Walking Boots Tours, Exploring the heart & sole of Ireland. Carefully choosen hiking, walking& special interest vacations tours throughout Ireland.
Exploring the Heart & Sole of West Cork
& Beara Peninsula.
Stay in Castletownbere where ONDINE was filmed.
Click link to see trailor:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRLM8vMQFns
Hiking the Beara way/trail overlooking Dursey island June 2009.
Tour Dates: 2010
July 2nd to 10th :9 day tour.
Tour Cost: 1650 euros p.p. (single supplement 120euros extra)
Included:Accommodation, breakfasts, lunches, some meals, ferries, all transport & collections at beginning and end, entrances, gratuities at meals etc, services of guide & driver.
Not Included: some ferries to the islands as these are weather dependent, drinks at dinner and some evening meals (see itinerary).
Itinerary:
Day 1:
Arrival to Cork airport. Collected by Maeve driver & guide at 12 noon. From there, we will drive to the fishing village of Kinsale, known as the gourmet capital of Ireland. We will begin our exploration of this quaint fishing and sailing town with a tour by a local guide (Kinsale Heritage Tours). It will explain just why this town is so famous in Irish history. Afterwards, you’ll have some time to explore this picturesque town at your leisure.
Overnight in Kinsale, with evening meal included.
Day 2:
We leave Kinsale this morning after breakfast, visiting Drombeg Stone circle on route.
Late morning we will hike close by the shores of Lough Hyne, Irelands only marine reserve. With spectacular views to Toe Head and The Stags rocks. The afternoon hike will include quiet country lanes,and short coastline sections. Durations 2-3 hours.
Beautiful Lisardagh House & gardens our Guesthouse in Union Hall.
Overnight in Union Hall,with evening meal included.
Day 3:
Cape Clear Island
We will take the ferry to Cape Clear Island accompanied by a local ornithologist. This island is a Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking) area of approximately 150 inhabitants. Not only is it a scenic island with plenty of terrific hiking opportunities, it also has more varied birdlife than anywhere else in Ireland. 280 species have been recorded in particular manx shearwater. We will see guillemots, razorbills and kittiwakes. And that’s not all. Whales and dolphins are frequently spotted close to shore or from the ferry as we approach the island.
Hike: Moderate along island roads and cliffs. Distance approx. 7 miles.
Overnight in Union Hall,with evening meal included.
Day 4:
The cliffs on sheeps head trail.
Sheep’s Head Peninsula.
The next two days hikes will be on one of the most undiscovered of the four south-western peninsulas, the Sheep’s Head. This peninsula has dramatic coastal scenery and a quiet rural beauty in the interior. We will hike along a rough trail called the Sheep’s Head Way loaded with wonderful seascapes that I know you are going to thoroughly enjoy.
Hike: Strenuous cross country over rugged sometimes wet bog land Distance: approx. 6 miles
Overnight in Ahakista. with evening meal iin Bantry not included.
Hillcrest Farmhouse, our guesthouse in Ahakista.
Day 5:
Sheep Head Lighthouse.
Sheep’ Head
Todays hike will be along the end of Sheeps Head Peninsula from Cahergal to Sheeps Head and (Ballyroon mountain).
Hiking level: Strenuous cross country over rugged sometimes wet bog land
Distance: approx. 8 to 10 miles.
Hiking along the end of Sheeps Head peninsula.
Overnight in Ahakista,with evening meal in Durrus included.
Day 6:
Spectacular lunch spot on Bere Island.
Glengarriff mountains or Bere Island.
Hike near Glengarriff in the wild mountainscape of the Caha range above Barley Lough. (Alternative: if the weather is unsuitable or as guide decides we will hike Bere Island.
Hike: Strenuous 5-6 hours, rough, rugged terrain, No trails (Mountain 5.6 miles, 500m ascent,
or Island 6-7miles-200m ascent-Western loop)
Overnight in Castletownberehaven with evening meal not included.
Day 7:
Dursey Island.
We will take the cable car to Dursey Island for a day of fabulous hiking, weather permitting. Only six families inhabit this isolated island. It’s a place of amazing sea views, wild flowers, sea birds, ruined castles, deserted villages and the dramatic Dursey Head. It’s here that we will have our lunch, sitting on a cliff top above the churning Atlantic and watching the aerial acrobatics of diving gannets.
Hike: Moderate with a climb to the high point on the island. Distance: 8 miles.
Overnight in Castletownberehaven with evening meal included.
Day 8:
Hiking the Wild Sheey Mountains in Gougane Barra.
Gougane Barra
Depart Castletownbere and drive along a magical, mystical mountain road to retrace the route of the heroic march of O’ Sullivan Bere in 1602 along this way. We will stop at Carriganass Castle built in 1540 by Dermot O’Sullivan. In the 1600’s, the province we are in, Munster was in bloody turmoil. The Desmond rebellion we learned about in Kinsale was put down by Henry V111 first and again by Elizabeth 1. After the defeat in Kinsale in 1601 it was the outlaw Donal Cam O’ Sullivan who marched his people from Castletownbere by Carriganass Castle in 1602 all the way through Ireland to Leitrim in the north under fierce attack to his Northern Allies.
The march of O’Sullivan Bere is well known in Irish history as one of the most daring and bleak times for a people.
Hike:We will hike the challenging but worth every step, Sheey Mountains over looking Gougane Barra Valley. Strenuous hike over rough uneven terrain, wet at times. The rewards are immense on a clear day. We will feel a real sense of off trail wilderness.
'40 Shades of green' End of the days hike in Gougane Barra.
Overnight Gougane Barra Hotel with eveing meal included.
This is a picturesque traditional Irish hotel like no other. It offers friendly hospitality and it’s located on the shores of a beautiful lake that was once home to the monastery of Saint Finbar, the patron saint of Cork.
Day 9: Time for farewell and return to Cork airport for 11am.
Pictures:copyright of Mark Mattison,taken June 2009 Tour.