The Wild Atlantic Way Cork

The Wild Atlantic Way Cork

The Wild Atlantic Way is an amazing road trip, the route cover 2,600 kilometres around Ireland and in this post, I’m going to mention a few beautiful areas to visit on the Cork part of the route, so let’s dive into the Cork section of the Wild Atlantic Way and explore some things to see and do on this mother of all road trips! The Wild Atlantic Way route in Cork is one hell of a road trip, it’s some route to travel as we say in Ireland!

Mizen head is one of the highlights of this particular route, it’s just an amazing area with some fantastic views that you will enjoy! There are so many things to see and do on this route it’s just amazing! The Wild Atlantic Way has some much to see, it’s an amazing scenic route that everybody just loves, it’s soooo nice!!!!

Kinsale

Kinsale is located around a 35-minute drive from Cork City. Kinsale is a lovely little town, it has a nice harbour with a scenic waterfront full of all kinds of boats, sailing boats, speed boats, and yachts. There is a number of nice sandy beaches in the area close to the town. Kinsale has a rich history and there are many old historic buildings in the area.

You could check out the Catholic Church of Saint John the Baptist that was built in 1839 or maybe pop over to the site of the battle of Kinsale which happened way back in 1601. You could pop over to the Almshouse that was built by Robert Southwell, Mr Southwell was from Kinsale. Mr Southwell became one of the most powerful and famous men of his time way back in the 1600s.

Robert Southwell got elected to Parliament and has a successful political career. The Almshouse was restored between 1965 and 1970. If you like old war buildings, you will like Charles Fort. Charles Fort is an old 17th-century star-shaped fort, it’s a cool place to visit.

The fort has two large bastions overlooking the waterfront of the nearby estuary. There are three large bastions facing inland, there are tours available of the fort. Kinsale has loads of nice places to stay and great food to enjoy. It’s a must-see town on the Wild Atlantic Way Route Cork!

Clonakilty

Clonakilty is around a 45-minute drive from Kinsale. The town is full of colour, culture, great food, and warm friendly people.

There are a number of cool activities to do in Clonakilty, there are whale and wildlife watching boat tours, fishing boat tours, and guided boat tours. You could check out the Lisselan estate and golf club or maybe head over to the West Cork model railway village, this is a cool little attraction for kids!

If you like beaches you will love this area, there are a number of cool beaches in the area to enjoy, one of the nicest is Inchydoney beach, this beach is just a few short miles from the town of Clonakilty.

It’s one of the nicest beaches in West Cork. Clonakilty is known for its food, and one famous Irish brand in particular is Clonakilty pudding, we love pudding in Ireland! Clonakilty pudding is made from oatmeal, onions, water, salt, potato starch, spices, and the fat of some Irish beef. It’s a really nice pudding, we love black and white pudding in our Irish breakfast in Irieland. You have to try some Clonakilty pudding!

Skibbereen

Skibbereen means “little boat harbour, this charming Irish town is full of some nice little retail shops, cool Irish pubs, historic buildings, and plenty of Irish craic! This area has loads to keep you busy, there’s the beautiful West Cork coastline to see, you could travel out to West Cork’s incredible islands, there is a ferry service to the islands.

There are old medieval ruins to see, some nice art galleries and wonderful nature walks on the West Cork islands, the islands are amazing, you have to check them out!

Skibbereen is home to some ancient Irish monuments, the area has a few cool stone forts and stone circles to see. There are a few to check out in the Skibbereen area, Drimbeg stone circle is around twenty minutes from Skibbereen.

This ancient stone circle is one of many in the Cork area, it’s FREE to visit, and then there’s Knockdrum stone fort. The views from this stone fort are worth a look. The stone fort dates back to the first millennium AD. You have to check out while in the Skibbereen area!

Schull

Schull is around a 23-minute drive from Skibbereen, this cute little Irish town has a really nice harbour that is used for recreational boats of all kinds.

The Fastnet marine and outdoor education centre are in the Mizen Head Peninsula in Schull and it is arguably one of the nicest areas of Ireland. Mizen Head is something else, it highlights the beauty of the Wild Atlantic Way. Schull has some lovely little Irish pubs to check out and maybe sink a few pints!

The Bunratty Inn pub is located in the heart of Schull, this pub serves good food and the pub has outdoor seating and a beer garden, tis one to check out while in Schull.

Mizenhead

Mizen is the star of the show when it comes to the Wild Atlantic Way in Cork. This area is so scenic it unreal, it’s just pure class bye!!, as they say in Cork!

The maritime museum and heritage attraction at Mizenhead is one to check out. The views of the surrounding cliffs and the Atlantic ocean are so special in this magical location!!

There is a signal tower to see and explore and if you are lucky you will see some seals, whales, or dolphins in the area. The area is littered with wildlife and wildflowers, and loads of different bird species. You will have to check out the Mizen head bridge, the views are so special from this concrete bridge, the current bridge was constructed in the year 2009, and it’s one to take a selfie or two on!!!

Bantry

Travelling from Mizen Head to Bantry is very scenic, Bantry has loads to see and do. There are water activities, island hopping, fishing and angling, walking and hiking trails, equestrian activities, golf and if that’s not enough there is plenty of fresh seafood to try. Bantry is surrounded by water, it’s a beautiful Irish town.

There are some amazing beaches in the area to visit, if you are into swimming this area is the perfect place to go for a swim. You could try some cycling activities in Bantry. Bantry has loads of good restaurants, cafes, fast food outlets, and nice Irish pubs. One of the nicest, in my opinion, is the Snug, this Irish pub is located on the Quays in Bantry. The Snug has a traditional feel, they serve excellent seafood, everything from lobster to loads of fish varieties. The Fish Kitchen in Bantry is another place to check out in Bantry. There are some lovely seafood dishes on offer and the Fish Kitchen offers very interesting boat trips, which can be organized after a nice meal in the restaurant. The boat trips show the visitors how the mussels are grown in the local area and how the scallops are fished in Bantry. The boat trips are run by a qualified Marine Biologist. It is one of the many interesting things to do while in Bantry!!

Glengarriff

Glengarriff is another cracker on this route, The town is full of colourful shop fronts, it’s a charming little village.

The village is known as a seaside town in Ireland. Another highlight of the Wild Atlantic Way route in Cork is the Beara Peninsula, this area is very scenic and has some beautiful views. The Beara Way is a route off the beat and track that leads over hills and mountains, there are some stunning views of West Cork on this route, the route covers a 125 miles stretch from Glengarriff to Kenmare in Kerry.

There is a very nice golf club in the area to check out, and there is a ferry service from Glengarriff to Garnish Island. While on the island you could check out the Bryce House cottage that was built in 1912, the cottage has some beautiful walled gardens to see. Garnish Island is beautiful, it’s another cool thing to see on the Wild Atlantic Way route in Cork!!

Check out my post on Best Things to do in Cork here!

I hope you found this article useful, I welcome any questions or suggestions by email to info@allthings-ireland.com

Thanks

John Conway

All Things Ireland