8-Day / 7-Night Moderate

From your point of arrival, use the public transport information we provide to make the journey to Glengarriff.

Transfer through the beautiful woodlands of the Glenariff Forest Park into the remote Coomerkane valley. From there, a steep climb brings you to a ridge of the Caha Mountains that guides you towards Sugarloaf Mountain, where the Beara Way reaches its highest elevation at 560m. Enjoy splendid views over Bantry Bay before descending into the village of Adrigole.

Today you pass famous Hungry Hill – a mountain immortalised in Dame Daphne Du Maurier’s epic novel of the same name. After hiking around Hungry Hill the trail follows a route along the southern slopes of the Slieve Miskish Mountains to the charming fishing port of Castletownbere. Along the way, you can enjoy views of Bere Island and Berehaven, one of the finest natural harbours in the world.

A short ferry ride across the sheltered harbour will take you to Bere Island where walkers are spoilt for choice with routes of varying length and difficulty. You will find some of the highlights of the Beara Way here. From sites of rich military heritage from various eras to the spectacular scenery of the Slieve Miskish and Caha Mountains on the mainland.

A hike along century old country roads takes you past a Bronze Age stone circle and through some forestry before it climbs up into the Slieve Mishkish Mountains. You can catch a glimpse of the northern side of the peninsula before the trail climbs once more and then descends past an old disused copper mine into the brightly coloured village of Allihies.

A stunning walk in truly spectacular surroundings. You will pass Ballydonegan Strand, a man-made beach created from thousands of tons of crushed rock extracted by the now closed Allihies Copper Mines. From there, a coastal path overlooking the Atlantic Ocean leads you to a deserted mountain track that takes you right out to the western end of the Beara Peninsula, where the Atlantic Ocean pounds the coastline.

Take a trip on Ireland’s only cable car which will bring you across Dursey Sound, a narrow stretch of water with a very strong tide and reefs of rocks. With just 6 permanent residents, little motorised traffic and abundant wildlife, Dursey Island is a walker’s paradise. Transfer back to Castletownbere after your walk.

There are regular bus services from Castletownbere to Cork City. Full details provided upon booking.