BICYCLE TOURS & MOUNTAIN BIKING

Biking in Ireland: Celtic Challenge

You’ll take time along the way to indulge in simple Irish pleasures, from fresh-baked scones to toe-tapping music seisiuns. Heritage Centers along the route offer fascinating glimpses into modern Irish history and culture, from the Blasket Islands to the Great Famine. Mysterious stone circles and megalithic tombs remind you of Ireland’s ancient civilizations. Evenings will find you soaking up the local color (and sampling a pint or two!) in lively villages, each with its own personality. In tiny Ballyferriter (population: 40), you’re likely to overhear the locals conversing in Irish. Cosmopolitan Kenmare is a handsome market town packed with award-winning restaurants and spirited pubs. Colorful shops, both practical and funky, invite a stroll though Bantry Town, spectacularly situated on the shores of Bantry Bay. You’ll ferry through Carbery’s Hundred Isles into the seaport of Baltimore, and end in historic Kinsale, whose cobbled lanes are home to fashionable cafes and artisans’ studios.

After a week of cycling in Kerry and Cork, you’re bound to bring a touch of the Irish home with you. Don’t be surprised if your cycling friends notice a twinkle in your eye, a lilt in your voice, and a Celtic rhythm in your cadence!

Tour Details

Day 1:
Morning transfer from Shannon Airport to Ballyferriter, in the heart of the Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking region) on the Dingle Peninsula. Warm-up spin to the ancient sites of Gallarus Oratory, Riask Monastery, and Killmakader Church, or stroll to the beach and town museum. Welcome dinner, followed by a pint and tunes in one of the village pubs. (12 or 26 mi.)

Day 2:
Stunning views of sea stacks and the now-uninhabited Blasket Islands as we follow the Kerry coast to Slea Head. Brake for history at the Blasket Heritage Center and colorful shops in Dingle Town, then gear down for a challenging climb over Conor Pass! The beach at An Cloghan is a gem set at the foot of Mount Brandon en route to Tralee. Overnight at 16th-century Ballyseede Castle, which boasts two drawing rooms and thirty acres of woodland gardens. (55 mi.)

Day 3:
Cross the Slieve Mish Mountains, with a view of Castlemaine Bay set against the emerald backdrop of MacGillycuddy’s Reeks. Descend into a romantic wilderness of loughs, streams, and lush forest, surrounded by the peaks of the Glencar Highlands. Climb Ballaghbeama Gap and follow the rushing Blackwater River to the coast at Kenmare for a two-night stay. (56 mi.)

Day 4:
Free day to relax in Kenmare or pedal the Beara Peninsula. Options include easy riding to exotic Derreen Gardens, spectacular headlands and colorful villages at Eyeries and Allihies, and a challenging climb across the Caha Mountains at Healy Pass. (0, 32, 50, 66, or 84 mi.)

Day 5:
Heaven on two wheels as we cross into County Cork over the “Priests Leap”, a bucolic mountain road winding through the Shehy Mountains. Our picnic stop in Ballylickey includes a sampling of local artisanal cheeses. In Bantry Town, explore quirky shops and tour the palatial grounds of Bantry House, or ride an afternoon option around the rugged Sheep’s Head Peninsula. (31, 56, 63, or 75 mi.)

Day 6:
Cycle the Mizen Peninsula, with views of Dunmanus Bay and a spectacular chasm at Mizen Head. Continue past the Altar Wedge Tomb and a wildly hilly coast into Schull; then ferry through the isles of Roaringwater Bay to a warm welcome at Casey’s of Baltimore. Long option follows the coast via Skibbereen and the Famine Commemoration Center. (50 or 74 mi.)

Day 7:
Follow the beautiful bays and beaches of the West Cork coast to Kinsale. En route visit pretty Union Hall and Castletownsend, mystical Drombeg Stone Circle, 13th-century ruins of Timoleague Abbey, and the Charles Fort Heritage Center. Farewell dinner in the famed foodie capital of West Cork. (63 or 70 mi.)

Day 8:
Transfer to Shannon Airport for early afternoon flights.