Active Pursuits

Bicycling

Kinsale Harbour is perfectly designed for biking. To rent a bike, contact The Hire Shop, 18 Main St. (tel. 021/477-4884). Rentals average €10 ($13) a day, €60 ($78) per week, depending on equipment. The shop is open weekdays from 8:30am to 6pm. In summertime, it's also open Saturday from 9am to 6pm and Sunday from 10:30am to 5:30pm.

Fishing

Kinsale is one of the southern Irish coast's sea-angling centers. There are numerous shipwrecks in the area for wreck fishing (not the least of them the Lusitania, near the Old Head of Kinsale). Kinsale Deep Sea Angling, Pier Head (tel. 021/477-8944), arranges sea fishing from Kinsale Harbor, as well as whale-watching expeditions. Prices vary widely, so call or e-mail (willemvandijk@eircom.net) for more information.

For fishing tackle or to rent a rod and other equipment, try The Hire Shop .

Golf

Embraced by the sea on three sides, the nothing-short-of-spectacular Old Head Golf Links (tel. 021/477-8444; www.oldheadgolflinks.com) is Tiger Woods's favorite Irish course. Named one of Golf Magazine's "Top 100 Courses in the World," it is hauntingly beautiful, rain or shine. The course retains a resident environmentalist to ensure that crucial wildlife habitats are not disturbed. But golfing here costs big money: Greens fees are currently a whopping €250 ($325) for one 18-hole round. Caddy fees run €30 ($39) for a junior caddy, €40 ($52) for a senior caddy.

If that's too rich for your blood, there's a fine par-72 championship course at the Fota Island Golf Club, Carrigtwohill (tel. 021/488-3700), with greens fees of €70 ($91) on Monday, €83 ($108) Tuesday to Thursday, and €98 ($127) on Friday and weekends. Less expensive is the Kinsale Golf Club, Kinsale (tel. 021/477-4722), which has an 18-hole, par-71 course at Farrangalway, 5km (3 miles) north of town. Greens fees are €35 ($46) on weekdays, €50 ($65) on weekends.

Sailing

Yacht charters are available from Sail Ireland Charters, Trident Hotel, County Cork (tel. 021/477-2927; www.sailireland.com). From Kinsale it is possible to sail to Bantry Bay and back on a 1-week charter, or to the Dingle Peninsula on a 2-week charter. Prices for a six-berth, 11m (36-ft.) yacht run €2,115 to €2,975 ($2,749-$3,867) per week, not including outboard or skipper. A 10-berth, 15m (49-ft.) yacht runs €2,325 to €3,275 ($3,022-$4,257) per week.

Sovereign Sailing (tel. 021/477-4145; www.sovereignsailing.com) offers a full range of yacht sailing options for all ages and levels of experience. Between March and November, day- or half-day sails from Kinsale head out every day. Rates vary widely based on the kind of sailing you try.

Shearwater Cruises (tel. 023/49610) uses a 12m (40-ft.) ketch for daily and weeklong cruises of the coastline with an emphasis on natural history. A variety of different trips are possible; fees start at €150 ($195) per day.

Tennis

Court time can be had at the Oysterhaven Activity Centre (tel. 021/477-0738), 8km (5 miles) from Kinsale, for €10 ($13) per hour. Racket rental is an additional €2 ($2.60). It's open Monday to Thursday 10am to 9pm, Friday and Saturday 10am to 6pm, and Sunday 1 to 6pm.

Walking

The Scilly Walk is a signposted pedestrian path along the sea that runs from Scilly, the community across the harbor from Kinsale, all the way to Charles Fort. If you continue to walk south along the sea from Charles Fort, you'll find another path that follows the headland to the tip of Frower Point, which offers great views across the harbor to the Old Head of Kinsale. The complete walk from Kinsale to Frower Point is 8km (5 miles) each way, and every part of it is quite rewarding.

If you prefer a guided walk, there are 1-hour walking tours of Kinsale every day in the summertime. The tours are run by Herlihy's Guided Tour (tel. 021/477-2873; €4.50/$5.85) and leave from in front of the tourist office at 11:15am. Ask in the tourist office for details.

Watersports

At Sporting Tours Ireland, 71 Main St. (tel./fax 021/477-4727; www.sportingtoursireland.ie), prices for scuba start at roughly €40 ($52) per dive, minimum three persons. Canoeing, windsurfing, and dinghy sailing cost at least €15 ($20) per hour. Pleasure yacht hire prices are at a minimum of €200 ($260) per half-day. Hours are daily 9am to 5:30pm. The Oysterhaven Activity Centre (tel. 021/477-0738), 8km (5 miles) from Kinsale, rents windsurfers, dinghies, and kayaks. It's open Monday to Thursday 10am to 9pm, Friday and Saturday 10am to 6pm, and Sunday 1 to 6pm.

Whale-Watching

Whale-watching is a popular activity in summer, and one of the best companies is Whale of a Time (tel. 087/328-3250; www.whaleofatime.ie), which uses rigid inflatable boats to cause less disruption to the creatures of the deep. Kinsale Deep Sea Angling also offers dolphin-, whale-, and seal-watching trips, as does Angling Kinsale (tel. 021/477-8054; www.anglingkinsale.com).