Cork

What To Do in West Cork. 5 Day Trips On Its Wild Atlantic Way

Darragh Doran

26 Dec 2024 — 5 min read

Why Come To West Cork?

Simple. It's the most beautiful part of all of Ireland for me. That's why I'm dedicating a guide all of its own, not just including it in the Cork guide.

West Cork makes a mockery of those who come to Ireland and do the typical manic 700km in 7 days Dublin, Galway, Cliffs, Kerry, Cork, and go home declaring that they've 'done' Ireland.

Look at the Beara Peninsula. It's a tiny blip on the map of this small country, yet it is so outrageously beautiful and deep that you could spend those 7 days here and not even scratch the surface of it.

And that's just one peninsula of West Cork, it also has the Sheep's Head & Mizen peninsulas and enough islands to keep Johnny Depp in sequels for life.

Do yourself a favor and spend your entire week just in West Cork. Then come again for another week and spend it just in Kerry. And the year after, come back and spend a week just in Donegal. You get the idea.

Video credit: @tomvaughan1979

Drive Less. See More

The biggest mistake tourists make is trying to see everything in Ireland in one week, and changing towns every night. Instead, we think it's much better to stay for a few days in one place, a Hub. For each area, we give you a hub and day trips from it. We call it the smarter way to see Ireland.

What To Do In West Cork

Here's 5 day trips laid out here to explore West Cork. Pick your favorites, skip what doesn't interest you, or combine some days to see West Cork in 3 days instead.

Two For One!

Cork is Ireland's biggest county, so big we needed two guides. This one covers West Cork. Once you're done exploring here, we have another guide to East and Central Cork, where you'll find five day trips to Cork City, Kinsale, Clonakilty and more.

1.West Cork Hub: Bantry

Bantry is your gateway to West Cork's wildest adventures – a proper local town where you'll hear thick Cork accents and discover experiences most tourists completely miss. It's perfectly placed for exploring three stunning peninsulas, with a market that's more local than tourist trap, islands just a short boat ride away, and enough quirky experiences to fill a week of unexpected memories.

Highlights:

Explore Bantry's vibrant Friday market
Take a boat tour of one of Europe's longest natural harbors
Walk with alpacas by a hidden waterfall
Visit Bantry House with its Bridgertony gardens
Hop over to Whiddy Island in just 10 minutes
Taste local Durrus cheese
Discover walking loops with breathtaking bay views
Experience a town where locals are always ready for a chat

A Day Around Bantry →

2.Baltimore, Fastnet Lighthouse & the Islands of West Cork

Your West Cork adventure starts with a drive along the Wild Atlantic Way from Kinsale to Baltimore, with some self guided detours along the way. In Baltimore, you can island hop between three distinct islands offer completely different experiences all within a few minutes sailing of each other. Speak Irish on the Clear Gaeltacht island. Dine on Heir or eat goat ice cream on Sherkin Island. Artists have long known about the unique light here, now their galleries and studios dot the islands alongside ancient ruins and local pubs. Speaking of light, one of Ireland's great lighthouses, Fastnet is beautiful for an evening cruise.

Highlights:

Explore three unique islands just minutes from Baltimore
Discover Ireland's southernmost Gaeltacht island
Wander artists' galleries nestled among ancient ruins
Spot whales near dramatic Atlantic lighthouses
Experience a Mediterranean-style paradise on the Atlantic coast
Uncover maritime stories from pirates to Parisian chefs
Stay on some of Europe's most western islands

A Day Around Baltimore and the West Cork Islands →

3.Mizen Head Peninsula

The Mizen Head Peninsula offers a wild Atlantic adventure where maritime history meets unexpected surprises. From legendary weather signal stations, swinging bridges, to Star Wars filming locations, this coastal route has something different (maybe odd) around every turn. See the beach where sheep have million euro views and dodge the White Lady at the haunted ruins at the overly ambitiously named Three Castle Head.

Highlights:

Walk across the famous Mizen Head signal station bridge
Discover a beach that rivals Caribbean waters at Barleycove
Explore dramatic cliff top ruins at Three Castle Head
Find the secret Canty's Cove. Ireland's answer to a Thai beach
Navigate Ireland's possibly narrowest two-way road
Learn how to pronounce Schull and Leap.
Be surprised at village dining in Ballydehob
See where Star Wars met the wild Atlantic coast

A Day Around Mizen Head Peninsula →

4.Sheep's Head Peninsul

Just 25km long, this is your easy, I'm kinda tired but should do something loop. The Sheep's Head Peninsula proves that in Ireland's winding roads, even the smallest routes have so much to offer. Sheep's Head has narrow roads, farm boxes, friendly locals, and walks that reveal breathtaking views at every turn

Highlights:

Walk the legendary 88km Sheep's Head Way
Tackle the stunning 4km lighthouse trail
Navigate narrow roads
Collect fresh eggs from honesty farm boxes
Try pronouncing Ahakista after a few pints at Arundel's
Enjoy tea at Bernie's Cupán Tae
Discover a peninsula where getting lost is practically impossible
Experience West Cork's most laidback coastal route

A Day Around the Sheep Head Peninsula →

5.The Beara Peninsula

The Ring of Beara is that drive you came to Ireland for. Too wild for tour buses, too narrow for comfort, but absolutely perfect for adventure. Where the Ring of Kerry gets crowded, Beara offers a wilder, more intimate journey. Imagine driving past colorful villages, crossing a cable car over churning Atlantic waters, and stumbling upon a golden Buddhist temple that looks like it wandered in from Kyoto.

Highlights:

Drive Ireland's most spectacular coastal route
Cross Europe's only cable car over open seawater to Dursey Island
Explore vibrantly painted villages like Allihies
Discover a golden Buddhist temple with breathtaking views
Navigate the heart-stopping Healy Pass
Meet local fishermen with stories about the sea
Uncover the secrets of old copper mines
Experience a peninsula that feels like a hidden world

A Day Around The Beara Peninsula →

The Last Word On West Cork

Out here on Ireland's wild edges, where every turn brings you to another peninsula or island, you'll be wandering empty beaches, chatting with Buddhist monks on hilltops, and dangling over the Atlantic in a cable car.

In these small villages and on these windswept islands, you'll find the Ireland you imagined still exists. Take your time, slow down, and let West Cork work its magic.

Get Lost

We'll point you in the right direction, but the real adventure is when you wander off on your own. Because in Ireland, there's no such thing as a wrong turn. Just don't ask the locals for directions unless you've got time for a chat.

9 More Cork Day Trips

There's 5 day trips in our central Cork guide. And we have 5 more Cork day trips in our West Cork guide. You'll be speaking like a Cork native if you do all ten!