Which counties give the best first taste of the southwest?
Cork and Kerry, and the split matters more than the order. Kerry gives you the mountains and the peninsulas: Killarney National Park, the Ring of Kerry and Dingle. Cork gives you the coast and the table: the city, Kinsale, Cobh, and West Cork's long peninsulas if the days stretch. Our 5 day southwest itinerary runs Cork city and Cobh, a night in Kinsale, then Killarney for the Ring, finishing on the Dingle Peninsula. Five days is the honest minimum for both counties. Three days means choosing one and doing it properly.
Useful pages: Where to go · Ready-made itineraries · The Wild Atlantic Way road trip · Dublin · County Cork · County Kerry · County Galway · Northern Ireland · Portrush · Visiting Irish castles · Plan your journey · Heritage · Golf in Ireland · Ireland's cities · Ireland in the movies · Best hiking trails in Ireland · The Southwest in 5 Days · The Great Links golf itinerary · Quieter places
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- Dublin or Galway: which city should be my main base?
- Cork or Killarney: which is the better base for the southwest?