Kerry Cliffs

What makes it special

The cliffs stand over 1,000 feet above the Atlantic, and the viewing platforms put you right at the top of them. From the fence you look down the length of the face to the water at its foot.

Look closely at the rock itself. It formed in a desert 400 million years ago, and the layers laid down over that time show clearly in the face, band upon band. Its colour changes with the light and with the seasons.

Of the islands offshore, Puffin Island is a nature reserve, known for its large colonies of breeding seabirds. Keep an eye on the cliff ledges below the platforms as well, where seabirds gather on the face.

Visiting

Leave the car in the large car park at the entrance and buy a ticket at the small booth between the car park and the cliffs. From there a wide, clearly marked path of steep gravel climbs to the top of the cliffs.

At the top, fenced viewing platforms line the edge of the cliffs. One faces the open Atlantic and the Skelligs, and another looks back over the Iveragh Peninsula, so walk between them to see both directions.

When you are done, walk back down to the car park. The café there serves coffee and food, and there are toilets beside it.

Tips

Pack a windproof jacket and a hat, since the wind on the cliff top is strong. The site welcomes picnics, so you can bring lunch up with you instead of using the café.

The cliffs sit about a minute's drive from Coomanaspig Pass on the Skellig Ring. Fit the visit into a drive round the loop, with an hour set aside for the cliffs.