4
nights
215
km driving
7
challenges
1,700
XP to earn
4
nights
215
km driving
7
challenges
1,700
XP to earn
Four nights in a loop from Ringaskiddy, Cork's ferry port, west along the coast and back. The first night covers Kinsale, with Charles Fort and the Old Head, and Clonakilty, home of black pudding and Michael Collins. Then three nights around Baltimore: a ferry to Sherkin Island, a paddle on Lough Hyne, James Turrell's sky crater outside Skibbereen, the stone circle at Drombeg and a whale-watching trip from Union Hall. From there it is back to Cork.
Starts and finishes at the ferry in Cork (Ringaskiddy)
Best from April to October
215 km of driving in total, about 4 hours over 4 days
Clonakilty: Black Pudding and Michael Collins
Edited by Avandra
Day 1 · 1 night
Kinsale and Clonakilty
54 km · 1 h 0 min from Ringaskiddy
Base camp · 1 night
Sextons Caravan and Camping Park
4.6
375 Google reviews
Editor's note
One night covers both Kinsale and Clonakilty. Kinsale's harbour is guarded by James Fort and Charles Fort, the star fort of 1677, whose ramparts you can walk; in town, Desmond Castle is known as the French Prison. The Spanish landing of 1601 and the battle outside the town ended the Nine Years' War. At the Old Head, the Lusitania went down 11 nautical miles offshore on 7 May 1915, in about eighteen minutes. Eat in one of the harbour restaurants. In Clonakilty, buy black pudding to cook back at the van, see the Michael Collins House museum and walk Inchydoney beach.
Walks from camp
Days 2–4 · 3 nights
Baltimore, Lough Hyne and Union Hall
16 km · 23 min from Kinsale and Clonakilty
Base camp · 3 nights
Camus Farm
4.8
45 Google reviews
Editor's note
Three nights around Baltimore, the last before the crossing home. Learn what happened when Algerian pirates raided the village on 20 June 1631, go into the O'Driscoll castle and walk out to Lot's Wife, then take the year-round ferry to Sherkin's friary of 1460. At Lough Hyne, watch the tide pour through the Rapids and kayak the warm, still water. Outside Skibbereen, lie on the stone plinth in James Turrell's crater and look up, ideally at dawn or dusk. Drombeg's seventeen stones, near Glandore, face the midwinter sunset. Boats leave Reen Pier near Union Hall for minke and fin whales; humpbacks join them from around August.
Baltimore and Sherkin: The Sack of 1631 and the Island Friary
250 XPFind out what happened in Baltimore on 20 June 1631
32.1 km from camp
About 5 h
Lough Hyne: Ireland's First Marine Nature Reserve
250 XPStand at the Rapids and watch the tide pour in or out of the lake
26.8 km from camp
About 3 h
Spring to autumn only
Irish Sky Garden: James Turrell's Crater
200 XPLie back on the granite plinth at the centre of the crater, head on the carved rest, and look straight up — the oval of sky reads as though it were level with the grass rim, and it works best at dawn and dusk
22.8 km from camp
About 2.5 h
Union Hall: Whale Watching in West Cork
300 XPWatch from a headland on a calm autumn day — take binoculars, take time, and scan the horizon rather than the water in front of you
14.5 km from camp
About 5 h
Drombeg: The Druid's Altar and the Bronze Age Kitchen
225 XPStand between the two tall portal stones on the north-east side and look south-west across the circle to the recumbent, the long flat stone at the far edge — the axis the midwinter sun sets along
10.8 km from camp
About 2.5 h
Walks from camp
Finish the guide, earn 1,700 XP
7 challenges across 2 stops.
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