The rugged Dingle Peninsula, a photo essay

Roadtripping in Ireland was a life-long dream. For some reason (perhaps because half my family has bright ginger hair, perhaps because we are quite the elbow-benders), I was always drawn to the Emerald Island, and what better way to discover it than with a car, I thought.

Well there happens to be a better way. By tour bus. There is quite nothing like being driven around this beautiful part of the world by an always knowledgeable and more often than not cheeky local, who is more than happy to share the many myths and legends of the area.

The drive between Killarney and Galway – otherwise known as the Dingle Peninsula – is indeed quite spectacular. Think raw, untouched nature, constantly fighting against the wild Atlantic Ocean to form this unique, dramatic coastline. I’d never seen anything like it before, and I think it’s fair to say that it’s amongst the most beautiful roadtrips of the world.

So without further ado, here are my best photos of the Dingle Peninsula.

To be honest, the day started out pretty bad. After being on the road for about two hours, and having already a few dozen photos on my camera, I realized that I had been shooting in ISO 6400. In broad daylight. That’s very bad news for a travel blogger. So a huge part of my photos from that day are extremely grainy, and flatly colored. Hur-fucking-ray! At least I fixed this before it was too late…

Coumeennole Beach! This was probably the coldest water I’ve put my feet in. But you know what? It felt amazing nonetheless. Slightly invigorating for the body (as in, my feet had a weird blueish hue and my heart was beating fast), but incredibly powerful for the soul – I’ve ever so rarely dipped my toes in the sea that each time is precious to me.

Even the freezing ones.

And then we stopped in Dingle for lunch. What a lovely village! I loved how colorful it was, and so full of life for such a small place. The locals were amongst the friendliest I’ve met in Ireland.

But perhaps my overall appreciation is clouded by my weak point for ice cream. I have very little willpower when it comes to ice cream.

This is Dunmore Head, one of the most striking sights of the Dingle Peninsula. It’s on top of a small mountain, silent and peaceful. It’s also the westernmost point of Ireland.

Or, in other words, the closest I’ll be to Canada while physically standing in Ireland.

Disclaimer: I was a guest of Shamrocker Tours on this trip. As always, all opinions are my own.

Have you been to the Dingle Peninsula? Or the Western coast of Ireland? What was your favorite stop?

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