Slea Head, Carrignaparka Beach and Clogher Head

Off from Dingle town for a tour of the Dingle peninsula headland. The drive around Ventry Harbour is very picturesque, especially with dark cloud looming, pierced by shafts of sunlight creating pools on the surface of the Bay. As you approach Slea Head the coastline gets more dramatic, and the Blasket Islands peel around the end, stretching out into the Atlantic. This is as far west as you can get and keep your feet dry before you get to America.

The pièce de résistance is the beach at Carrignaparka, a jewel of golden sand sparkling amongst the ragged black rocks of the headland. It quite literally cannot get any better. The sun was struggling to put in an appearance, but managed it in short bursts, lighting up the gently breaking waves. According to one online resource, you can wildcamp here, but I wouldn’t bother. Even if you choose to negotiate the steep road down to the slipway, you’d find it impossible to get parked remotely level. Ok if you like sleeping against the wall of your van, or holding onto the mattress with your finger tips, but not much fun.

We headed on little further and stopped for a quick romp out onto Clogher Head for a view of the Blaskets stretching into the distance, looking for all intents and purposes like the end of the world. Turn around, and there in the bay, a cute little patch of golden beach, with a handy carpark right next to it. And so that was out stop for the night. We had a quick walk on the beach, admired the rocks, and watched a sea lion bobbing about in the shallow, looking like he was sleeping off his tea. It wasn’t long before we were doing the same.

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