Kerry is definitely one of the best places to visit in Ireland!
If you visit Dingle – and I strongly recommend you do – then you’ll be pleased to know that there’s absolutely no shortage of things you can do when there.
However, if you want to include some ‘real Dingle experiences’ in your trip, as opposed to just the ‘touristy Dingle experiences,’ then you should definitely add the following to your list:
1. Have a drink in Dick Mack’s Pub
Dick Mack’s is a famous old Irish pub with an AMAZING atmosphere, and a visit to Dingle is just not fully complete until you’ve had a drink in there!
Pairs of wellingtons line the shelves inside the main bar room while bottles of every drink imaginable line the shelves behind the bar.
Right outside the pub is Kerry’s own Walk of Fame which has the names of Dick Mack’s famous visitors etched into the pavement stone.
When we visited the pub, a trad session was about to kick off and even though I myself wouldn’t be a fan of trad, the atmosphere was incredible.
Following on from Páidí’s Pub are some of the most beautiful coastal sights.
2. Enjoy ice cream on the pier
The pier in Dingle is where most visitors congregate.
Some sit around and sip coffee, but most enjoy the home made Irish ice cream from one of the ice cream shops that line the street across from the pier. We went to Murphy’s – gorgeous!
On a sunny evening, there’s no spot nicer than Dingle pier!
Fungi the Dolphin is the local celebrity but you won’t spot him from the pier. There are plenty of boat tour companies however that will take you out to see him.
3. Try the seafood!
You cannot go to Dingle without trying the seafood. The place is famous for it.
There’s no shortage of eateries in Dingle, but when we were there last June, we dined in a little beach hut style of restaurant called ‘Out of the Blue’.
They have a cute outdoor dining area so if the weather is fine, then you should definitely go there and have dinner outdoors. The food there is amazing!
If you’re not a seafood fan, then go for an Irish stew (or better still a Guinness stew).
4. Dingle Peninsula / Blasket Island Boat Tours / Dunquin Pier
The landscape all along the Dingle Peninsula will honestly amaze you. It’s so stunning there, and on a bright summer’s day, the water becomes so strikingly blue.
The Blasket Islands are a wonderful sight but if you want to get a closer view, there are boat tours that will take you out to them. (The same for Skelligs) Both are very ‘touristy’ activities, but they are worth every cent!
Dunquin Pier is probably the one sight that most visitors will want to experience when they visit the Dingle Peninsula. I didn’t get to see it and it still annoys me no end! I have every intention of returning there with the sole purpose of visiting that pier.
Even if you are not familiar with the name, you will definitely be familiar with the scene that made it famous.
Dunquin Pier is the setting of this famous picture of the sheep descending a winding road. Friends of mine have been there and they say it is every bit as beautiful in person as it is in photographs.
Here are some shots from the road trip:
Tara's Ireland 