Dingle Way hiking guide: route map, stages & where to stay

The Dingle Way (in Irish, Slí Chorca Dhuibhne) is a long-distance walking trail around the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, in the south-west of Ireland. It starts and ends in Tralee and is usually walked clockwise: west along the foot of the Slieve Mish Mountains to Camp, south across the peninsula to Inch and Annascaul, west along Dingle Bay to Dingle town, round Slea Head to Dunquin, north along Smerwick Harbour, over the shoulder of Mount Brandon to Cloghane, and back east along Brandon Bay and Tralee Bay. It is one of Ireland's National Waymarked Trails. Published lengths range from about 162 km to 179 km, because the section between Tralee and Camp is walked twice, and most walkers take 8 days.

The route

The first day follows the old ship canal from Tralee to the windmill at Blennerville, then contours west along the north side of the Slieve Mish Mountains to Camp. The second day crosses the peninsula on old bog roads and drops to Inch, above its long beach, and on to Annascaul. From Annascaul the Way passes Minard Castle and Lispole on quiet roads and field paths to Dingle, the largest town on the peninsula. West of Dingle is the most dramatic part: the long sands of Ventry, then a path round Slea Head under Mount Eagle, past stone forts and beehive huts, with views of the Blasket Islands, to Dunquin. The next day follows cliffs and beaches round Smerwick Harbour, near Gallarus Oratory, to Ballydavid and Feohanagh. Then comes the hardest stage, a long climb to the saddle between Masatiompan and Piaras Mór on the shoulder of Mount Brandon, and a steep descent to Brandon village and Cloghane. The last two days are flat: along the sands of Brandon Bay to the Maharees and Castlegregory, then along Tralee Bay to Camp and back over the Slieve Mish foothills to Tralee.

This guide follows the route as mapped on OpenStreetMap and splits it into 8 stages, about 22.9 km each, the same as the official sections. The section between Tralee and the Way's junction near Camp is walked twice, on the first day and on the last day. Nearly half of the Way (76 km) is on quiet local roads; the rest is on tracks, field paths, cliff paths, open hillside and more than 20 km of beaches. The highest point is about 650 m, on the pass below Mount Brandon.

Highlights

• Slea Head and the Blasket Islands: a path along the slopes of Mount Eagle with wide views of the Atlantic and the Blaskets, whose last islanders left in 1953
• Stone forts and early churches: Dún Beag promontory fort, the beehive huts at Fán, and Gallarus Oratory, a dry-stone church near Smerwick Harbour
• The Masatiompan pass: the highest point of the Way at about 650 m, on the shoulder of Mount Brandon (952 m), with views from the Blaskets to Tralee Bay
• The beaches: Ventry, Smerwick Harbour, and the long sands of Brandon Bay and the Maharees
• Dingle town: a lively harbour town with food, music and pubs, and a good place for a rest day
• Annascaul: the South Pole Inn, once the pub of the Antarctic explorer Tom Crean
• The Gaeltacht: west of Dingle, Irish is the everyday language and road signs are in Irish only

When to walk the Dingle Way

Most people walk the Dingle Way between March and October. The luggage transfer service runs from 1 March to 31 October, and many B&Bs and campsites open only from about March or April to September or October. July and August are the busiest months, so book early. Rain and strong wind are possible in any season. Do not cross the Masatiompan pass in bad weather or low cloud. The route is closed for one day every year, on 28 February.

How many days do you need?

The official plan is 8 days, and this guide uses the same 8 stages. Fit walkers sometimes do it in 7 days. The longest days are Cloghane to Castlegregory and Castlegregory to Tralee, which are flat but nearly 30 km each. Many walkers add a rest day in Dingle, and some split the long last day by sleeping near Camp. Because buses run along much of the peninsula, it is also easy to walk only part of the route.

Getting there and logistics

Tralee has a railway station, with trains from Dublin Heuston and from Cork via Mallow. Kerry Airport at Farranfore is the nearest airport. Bus Éireann route 275 links Tralee, Blennerville, Camp, Annascaul, Lispole and Dingle several times a day. TFI Local Link buses run from Dingle to Ventry, Ballyferriter and Dunquin (277), from Dingle to Ballydavid and Feohanagh (268), and from Brandon and Cloghane to Castlegregory, Camp and Tralee (273). Timetables change, so check them before you go.

Most nights are in B&Bs, guest houses, hostels and small hotels, with a few campsites. Book ahead for Dunquin, Feohanagh and Camp, which have only a few beds: the youth hostel in Dunquin has closed, and there is no shop there, so buy food in Dingle or Ventry. There is no right to wild camp in Ireland: use campsites or ask the landowner. Dogs are not allowed on the Dingle Way.

Difficulty

Sport Ireland grades the Dingle Way as strenuous because of its length, but most days are easy to moderate. The total climb is about 2,600 m. The one hard day is Feohanagh to Cloghane: a long, steep climb to about 650 m, then a sharp descent, with a big drop to the sea in one place. In mist, rain or strong wind, take transport to Cloghane instead. The beaches are usually easy to walk, but after high spring tides you may need to go up onto the dunes on Brandon Bay, and in two places there is a higher route to use when the tide is in. Check tide times. On the roads, walk facing the traffic, and take great care on the busy Slea Head road.

History

The Dingle Peninsula, Corca Dhuibhne in Irish, is one of the richest areas for early remains in Ireland. On the Way you pass Iron Age forts, beehive huts and early Christian sites such as Gallarus Oratory. Mount Brandon is named after St Brendan the Navigator, and tradition says he set sail from Brandon Creek. In 1580, at Dún an Óir on Smerwick Harbour, some 600 Italian, Spanish and Irish soldiers were killed by English forces. The Tralee and Dingle Light Railway ran from 1891 to 1953, and its old viaducts can still be seen near Camp and Lispole. The Blasket Islands were left empty in 1953, and the Blasket Centre in Dunquin tells their story. Today the Dingle Way is a National Waymarked Trail, managed by the Dingle Way committee and Kerry County Council, and the section from Tralee to Dingle is also known as the Kerry Camino.