Although the Dingle Peninsula has a funny name, it is seriously beautiful.  The Dingle Peninsula is in south-west Ireland just along the Atlantic Ocean.  Along the peninsula is a ridge of mountains, which include Ireland’s second tallest peak, Brandon, which is 3,127 feet above sea level.  

The coast along the Dingle Peninsula could not be more breathtaking.  It is best to drive to the Dingle Peninsula by car and savor the approach.  While some will even walk the Dingle Way, which is a great option for a clear day, that is not rainy.  These are rare in Ireland.  If you have a handful of days without rain while visiting Ireland, consider yourself one of the fortunate few.  However, the rain creates the gorgeous green color that sweeps most of Ireland.  

Highlights of visiting the Dingle Peninsula!

• early Christian monuments – includes a 12th Century Romanesque church with incredible stone carvings and even an Ogham stone.  Ogham is the Latin Alphabet made up of notches and lines to represent the 20 different letters.  
• Iron-Age fortifications – built to last, for defense (military stuff, guys love it, and I do too)
• Beehive huts – piles of loose stone built huts that have been standing for over 4,000 years
• Fungie the dolphin who has lived in the harbor since 1984 (the year I was born!)
• Blennerville Windmill – a great reminder of Ireland’s industrial history.  The hard working Irish!!!
• Gallerus Castle – access by guided tours only.  It’s a super old (15th Century) castle and you might be interested in paying for a guided tour.

Overall, the Dingle Peninsula has a lot to offer.  The rocky cliffs are something to enjoy, photograph, write a poem about, etc.  

Visiting the Dingle Peninsula is a great way to get out of the cities, while venturing to the edge of Ireland, imaging what life was like centuries ago.  It’s beautiful to consider the isolation the Irish could experience while living on this coastal Peninsula so long ago.  

Take a wild walk through history through visiting these ancient relics, monuments, and national land.

Sick of the old stuff?  

• Visit the Dingle Aquarium 
• Go shopping in the little village
• You are in Ireland, Guinness on tap is never too far away.  Get a beer!

Don’t worry about where to sleep.  With over a dozen hostels in Dingle alone, you can  Travel on a Shoestring.  

Paddy’s Place is a great hostel for hikers, as you are situated at the perfect place to wake up and stroll along the natural beauty of the Dingle Peninsula.  They have a bar and restaurant with pool tables, Internet access, laundry facilities, the kitchen to save money by making your own meals, and if you have rented a car, they have plenty of parking.

Know before your book your stay:

Whenever you see a price listed, followed by “pp” in Ireland.  The “pp” stands for “per person”.  This is good to keep in mind while booking hostels and other lodging in Ireland.  A B&B’s (Bed and Breakfast’s) may appear to be cheap, until you have to double that price the next morning and receive check out shock, and have to skip the beer at lunch to make up for your lost travel funds.

A traveler could reasonably spend 1-3 nights in Dingle and have enough time to see the Dingle Peninsula without becoming bored with the area.  Have fun in Dingle, with it’s funny name, but serious beauty!

Soon you may say, “I’ve done the Dingle Way.  Have you?”

Tags | budget travel, Ireland, itinerary, Shoestring