Ireland Day 3

We were torn between going to the Ring of Kerry or to the Dingle Peninsula, and everything we read said they were both beautiful but that Dingle had less traffic and less people. That was the deciding factor for us, and we were not disappointed with Dingle. It was such a nice day and there were plenty of other people, but it really wasn't too crowded. It was absolutely gorgeous and had so many different landscapes. There were green fields, beaches, cliffs, valleys, and waterfalls! We went to a couple beaches, saw some ancient ring forts and beehive huts, went to an Irish bank, did a short hike, and enjoyed every second of it!

Inch Beach

This was a long flat beach, but it was still beautiful.

There weren't a lot of shells, but there were some.  However, we saw quite a few jellyfish.

They actually teach surfing lessons at this beach.  I was shocked because the waves seemed pretty tiny, and the water was freezing!!

Those houses probably have some amazing views!

I'm not sure what I expected about beaches in Ireland, but it seemed like a pretty 'normal' beach which surprised me.

Dunbeg Fort

These ring forts are on the cliff side and were used defensive structures, homes, and possibly an amphitheater.  Some of the structures fell off the cliff during a storm in 2014, but the way they laid the stone was still pretty impressive. 

They were blocked off after the storm.

They think this one had a thatched roof which is why it is no longer attached.

On the left of the picture you can see where the storm took off part of the structure.

The view from the fort.

The water was such a deep blue color especially against the gray stone.

A waterfall on the other side of the fort going into the ocean.

The far piece of land in the picture is the Ring of Kerry.

Beehive Huts

Not far from the forts were primitive ancient Irish dwellings where families would live.  They were constructed without any mortar and have maintained their shape very well. 

Coumeenoole beach

We turned a corner and all of a sudden this beach came into view, and it was gorgeous!  We knew we had to stop!  The water was freezing, but people were still in the water!  It was slightly difficult to get to this beach, but completely worth changing in the car and taking a little climb.

It looked like a lot of people were there, but it really didn't seem too crowded once we made it down to the beach.  We also got an amazing parking spot that was easy to pull in and out of which was a small miracle.

All the blues of the water.  That's also the hill we hiked.

I don't even want to know how those people got out!

He was too scared of the cold water to get wet, but he got close to it!

These waves don't seem big in the pictures, but there were pretty big waves.  We saw a couple kids completely wiped out!  

Big splashes against the rocky shore.

I loved all the different colors of the water.

Most people were wearing wet suits, but some were crazy enough to get in without one.

The rocky shore line.

The stone at the top of the hill we hiked.

View from the top of the hill.

Relaxing on the beach.  As long as the sun was out it was fairly comfortable in swimsuits, but the clouds made it slightly chilly at times.

Some of the different islands off the coast.

Braving the cold water for a pretty picture.

The beach from the other side.

Some islands from the top of the hill.

2

Random waterfall off the road.

2 little lakes in a valley on the drive.

Another lake in the valley.

The north side of Dingle.

Green fields throughout the peninsula. 

We were trying to test out the panorama features on our phones.

The two lane roads on Dingle.  It was a tight squeeze when any car came the other way, especially big trucks.

Kenney had some yummy pancakes at this B&B.  The pancakes I ordered 2 days previous look and tasted like crapes so I'm not quite sure what Irish pancakes are supposed to be like, however both were good!

This is a short video of the grounds around the the B&B we stayed in. I love how pretty all of these gardens and yards around Ireland are. Everyone seemed to take care of their homes.