A breathtaking walk round a rich source of historical sites
Use our official guide to the Beara Way Walking Route to plan your walking holiday to this hill walkers paradise. The Beara Way Walking Route is a walking circuit of the peninsula following side roads, boreens, bog roads and tracks, taking in all that is special about the place, including a variety of historical sites ranging from Ogham Stones to Wedge Graves, Stone Circles to ancient church sites. While there are a few stretches along the very edge of the Atlantic, one is never very far from the sea, even on the mountainous parts and the route includes a thrill unique to Beara - a spin over the sea in a tiny cable-car at Dursey Island.
The Beara Way has been re-routed from Glengarriff to Adrigole. Walkers should travel down the Castletownbere road for 500m take the first cross up to the right, head up this road for 1km and enter the state forest. Inside the state forest you will travel through the oak woods and you will also pass the big meadow. After 1km you will rejoin the Coomerkane road. You will stay on this road for 2km at this point you will head up a mountain track to a height of 500m. Caution to be taken on foggy days. This route is very well marked in the high ground with markers and stakes every 15m. At the top you will have views of Bantry Bay and the Caha Mountains. Walkers will descend down the south side of Glenlough valley following a farmers fence of sheep wire for 1km and a half which will lead you on to a track and bring you down to the public road 800m from Mass Mount Cross.
At Mass Mount Cross you will turn right down the public road for 400m and following the line of the old Glengarriff/Adrigole road through farmers fields crossing the new bridge over the Adrigole River and ending up on the Healy Pass road 400 from Peg’s Shop. This new route has some breath taking views of Adrigole Harbour, Glenlough valley and many lakes which you pass on route. Mobile Coverage is very limited along the route with some coverage is available as your rise high over Coomerkane valley and south of Mass Mount Cross |
