Theresa's Mixed Nuts: My Heart Belongs To Dingle, Ireland

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

My Heart Belongs To Dingle, Ireland

At some point during our Ireland travels, we were hoping to take a scenic drive along the coast. We kept waffling between the Dingle Peninsula and the Ring of Kerry, but ultimately opted for Dingle since it had a shorter drive time but would still give us some spectacular views. The drive can take anywhere from 4 to 6 hours, depending on how many stops you make, compared to the Ring of Kerry taking 5 to 8 hours. We figured we could do a few more castle hops with the hours we were saving on the drive alone. I was already enchanted by the most Irish looking setup I saw once we got started our journey.

The Dingle Peninsula, Ireland

I don't know if this guy is set up here all the time selling his Irish knick knacks, but I thought it was delightful to see.

The Dingle Peninsula, Ireland

You should know that driving The Dingle Peninsula is done on a clockwise loop that will take you down narrow, windy, one lane roads, so if you aren't comfortable with driving on the left hand side of the road, sometimes wedged in tiny spaces when you have to allow another motorist space to pass, you may want to consider taking one of the tour buses through the peninsula instead.

Dingle PeninsulaDingle Peninsula

While you won't experience it often on the loop, traffic jams to occur. We had about a 15 minute wait while cars tried to get through this one lane section. It was such a tight squeeze, even the biker had to pull to the side of the road to wait it out. It may seem a bit congested when you first start, but once you get on your merry way, traffic will start to break up as motorists pull off the road to enjoy the scenery. There are some amazing beaches on the Wild Atlantic Way that are perfect for a rest stop. I believe some of the beaches even offer surf lessons if you plan on staying awhile.

The Dingle Peninsula, Ireland

What draws me most to Ireland are all of its amazing cliffs. Some are big (like the stunning Cliffs of Moher) and some are a bit smaller, but they are all magical in their own right.

The Dingle Peninsula, Ireland

I couldn't resist a short climb down this cliff to get a closer look at the water. This was after I tripped and busted my knee and pants open on the road above because I was admiring the view so much I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. Those views can be dangerous, folks LOL.

Dingle Peninsula

I am a beach girl at heart, so when we saw this unoccupied little slice of heaven, I had to pull off the road to spend some time with my feet going through the surf and sand. The rocks were moss covered and slippery, but once I got past that and the freezing cold water, I felt like this could be one of the most peaceful places on earth.

Dingle Peninsula

Dingle Peninsula
 
It's a dream of mine to retire to a little sleepy beach town, but Dingle just felt like home. I would love to spend the rest of my days in a tiny Irish cottage overlooking the Atlantic.

Dingle Peninsula


Dingle Peninsula

I always imagined Ireland as a place where you'd find tons of free-roaming sheep. However, I didn't come across any until we drove through Dingle. Of course, you'll find a lot of red and blue painted sheep that are being farmed, but then at other times you might run into a wild sheep, like this little guy chasing a butterfly.

Dingle Peninsula

You'll get both scenic ocean and country views during your drive through the Dingle Peninsula. There are plenty of old structures to explore too.


Dingle Peninsula

If you get hungry or want to stop for some shopping, about halfway through the loop you come across this charming, colorful little village. One thing that I absolutely adore about Ireland's towns are the brightly painted buildings. While we didn't stop in this one, I did have Jason drive slowly through so I could really admire it from the window.


How fun are these Star Wars figures made out of old tires? We saw these sitting outside one of the shops in Dingle. So cute!


While we did not have time on this trip to drive the Ring of Kerry, I do hear that it is just as lovely as Dingle. However, if you are short on time, or even have an extra day to fill, I would highly recommend driving the loop of the Dingle Peninsula. Out of all of my travels, it has been by far one of my favorite places to visit. You simply will not regret putting it on your itinerary!




Do you prefer ocean or country views?






25 comments:

  1. Country views, water scares me. Poor donkey, I'd make that man pull the cart himself uphill, cannot stand people who use animals like that. Lovely pictures, especially the ones with you and the one with the goat.

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    1. There's a photo on Facebook of a massive wave in the distance and a little Irish cottage close by that sends me into a little panic. Not enough to deter me from ever moving there, mind you, but it is a little worrisome.

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  2. That is a neat way to reuse tires. The town is so colorful indeed. lol sometimes one should look down before looking out, can save a busted knee. Such views are grand indeed though. I go down so many friggin one-way roads with two-way traffic that I don't even blink at them any more. After you've backed up 3 km down a road, things aren't so bad, except if said road is full of snow. Then I'm turning around.

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    1. Sounds like you are the master driver. I can't even drive well on our fat roads, I wouldn't even attempt driving in Ireland. Thankfully, Jason isn't a chicken like me and took the wheel for the whole trip.

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  3. I love both, ocean and coutry views, what a lovely place!

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  4. I need to visit Ireland. 💟💟💟

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    1. You won't regret it! There's simply no place like it.

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  5. That's absolutely beautiful. I like the beach but I like the mountains even more. Not too big on the countryside.

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    1. I love the mountains too, though we didn't really get into them in Ireland. On our next trip though, definitely!

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  6. I like a mixture of views. Too hard to pick.

    I love the guy's set up, you by the rocks off the Atlantic, the curvy road with wild flowers, and that small goat you spotted.

    Did you know goats are being used in CA, to eat up a lot of the dead stuff that was burnt up? I guess many people are giving the goats names. A great idea.

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    1. I love that they are bringing in goats to help with cleaning up and scaling back the brush. I wish they would have thought of that sooner, before all of those fires broke out last year.

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  7. What a beautiful place, Theresa! I enjoyed the pictures, especially the ones of you by the water. Thanks for sharing!

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  8. Wow all such scenic views! I love going on road trips.. I prefer coastal roads as the air seems cooler and fresher plus I love seeing the vast blue sea. Recently purchased a kayak and can't wait to go out to sea more once our monsoon season passes.

    Ai @ Sakura Haruka

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    1. Oooh, we love kayaking too. I am sure your waters are much more fun to kayak over my dirty river and small ponds.

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  9. How gorgeous!! I never even though of Ireland as a place to visit until you began sharing your journey. The country has now made its way onto my bucket list. :) This may be a silly question, but isn't the beach water cold? I see lots of bodies enjoying the water in your picture. The most "enchanting Irish looking set up" made me giggle, probably b/c it's so accurate.

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    1. I hope you do go, Jax. We were just talking about retiring there in a few years. The beach water is freezing, but you quickly get used to it.

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  10. What absolutely wonderful and beauty pictures Theresa!! I love both, love beach and country too!!
    hugs !

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  11. I can see why you left your heart here...I would do the same! Such a stunning city and I love all the colors! Happy new year, Theresaaaa

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  12. I like country and ocean views. What I don't like are those narrow, scary roads. Well, it's not the roads...I'd be fine if there weren't other cars on them. ;) My son encountered roads like this in Greece too. Your pictures are gorgeous as usual. Sorry to hear about your knee, but the photo was worth the pain, eh? :)

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    1. Looks like Jason will be driving in Greece too, then LOL. The busted knee was totally worth it. Thankfully, it was chilly there while we were visiting so I could wear pants the whole time to cover up the nasty gash and bruises.

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  13. Such pretty scenery! And, I gotta say, I like the creativity of the Star Wars characters made out of tires.

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Thanks for your comments! I appreciate every one of them :) Except promotional posts with added links. Those will be deleted.

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