Some 3km northwest of Cahersiveen, two extraordinary stone ring forts situated 600m apart are reached from a shared parking area. Cahergal, the larger and more impressive, dates from the 10th century and has stairways on the inside walls, a clochán (circular stone building, shaped like an old-fashioned beehive), and the remains of a roundhouse. The smaller, 9th-century Leacanabuile contains the outlines of four houses. Both have a commanding position overlooking Ballycarbery Castle and Valentia Harbour, with superb views of the Kerry mountains.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
17.37 MILES
The jagged, 217m-high rock of Skellig Michael (Michael's Rock; like St Michael's Mount in Cornwall and Mont St Michel in Normandy) is the larger of the…
8.33 MILES
Opened in 1837 as a hunting lodge, this magnificent estate sprawls over 17 hectares incorporating a waterfall, beach and six different gardens, ranging…
Derrynane National Historic Park
14.48 MILES
Derrynane House was the home of Maurice 'Hunting Cap' O'Connell, a notorious local smuggler who grew rich on trade with France and Spain. He was the uncle…
15.48 MILES
Gallarus Oratory is one of Ireland's most beautiful ancient buildings, its smoothly constructed dry-stone walls in the shape of an upturned boat. It has…
16.17 MILES
The Dingle Peninsula's most important Christian site, Kilmalkedar has a beautiful setting with sweeping views over Smerwick Harbour. Built in the 12th…
22.36 MILES
Macgillycuddy's Reeks is Ireland's highest mountain range, and towering Carrauntoohil is the country's highest summit, at 1040m. There are several routes…
26.71 MILES
The Gap of Dunloe is a scenic valley squeezed between Purple Mountain and the eastern summits of MacGillicuddy's Reeks. In summer it can be a bottleneck…
14.92 MILES
The Blasket Islands (Na Blascaodaí), 5km offshore, are the most westerly part of Ireland. At 6km by 1.2km, Great Blasket (An Blascaod Mór) is the largest…
Nearby Ring of Kerry attractions
0.45 MILES
The atmospheric – and decidedly dangerous-looking – ivy-strangled remains of 16th-century Ballycarbery Castle stand amid green pastures 3km northwest of…
2. Old Barracks Heritage Centre
1.64 MILES
Established in response to the Fenian Rising of 1867, the Royal Irish Constabulary barracks at Cahersiveen were built in an eccentric Bavarian-Schloss…
2.45 MILES
At the bridge across the Carhan River on the eastern edge of town, a neat little memorial park remembers Daniel O'Connell (1775–1847), 'the Great…
4. Valentia Island Heritage Centre
2.51 MILES
Inside the old school on the road towards Geokaun Mountain, this intriguing local museum has a treasure trove of artefacts that tell the tale of the…
3.24 MILES
Built as a linen mill in the 1770s, this estate was transformed from 1808 when its owner established its 16-hectare gardens with exotic plants from around…
3.88 MILES
This string of small depressions in an exposed sandstone bedding surface next to the sea may not be as spectacular as dinosaur footprints, but these…
4.68 MILES
The local landowner has transformed the island's highest point, Geokaun (266m), into a network of easy walking trails and viewpoints, with a breathtaking…
6.43 MILES
Immediately across the bridge from Portmagee, this distinctive building with a turf-covered roof contains exhibitions on the life of the Skellig Michael…