Attractions

Dingle (An Daingean) is a charming, brightly colored little town at the foot of steep hills and on the edge of a gorgeous stretch of coast. There's not much to do here, but it has plenty of hotels and restaurants and makes a good base for exploring the region. The town's most famous resident is a dolphin that adopted the place years ago and has been bringing in dolphin-loving tourists ever since. Its busiest time is in August, when the Dingle Races bring in crowds from throughout the area to watch the horses run every other weekend. (The racetrack is just outside of town on the N86.) In the last week of August, the Dingle Regatta fills the harbor with traditional Irish currach boats in a vivid display of color and history.

When leaving Dingle, heading west takes you on the Slea Head Drive, a gorgeous stretch of road known for its collection of ancient sites. At any tourist information center, you can get a guide to the various ruined abbeys and old forts along the way. (Note: This is serious Gaeltacht territory, so under new Irish rules, all signs -- even road hazard signs -- are in Gaelic only.)

Not far from Dingle, Gallarus Oratory is a beautifully preserved, early Christian church building. With a shape much like an overturned boat, it's made of stone with no mortar and was so well constructed that it's completely watertight after more than 1,000 years. The oratory is signposted on the R559 near Ballyferriter. There's a visitor center that charges a few euro for parking and has little to offer besides a short film, so if that doesn't interest you, skip the center, park elsewhere, and walk up to the oratory -- access is free.

A few miles away, the village of Ballyferriter (Baile an Fheirtearaigh) is named after a local rebel named Piaras Ferriter. He was a poet and soldier who fought in the 1641 rebellion and ultimately became the last area commander to surrender to Oliver Cromwell's English troops. Just north of the village, you can follow signs to the moody ruins of the Dún an Oir Fort, a defensive citadel dating from the Iron Age. There's also a small memorial to 600 Spanish and Irish troops who were massacred here by the English in 1580. Most were beheaded; the nearby site where their remains were buried is still known locally as "the Field of the Heads."

The village of Dunquin (Dún Chaion), stunningly situated between Slea Head and Clogher Head, is where you catch ferries (tel. 066/335-3805; www.blasketislands.ie) to the Blasket Islands (Na Blascaodaí). Until they were evacuated in 1953, the islands were famous for having an entirely Gaelic-speaking population. These days it's inhabited only by seals and seabirds. If you're up to it, there's a 13km (8-mile) walk to the west end of Great Blasket and back, and it passes sea cliffs and beaches of ivory sand; you can stop along the way at the only cafe on the island. Ferries depart Dunquin every hour from 10am (check return times on the day). The round-trip costs €25.

Slea Head, at the southwestern edge of the peninsula, has pristine beaches, great walks, and extensive archaeological remains. Dunbeg Fort (tel. 066/915-9755; www.dunbegfort.com) sits on a rocky promontory just south of Slea Head, its walls rising from the cliff edge. Although much of the fort has fallen into the sea, the place is well worth a visit at the bargain-basement rate of €3 per person.

Back on the mainland and on the north side of the peninsula, Castlegregory (Caislean an Ghriare) is a seaside village with two wide, sandy beaches. It's known for its good diving waters, and scuba divers and watersports fans flock to the place in summer. It's a bit bustling for isolationists, who are better off heading to tiny Cloghane (An Clochán) on the southern edge of Brandon Bay. With a population of 270 and a lovely beach, it's got much to offer. It also is a good place for climbers interested in tackling nearby Mount Brandon (Cnoc Bhréannain), which is Ireland's second-highest mountain (951m/3,120 ft.). The mountain is a good all-day climb and has gorgeous views, but don't try it without a map and compass and some experience scaling considerable heights.