A Day Trip to Ring of Kerry, Kerry Co., Ireland

Ring of Kerry: The Ring of Kerry is a well-known tourist destination in Ireland. The Ring generally starts and ends at Killarney. Cork is the nearest airport to Killarney. Private tours and tour buses run throughout the year from all major cities. Even though renting a car in Ireland is painful, driving is the best way to see the Ring of Kerry. The tour buses start at Killarney and go around the ring in the counter-clockwise direction. If you are planning on driving, go around the ring in a clockwise direction so that you can avoid spending time behind a tour bus. A quick tour around the Ring is about 200km and would take about a day. But you can easily spend a day in Killarney, a day driving the ring and a day visiting Skellig Michael in summer months.

Torc Waterfalls

Killarney: You can reach Killarney the day before and have a good night's sleep at one of the many hotels. On the day of the trip, pack a good amount of snacks for the road. Killarney National Park and the surrounding areas alone would take a day to visit. Ross Castle is a 15th-century castle on the banks of Killarney lake. A quick tour of the castle and boat tour of Lough Leane is a good addition to the itinerary. Muckross House is a 19th-century mansion with gardens and working farms. A short visit to Muckross House is time well spent. Kerry Mountains are a short distance from Killarney National Park. There are a lot of walking and hiking trails around the mountains. Cronin's Yard is a good place to park the car and hike the beautiful Kerry Mountains. The gap of Dunloe and wishing bridge are magical places to visit.

Ladies View

Ladies View & Molls Gap: If short on time, a shortstop at Torc waterfalls, Ladies View and Molls Gap would suffice. For a day trip around the ring, the best route is to take N71 from Killarney to Kenmare, drive on N70 around the ring till Killorglin and follow N72 from Killorglin to Killarney.

Molls Gap

Ring of Kerry Map

Kenmare & Sneem: Kenmare and Sneem are two cute Irish villages along the ring and are good stops for a quick bite. There are several B&B, golf courses along the way. Keep an eye out for lookout points and beautiful beaches. During summer months, Glenbeg caravan park is very popular with the campers.

Glenbeg Caravan and Camping Park

Scarriff Island Viewpoint

Skellig Ring: Skellig Ring is a link to the Ring of Kerry. At Kenneigh, take a left on to R567 and head towards Ballinskelligs. Ballinskelligs is a small village with beautiful secluded beaches. A short ride from Ballinskelligs takes you to a small village of Keel. With a beautiful beach of St. Finian's Bay and Skelligs Chocolate factory at a walkable distance, Keel is a fantastic choice to spend a few hours.

Ballinskelligs

St.Finian's Bay

Kerry Cliffs: They might not be as popular as Cliffs of Moher but they are still beautiful to visit. 

Kerry Cliffs

Portmagee & Valentia Island: Skellig Ring ends at Pormagee. During summer months, several tour operators run regular tours from Portmagee to Skellig Michael. Valentia Island has rich geological resources and is reachable by the bridge only from Portmagee. A slate quarry, lighthouse, and beautiful views attract visitors to this island.

From Portmagee, follow R565 towards N70-North. If time permits, visit the Bog village museum on your way to Killorglin. At Killorglin, take N72 towards Killarney.

2 Days in Dublin With Kids (Not Guinness), Dublin Co., Ireland

When one thinks of visiting Dublin, the obvious choice would be to tour Guinness, a bunch of distilleries and pub crawl at the Temple Bar. But if you are traveling with kids, these choices might not be very appealing to all audiences. Dublin has a variety of family-friendly places to visit.

River Liffey: River Liffey flows through Dublin and is the best place to spend an afternoon. There are multiple bike rental places accessible to tourists. Several tours have starting points near River Liffey.  The Famine sculptures and a guided tour of Jeanie Johnston Tall Ship gives an insight into the hardships faced by people during the Irish famine. A cast-iron pedestrian bridge across river Liffey also knows as Ha'penny Bridge, is the oldest bridge in Dublin. It is an easy walk across the bridge to reach the other side of the city. However, Beckett bridge is much cooler in appearance. 

Butler's Chocolate Factory: Click here for the full post. Butler's Chocolate Factory tour was a huge hit with kids. Try to pre-book a tour on a weekday. Chocolate production is down during weekends and hence there won't be much to see on a weekend. Decorating a chocolate elephant was a sweet ending to the tour.

