Slea Head Drive

Slea Head is located at the western tip of the Dingle Peninsula and is easily accessible from Dingle town via the winding Slea Head Drive – a 30 kilometres long panoramic road. On the way there you pass some remarkable “Beehive Huts”, in which prehistoric settlers lived.

Shortly before Slea Head the road narrows appreciably and uncovers amazing views over the Atlantic, the nearby Blasket Islands and the rugged coast covered with luscious green. Slea Head itself invites you to walks along the beautiful sandy beach, the Counmeenoole Beach, or up to Dunmore Head. Atop the hill there is a handsome Ogham stone, which is standing a little crookedly in the wind. From here you can overlook the Blasket Sound and in good weather the Blasket Islands are within your grasp. Speaking of weather, depending on how this turns out, the waves are gently undulating, whereas other times one might think there is a fury raging around the rugged cliffs. It´s not hard to imagine for anyone who has ever experienced the last mentioned conditions, how two ships of the Spanish Armada, the Santa Maria de la Rosa and the San Juan, sank here in a storm in 1588.

Close by, in Dunquin, the visitor boats go to the Blasket Islands. Everyone who is interessted to learn in detail about life on the Blaskets or the great writers of the island, should not miss the versatilely presented exhibition in the Blasket Visitor Center in Dunquin. Continuing to Dingle, the Slea Head Drive passes by two notable landmarks: The early Christian chapel Gallarus Oratory at Ballyferriter and the ruins of the monastic site at Reask with its unique decorated cross-pillars.

By the way, even Hollywood couldn´t resist the magic of Slea Head and so the area became the setting of films like “Ryans´s Daughter” and “Far and Away”.

Slea Head Drive Location

The Slea Head Drive starts and ends in Dingle Town on the Dingle Peninsula.

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