# Ring of Beara and the Healy Pass

> 3-day round trip of about 140 km (87 mi) with 8 stops, starting and ending in Kenmare. About 1 h 56 min of driving in total.

Source: https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b6-beara/

**At a glance:** 3-day round trip of about 140 km (87 mi) with 8 stops, starting and ending in Kenmare. About 1 h 56 min of driving in total. The quieter neighbour of the Ring of Kerry: a tunnel pass, fishing harbours, a cable car to Dursey and the zigzags of the Healy Pass.

| | |
|---|---|
| Distance | 140 km (87 mi) |
| Driving | 1 h 56 min |
| Suggested days | 3 |
| Stops | 8 |
| Route | Kenmare → Kenmare |
| Countries | Ireland |
| Updated | June 26, 2026 |

## Route description

From Kenmare, the N71 climbs over the Caha Pass through a series of short rock tunnels and drops to Glengarriff on Bantry Bay. Boats leave from here for Garinish Island and its gardens, a pleasant half-day extra.

The R572 follows the south shore of the peninsula below Hungry Hill to Castletownbere, one of Ireland’s biggest fishing ports. The road narrows as it continues west to the tip at Dursey Sound, where the cable car to Dursey Island runs when it is in service.

Turn north to Allihies, a village of brightly painted houses below old copper mines, with a small museum about the mining community. The coast road to Eyeries is one of the most beautiful on Beara, but narrow and twisting: large motorhomes should take the inland road.

Follow the R571 along the Kenmare River to Lauragh and take the Healy Pass, whose hairpins climb over the mountains with views of both bays; drive to the summit and return, or cross to Adrigole and loop back. The R571 then leads back to Kenmare. The whole ring is about 140 km but deserves at least two days.

## Stop-by-stop itinerary

1. **Kenmare** (Ireland)
2. **Glengarriff** (Ireland)
3. **Castletownbere** (Ireland)
4. **Dursey Sound** (Ballaghboy, Ireland): The tip of the Beara peninsula, where Ireland’s only cable car crosses a narrow sound to Dursey Island. It has had long closures for repairs, so check before you rely on it.
5. **Allihies** (Ireland)
6. **Eyeries** (Ireland)
7. **Healy Pass** (Lauragh, Ireland): A road of tight zigzags over the Caha Mountains, begun as famine relief work in the 1840s, with views over both Bantry Bay and the Kenmare River.
8. **Kenmare** (Ireland)