Dublin Zoo: Another kid's favorite. The area is huge and the grounds are well maintained. The habitat is designed specifically to suit the animals. Wild lights display during Christmas is amazing to see.

Merrion Square: Another fun place to visit. Stephan's green is good but Merrion square is awesome. As my kids say, Merrion Square is funky fun. The odd sculptures, swings and play areas are super fun for kids. 

Natural History Museum: Natural History Museum is right across the road from Merrion Square and the entry is free. A mid-size museum with animal and bird exhibits. Groud floor exhibits are predominantly local to Ireland. While the 2nd-floor exhibits are taxidermy exotic wild animals. A very good place for kids to visit.

Trinity College & Book of Kells: Book of Kells is right in the middle of Trinity College. Some find Book of Kells expensive. But strolling through the college grounds is a good way to spend a few hours. 

Howth Village and Cliff Walk: Click here for the detailed post. Howth Village is about an hour from Dublin. A cute village with beautiful views of the Irish Sea.

Albufeira to Benagil and Everything In-between, Portugal

Portugal's south coast has one of the beautiful coastlines in the world. With beautiful cliff views and clear turquoise waters, it draws thousands of tourists every year. The entire south coast and a small part of the west coast belong to the Algarve region of Portugal. This region is a prime destination for beach vacations. As of April 2019, Portugal has 352 Blue Flag accredited beaches. Out of that, the Algarve region is home for 88 Blue Flag beaches. If you are wondering what a blue flag beach is, it is the highest accolade given to a beach. It indicates that the beach adheres to a high standard of quality, safety, and services.

Praia das Escalieras

There are two main options to see all the beautiful beaches. One is the cliff walk and the second option is from the sea. However, few beaches can only be accessed from the sea. I can list a hundred reasons why a cliff walk can be a disastrous option for parents with young kids. Even from the sea, there are several options. SUP, Kayak, small boats, and catamaran tours. The best option is the SUP (Stand Up Paddleboard) or a Kayak. They give access to hidden beaches inside the cave. Which are otherwise inaccessible. We being us, choose an easy option. A Catamaran tour.

The Most Beautiful Beach - Praia do Pontal

There are different types of tours starting from Albufeira Marina. Ours was caves and coastline tour. We were welcomed by our tour guide with a glass of bubbly. The tour lasted for a couple of hours. The only disadvantage with a catamaran is that they cannot enter Benagil caves. We just get a peek inside and nothing more. But, traveling with young kids demands compromises. On the bright side, we had a wonderful trip with an open bar and blaring music. 

Yellow Submarine - Praia da Morena

The best way to see cliffs is from the water. With beautiful formations and hidden beaches, the views were amazing. 

Arco Natural - McDonald's Arch

Praia do Pontal

Praia de Albandeira

Benagil Cave

The World famous Benagil cave can be accessed only by water. A little beach inside is generally filled with tourists. 

Benagil Cave Entrance

Praia da Marinha

Viewing beaches from the water is not enough. They deserve a visit. However, visiting all the beaches is next to impossible. It is very important to prioritize a few. The best way to end the day is to visit the old town of Albufeira and spend an hour or two in its Blue Flag beaches. If I had a choice, Portugal would be the place I would go to and never come back.

Sagres to Lagos, Algarve, Portugal

I never considered Portugal as a holiday destination. Little did I know that if planned properly, Portugal can be a perfect holiday destination with the right temperature and practically zero crowds. We visited the Algarve region of Portugal during the last week of May. We couldn't have picked a better time than this. There were practically no crowds. At times, we felt that we were on a private beach. Water was warm enough to swim in the late afternoons and temperatures were around 25-30°C. This is how a perfect vacation should be.

Driving is the best and only way to see Portugal. We took a flight to Faro and rented a car online. We picked our rental car at Faro airport and had the independence to roam around as we please. Car rental prices are reasonable compared to other European countries like Ireland. Pre-pay for the tolls at the rental office beforehand. I presume all tolls are electronic as I did not find any toll booths on the highway. 

