Slea Head Drive (Slí Cheann Sléibhe)

About

The Slea Head Drive is the reason most people come to Dingle: a circular route of around 47km that runs west from the town around the tip of the peninsula and back, part of the Wild Atlantic Way. It is a public road, free, and you drive it clockwise by local convention because the lanes are narrow. The road strings together the best of the peninsula in a few hours: Ventry beach, the cluster of beehive huts on the farmland at Fahan, the crucifixion viewpoint at Slea Head itself with the Blasket Islands offshore, the strand at Coumeenoole, and Dunmore Head, the most westerly point of mainland Ireland and a Star Wars filming location. Give it half a day with stops, more if you walk any of it.

Highlights

• ✓Slea Head, with the crucifixion shrine and the Blasket Islands offshore
• ✓The beehive huts (clocháin) on the farmland at Fahan
• ✓Coumeenoole Strand and Dunmore Head, the westernmost point of mainland Ireland
• ✓A free public road, part of the Wild Atlantic Way

Tips

• →Drive it clockwise: the road is narrow and that is the local convention.
• →Go early or late in summer to avoid the midday coaches at the viewpoints.
• →The beehive-hut sites are on private farmland with a small honesty-box fee; bring coins.

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