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West Cork

Ireland

‘A place apart’

This Atlantic frontier, rugged with wild peninsulas and crashing islands, is a bastion of ‘Old Ireland’. An enchanting pocket of verdant wilderness in the southwest of Ireland, West Cork is known for its languid pace and as an escape from the trappings of modern life. Richly fertile farmland is dotted with bustling harbour towns, which add splashes of colour to the vision of soft greens tempered by grey ocean mists. The rewards of the this fecundity are reaped in the local cuisine, making West Cork something of a gourmet destination which is bursting with fresh, quality produce at every turn. The Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland’s spectacular coastal route, ends (or begins) in Cork’s picturesque harbour town of Kinsale.

EXPLORE WEST CORK

Understated beauty on the Wild Atlantic Way

From £995 per person

based on two sharing in a twin/double room, with a minimum of 30 passengers travelling by air in a specific month. Coach tour from £699 per person.

Best time to go

April, May, June, September, October

Suggested Hotel

Maritime Hotel, Bantry Bay

  • Set on Bantry Bay amid the three rugged peninsulas of Mizen Head, Sheep’s Head and Beara
  • Contemporary bedrooms
  • Atmospheric restaurant overlooking the bay
  • Cosy library lounge and spacious bar
  • Indoor swimming pool

Not the hotel for your group? Other hotels are available, contact us.

Attractions:

Molly Gallivan's Cottage

Peer into a window upon a country lifestyle of times gone by. A traditional, rural Irish farmstead, Molly Gallivan’s cottage dates back 200 years but sits on a site with 5,000 years of history. Neolithic remains are evident amongst the treasures of ‘Old Ireland’, which include historic farm machinery, animals, and family dwellings.

Bantry House & Garden

This elegant stately home is gloriously located on the Wild Atlantic Way, overlooking Bantry Bay. A Georgian treasure, the property is filled with beautiful paintings and objets d’art, and is surrounded by remarkable gardens featuring formal terraces and a parterre.

Glenview Gardens & Hobbit House

Glenview is a 3-acre space with a diverse variety of garden designs within. From Italianate canals to Japanese gardens, wildflower meadows to fairy woodlands, and bog gardens to tropical areas, Glenview is a delight to explore. It also has its own charming Hobbit House, which has been dug into the landscape.

Clonakilty Distillery

The Scully Family, founders of the Clonakilty Distillery, have farmed this land lining the Atlantic Coast for 8 generations. Today, they combine this heritage with innovation to produce unique whiskeys and gins influenced by the location’s complex soil, clean air, pure waters and sea mist.

Cobh & the Titanic Experience

The charming town of Cobh is situated around one of the largest – and finest – natural harbours in the world. Lined with colourful houses which reflect in the lapping waters, Cobh was also the last port of call of the RMS Titanic. Visit the ticket offices of the White Star line at the Titanic Experience, which gives a fascinating insight into the ocean liner’s ill-fated maiden voyage.

Kinsale

Kinsale is a picturesque harbour town with a swashbuckling history. Discover tales of pirates, polar explorers and Robinson Crusoe on a walking tour of this historic port, filled with ancient alleyways and bobbing yachts. Kinsale also marks the southern endpoint of the spectacular Wild Atlantic Way.

Alternatives

Don't fancy the flight?

This tour is also available by coach and ferry, from £699 per person.

Garnish Island

Nestled within the beautiful Bantry Bay, Garnish Island is a tiny island of 15 hectares which is home to a garden of rare beauty. A result of the creative partnership of Annan Bryce and Harold Peto, this island garden is a horticultural treasure trove packed with specimens which are unusual in this area of the world.

Muckross House

Muckross is an elegant Victorian property dating back to the mid-19th century. Situated within the outstanding beauty of Killarney National Park and fringed by the glassy waters of Muckross Lake and Lough Leane, the mansion boasts fine period furnishings and extensive landscaped gardens.

Killarney Boat Trip & Jaunting Car Ride

Admire the stunning scenery and picturesque lakes of the Killarney National Park by boat, and by jaunting car (also known as horse and carriage!). The Tangney Family have been jaunting since the 1950s and know the landscapes here intimately.

Skibbereen Heritage Centre

The people in the Skibbereen area suffered greatly during the Great Famine, and the Skibbereen Heritage Centre presents an important exhibition on the 19th century social disaster via personal accounts and dramatizations.

Jameson's Distillery, Midleton

For 200 years, Jameson’s whiskey was distilled in Dublin, but in 1975 production was moved to Midleton, Co. Cork. Surrounded by lush green landscapes, this location comes with the advantageous proximity to barley farms and fresh, clear waters – taste the difference for yourselves following a behind-the-scenes tour of the distillery.

West Cork Garden Trail

The West Cork Garden Trail collates 25 diverse gardens in the region, offering a lush variety of planting styles, landscaping and water features. Select three gardens for your group to explore in this fertile and verdant region.

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Talk to us!

We love to talk travel! If our site has inspired you, please do get in touch to discuss your group's specific requirements on the phone number below. Alternatively, drop us an email and we'll get back to you.

Our office hours are 09:00 – 17:00 (UK time), Monday to Friday. If you are on tour and need to contact us outside of office hours, please call the 24hr on tour assistance number.

(If calling from abroad, please remember to add 0044 and drop the first 0 from the below numbers.)

Call: 01225 764205
Email: enquiries@successtours.com

24hr On Tour Assistance Number:
07957 838280