West Virginia or Pennsylvania. I always did the same things thinking there’d be time to do more. Then I moved and now regret not doing more!
Mitch
This is a very detailed guide. Funnily enough, we were in Ireland towards the end of last year and decided on the Ring of Kerry! We knew it was the more popular one and it was indeed a loooong drive but we’d also arranged to meet up with a chap who could teach us about seaweed foraging at Derrynane so that was the clincher for us. Now, of course, I’m wishing we had done the Slea Head drive as well! The views are simply stunning and the forts, beehive huts and particularly the oratories looked fascinating. We’ll have to return…
paulpassingthrough
Either way you’re treated to lots of fantastic sights. I think I’d have picked the Ring of Kerry, too, if I had a personalized experience like that.
KEVIN FOODIE
Paul, thank you for sharing another detailed post. The views are awesome.
Ireland is on my list of places to visit. However, it’s not one of those vacation spots that makes me overly enthusiastic to visit. The names of the places you presented in this blog are very interesting.
I am always interested in the Hx or how the names of places come about. Why or how did the names “Ring of Kerry” or ” Slea Head Drive” came about? 🤔
paulpassingthrough
Those are good questions. Ring of Kerry is named after County Kerry, where it resides.
As for Slea Head Drive I can’t find what that name means. Slea Head is the name of a promontory on the Dingle Peninsula. It’s the English version of Ceann Sleibhe.
JoJo Hall
I loved exploring Ireland the last time I was over there but I’d love to have extra time on my own to do this scenic drive! It reminds me of the Kancamagus Highway scenic drive I did in New Hampshire that had beautiful scenic views and trails off the main stretch of highway.
paulpassingthrough
I’ll have to bookmark that drive! I’m thinking about a trip to New England next fall when the leaves change.
Kristen and sam
What a beautiful drive! Ireland is totally underrated, I want to see for myself! Love the beehive huts and the goats!
paulpassingthrough
I agree about it being underrated! I hope you get to visit soon!
Chalk and cheese travels
Haven’t made it down this way yet looks like a great drive to do. There is always so many grest drives in Irelan. Will save this for future reference
paulpassingthrough
So true. There’s so much to do in Ireland considering how small of a country it is. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did when you see it!
Srikanth
A very detailed post which I am bookmarking for my next Ireland trip. The last time I did a Roadtrip, covered most of places around Cliffs of Moher, Belfast and Wicklow areas… will plan this route for my next..
paulpassingthrough
Which areas in Wicklow did you visit? I would have liked to have done more there! We walked through Glendalough and saw the two lakes. If you any questions for when you visit this area, let me know!
Stefan (Berkeley Square Barbarian)
Interesting that you would recommend Slea Head Drive over the Ring of Kerry, but I can see your point. I think I won’t dismiss the Ring of Kerry just yet, but I’ll aim to add Slea Head Drive to our next trip to Ireland. I’ll certainly check out the horseback ride across Ventry Beach.
paulpassingthrough
Next time we go I definitely want to do the Ring of Kerry. For the time involved and time we had to spend, it just wasn’t feasible. I doubt you can go wrong with either. It’s just a matter of how much time you have!
Vanessa Shields
I’d never heard of this drive, only the Ring of Kerry but wow this drive is stunning! Those coastal views! I’d love that it is a more manageable distance and less crowded. Seeing the cottages, beehive huts, getting to feed the animals and walking the monastery grounds would be wonderful.
paulpassingthrough
I had never heard of it either before researching for this trip. It really did have a little bit of everything that Ireland has to offer all in a 4–5-hour drive. I hope you get to visit sometime!
Peggy Zipperer
What an incredibly beautiful drive! I am sad to have missed this but will be sure to do it next time. Great post!
paulpassingthrough
Gives you a reason to go back!
stephen & andie
Man, Ireland is SO beautiful! yet another on our list. This post is so helpful for anyone looking to do this drive. All of the stonework of the cottages, church, and the Beehive Huts is really speaking to me right now! Such gorgeous craftsmanship! Wonderful photos all around, and an awesome post.
paulpassingthrough
The whole country is like that. I definitely get what you mean about it speaking to you. I don’t know if I was being sentimental because of my ancestry but going through Ireland gave me a sense of longing not many other places have done.
Travel for a while
I had heard of Dingle but I didn’t know about this drive. It seems packed with so many things to see! I would give it a try if I make it to that part of Ireland. Oh. and I’m sold on the beer!
paulpassingthrough
The beer was perfectly placed to provide a chance to mentally relax after seeing so many things before the last few spots. I hope you get to visit!
kasia
What a great drive! I keep adding so many things to my Ireland bucket list and this is definitely on it now.
paulpassingthrough
There’s so much to do and see in such a small country. If you have any questions about planning, feel free to reach out!
Francesca
Looks like such an amazing road trip with do many gorgeous stops. Definitely one for the bucket list!
paulpassingthrough
Definitely a must-see! If you visit let me know and I can give you some more tips.
Tammi Kaeberlein
This is on my list! I’m drawn to the less crowded areas wherever I go, so knew this would be a better option for me than the Ring of Kerry. I had no idea there was so much on this drive though and may have to allocate more time for it. How long were you in Ireland? Your photos are beautiful and I also appreciate the many tips, particularly driving in clockwise direction and feeding the animals, which I will have to do. : )
paulpassingthrough
That was a big reason why we picked Slea Head, too. We spent a ton of time of Clogher Head because I wouldn’t stop wandering around, so you could do it in less time if needed. Feeding the animals was pretty cute. I hope you remember to save some animal feeding for the second stop! We were in Ireland for 12 days.