Cape Sagres Viewpoint

Sagres is a municipality in the South-Western tip of Portugal. Sagres Fortress or Fortaleza de Sagres is located at the southernmost tip of Sagres. Sagres played a prominent role in the 15th century during the golden era of Portugal's exploration. The fort is mainly a series of huge walls built to separate the mainland from Sagres head. Henry the Navigator launched his expedition from Sagres. Most of the fort was destroyed by 1755's earthquake and resultant tsunami. Visitors have the opportunity to explore the area on foot. Even though there is not much to see, this fort provides beautiful views of the ocean from the cliffs. 

Church of Our Lady of Grace

Inside the Church

On N125, 10 KM away from Sagres, we came across an un-named shop full of Portugal made ceramic wear. The collection inside the store is huge and the variety is incredible. This place is located right next to the N125 and hard to miss. I got a 'Rooster of Barcelona' and a Portugal ceramic tile from this shop.

A Splendid Find

Next stop - Farol da Ponta da Peidade, Lagos.

Ponta da Piedade

Cliffs & Crystal Clear Water

We drove down the dusty road, without any expectations. Parked our car in an empty parking spot and followed the crowd blindly. Then, we climbed down a series of narrow stairs. Little did we know that these are the stairs leading to a hidden paradise. The sea caves stood shining like golden mountains in the bright afternoon Sun. Boats were floating on a crystal clear turquoise water. One can spend hours appreciating the beauty of the land and the sea. Gazing at the ocean floor and guessing it's depth. My heart danced with joy like a child in a candy store.

Accessible Only by Small Boat

Small boat tours start at the foot of the cliff and take visitors through the sea caves and formations. These caves are accessible by a small boat or kayak or SUP board. Tour lasts for 20-30 minutes covering the surrounding areas. This was the best day of our vacation.

Causeway Coast, Northern Ireland, UK

Officially Nothern Ireland is a part of the UK. Causeway Coastal Route stretches from Belfast to Derry~Londonderry. As of now, there is no hard border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland so there is no border control, passport checks, etc. You can drive between these two countries and wouldn't even notice crossing one country to the other. Northern Ireland (NI) is best visited during the summer months. Despite detailed planning, we couldn't make it during the summer months. However, in September, we got to spend a fabulous weekend in Northern Ireland. A day visiting Antrim coast and another day in Belfast. Click here for the trip ideas.

Weather on islands, in general, is very unpredictable. Even forecasts end up being an approximation. Whether forecast projected sunny and clear skies on the day of our visit. On the contrary, it was stone cold with strong winds and cloudy skies. The spellbinding views were worth the trouble. No matter how much I write in this post, I wouldn't do this place a justification. Just hop in a car and drive. You have to be there to see it. All I can say is 'Don't miss it'. We drove from Belfast to Dunluce castle and followed the Coastal Route back to Belfast. In a day, we were able to visit Dunluce Castle, Giant's Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, Dark Hedges and stop for a few quick photos along the Causeway Coastal route. 

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge:

View From The Rope Bridge

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge

Spellbinding Views

Game of Thrones Location Near The Rope Bridge. Also Used As Car Park

Giant's Causeway:

Giant's Causeway

I came across Giant's Causeway in a kid's encyclopedia. The Giants Causeway is a result of an intense volcanic and geological activity. This is a UNESCO world heritage site with 40000 interlocking basalt columns. The interlocking basalt columns are a result of cooling and shrinking of successive lava flows.

 

How Do I Explain This????

A new state-of-the-art visitor center is energy efficient and has a grass roof. This is where the science and the stories come to life. Walking tours and audio tours start from the visitor center. With a nominal price, a shuttle bus runs from the visitor center to and from the Causeway.

And This???

There are four trails for visitors to choose from. All of them are color-coded and have beautiful views of the Causeway. Green Trail is the easiest of them all.  While Blue Trail takes you to The Camel, Giant's Granny, and is moderately difficult, Red Trail and Yellow Trail are challenging. All the cliffs and Causeway routes are unfenced, slippery, and are accompanied by high waves, strong winds, and cold temperatures. Please maintain caution at all times.

Causeway Coastal Drive:

Sheep Island

Carrick-a-Rede View From Far

Dunseverick Castle Ruins

Sheeeeep!!!!!!

Dark Hedges:

Game of Thrones Location

Dark Hedges