Experience the best of Kenmare

Kenmare sits at the head of Kenmare Bay in south-west Ireland, with the mountains of the Beara and Iveragh peninsulas on either side. The town was laid out as a planned settlement in the eighteenth century, and its colourful main streets are lined with shops, pubs and restaurants. A Bronze Age stone circle stands on the edge of the town, and Kenmare lace, first made by nuns in the nineteenth century, is recalled in a heritage centre.

Kenmare lies on the Ring of Kerry route and is a natural starting point for the Ring of Beara, while the Healy Pass crosses the Caha Mountains to the south-west. Killarney National Park, with the viewpoint called Ladies View, lies to the north-east. Sneem and Derrynane are along the Kerry coast, and Skellig Michael rises from the sea off the tip of the Iveragh peninsula.

Seafood is the town's strength, from mussels and crab to salmon, and Kerry lamb is a regular on menus. Pubs pour stout to the sound of traditional music. The climate is mild and damp, and late spring and early summer are lovely, with the mountains green and the days long.