My Heart Belongs To Dingle, Ireland

At some point during our Ireland travels, we were hoping to take a scenic drive along the coast. We kept waffling between the Dingle Peninsula and the Ring of Kerry, but ultimately opted for Dingle since it had a shorter drive time but would still give us some spectacular views. The drive can take anywhere from 4 to 6 hours, depending on how many stops you make, compared to the Ring of Kerry taking 5 to 8 hours. We figured we could do a few more castle hops with the hours we were saving on the drive alone. I was already enchanted by the most Irish looking setup I saw once we got started our journey.

I don't know if this guy is set up here all the time selling his Irish knick knacks, but I thought it was delightful to see.

You should know that driving The Dingle Peninsula is done on a clockwise loop that will take you down narrow, windy, one lane roads, so if you aren't comfortable with driving on the left hand side of the road, sometimes wedged in tiny spaces when you have to allow another motorist space to pass, you may want to consider taking one of the tour buses through the peninsula instead.

While you won't experience it often on the loop, traffic jams to occur. We had about a 15 minute wait while cars tried to get through this one lane section. It was such a tight squeeze, even the biker had to pull to the side of the road to wait it out. It may seem a bit congested when you first start, but once you get on your merry way, traffic will start to break up as motorists pull off the road to enjoy the scenery. There are some amazing beaches on the Wild Atlantic Way that are perfect for a rest stop. I believe some of the beaches even offer surf lessons if you plan on staying awhile.

What draws me most to Ireland are all of its amazing cliffs. Some are big (like the stunning Cliffs of Moher) and some are a bit smaller, but they are all magical in their own right.

I couldn't resist a short climb down this cliff to get a closer look at the water. This was after I tripped and busted my knee and pants open on the road above because I was admiring the view so much I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. Those views can be dangerous, folks LOL.

I am a beach girl at heart, so when we saw this unoccupied little slice of heaven, I had to pull off the road to spend some time with my feet going through the surf and sand. The rocks were moss covered and slippery, but once I got past that and the freezing cold water, I felt like this could be one of the most peaceful places on earth.

 
It's a dream of mine to retire to a little sleepy beach town, but Dingle just felt like home. I would love to spend the rest of my days in a tiny Irish cottage overlooking the Atlantic.

I always imagined Ireland as a place where you'd find tons of free-roaming sheep. However, I didn't come across any until we drove through Dingle. Of course, you'll find a lot of red and blue painted sheep that are being farmed, but then at other times you might run into a wild sheep, like this little guy chasing a butterfly.

You'll get both scenic ocean and country views during your drive through the Dingle Peninsula. There are plenty of old structures to explore too.

If you get hungry or want to stop for some shopping, about halfway through the loop you come across this charming, colorful little village. One thing that I absolutely adore about Ireland's towns are the brightly painted buildings. While we didn't stop in this one, I did have Jason drive slowly through so I could really admire it from the window.

How fun are these Star Wars figures made out of old tires? We saw these sitting outside one of the shops in Dingle. So cute!

While we did not have time on this trip to drive the Ring of Kerry, I do hear that it is just as lovely as Dingle. However, if you are short on time, or even have an extra day to fill, I would highly recommend driving the loop of the Dingle Peninsula. Out of all of my travels, it has been by far one of my favorite places to visit. You simply will not regret putting it on your itinerary!

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Do you prefer ocean or country views?