The Irish do know how to plan the public holidays! I was lucky enough to have a long weekend off work and since I was about to move back to the Netherlands, I decided this was the perfect time to explore county Kerry, which is located in the south-west of Ireland and is home to the world-famous "Ring of Kerry".
I booked a hotel in Killarney for a few days and saw the Dingle Peninsula, the Ring of Kerry and an area that this post will be about: The Gap of Dunloe. I'm not saving the best for last though, this was the highlight of that weekend. The trip was so much fun I nearly applied for a job at the boat-company.
I booked the Gap of Dunloe trip with Deros Tours, which you don't really have to do. But I got a discount (I did all my tours there) and it was easier.
As you can see, the trip has 3 parts, of which 2 (pony & boat) are of interest and 1 (coach) is mostly just transportation. The bus drops you off at Kate Kearney's Cottage and you start from there. Later the bus will pick you up near Ross Castle and bring you back to town.
Gap of Dunloe
I was ready to go on a pony & carriage ride. The alternative -a hike- wasn't made for me, since it's distance is over 11 kilometres. Me travelling alone turned out to be a bit of a challenge since they only charge for a full carriage and there is room for 4. Two amazing Americans saved me and invited me over in their carriage. We got a fresh horse and a young coachman and off we went. Into The Gap.
Walk or be walked
The walk through the pass was gorgeous. I was happy that we took the carriage option, but I am afraid the horse wasn't too pleased with us. The road sometimes was so steep up the hill that we had to leave the carriage and walk for a bit while the horse followed us. It probably didn't help that the horse lost one of his shoes during the trip which made it a bit more slippery for her. But we gave her an apple for his hard work and I think she is not holding a grudge anymore.
There are a few small lakes inside the pass that are connected by a tiny river. We crossed a small arch bridge that, with high waters, will look more like a road dividing two lakes.
Wishing Bridge
At some point, we noticed some camping going on in the field. If you find them in the photo below, the green field they stand in will be flooded with water caused by heavy rain or melting snow. It didn't rain too much that day, so they survived.
Can you find the people camping?
Although cars are allowed in the Gap, you will hardly see them. And to be fair, it is just the worst way of exploring the Gap. You will miss all the beauty and get a lot of hatred from the hikers and coachmen. The silence will be disturbed and it just doesn't fit the area. So my suggestion? Don't do it by car. It will be very bad karma.
Just look at it... you don't want cars ruining that view, right?
Although the weather wasn't the best, I found the Gap of Dunloe amazingly beautiful. The views are stunning and the winding roads a lot of fun. You are much more aware of nature around you when everything is silent (when the horse stops). Except for the sound of water gushing down the hills, hitting the rocks.
The horse dropped us off at Lord Brendan’s for a quick lunch before we continued with the boat section of the trip and we were in for a treat!
Lakes of Killarney
We were picked up by Donal, our guide from one of the few (or only?) companies that offer boat tours on the Lakes of Killarney. And just don't look for an alternative, I can promise you that this family business is the best. No doubt about it!
Off we go
We started our trip sailing Upper Lake first. The boat was not too full and it was cosy straight away. Donal warned us upfront that the water was pretty low and we might run into some challenges along the way. This was going to be fun!
Meet Charlie, the friendly dog that accompanies Donal on his tours. He is funny, well behaved and super friendly with everyone on board. Although Charlie has seen this area tons of times, he is never bored. He helps Donal spot special birds and other animals and the boat won't be the same without him.
Meet Phyllis the pheasant. Donal has made friends with him and now, almost every time when Donal's boat arrives and he calls Phyllis, the bird will come flying down and meet the boat (and Charlie) for a treat.
I became a huge fan of our guide. He clearly knew and loved the area a lot. His enthusiasm wasn't fake at all, and his laughs very recognisable in a good way. And boy, did we laugh a lot!
So remember, he warned us for the low water. But he was just so experienced that for the majority of the trip he was able to manoeuvre the boat exactly right. Only at 1 point, we had to get out and walk a bit. Near the Meeting of the Waters , a different boat got stuck. I bet this will stay a joke in the family for quite some time. Donal saw it coming, told us to watch the boat and he predicted it right. Donal to the rescue while we enjoyed the views.
He got stuck. In the background the oldest bridge in Ireland
We were only on the Middle Lake (Muckross Lake) for a very short time before we moved to the largest of three; Lower Lake (Lough Leane).
Fishermen on Lough Leane
This lake was very wide and impressive. The trees had all different colours and we were promised that later that month the rhododendron would fully bloom. And while we might like the look of that, Donal explained to us that it was the pest of the area. The invasion of rhododendron does take up about 2/3 of the oak woodlands and threatens the park. Luckily, they are trying to get rid of it. Don't let that stop you from taking some home with you. I bet they won't mind!
Finishing point of the tour is the 13th century Ross Castle where the bus waited to bring us back to Killarney. We didn't mind that we didn't have much time here. Being outside the whole day made us all pretty tired. But what a blast did we have!
Ross Castle, check @greengrafphoto for an amazing evening shot
Also in this series:
Ireland & the back arse of nowhere #1: Aran Islands
Ireland & the back arse of nowhere #2: Cliffs of Moher