Highly recommend when in Killarney. We walked from our hotel to the Park and made a day of it…read more Entrance is free! Many paved and unpaved trails to follow. Park was lush and green and surrounded 3 lakes. We hiked to MuckRoss house (didn't take the paid tour), the Abbey, and Torc Waterfall. Lots of history. Torc waterfall was quite a distance away, you'll pass a botanical garden that is gorgeous. Upon arrival to Torc, you'll have access to a variety of either strenuous, moderate, or mild hikes. We chose the tourist route for pics and easy access to the waterfall. A decent size waterfall and worth the trek. Lots of tourist buses park here. Many horse carriage rides available in the park. Not a supporter of that business. But, you'll see beautiful cows grazing the pastures near the MuckRoss house . All in all , we hiked approximately 10 + miles that day! Always be prepared for a little bit of rain and wind. Bring water or a picnic lunch : )

I absolutely recommend coming here if you're ever in Ireland. There is no entrance fee. We saw the…read moreTorc waterfall and it was beautiful. There's much more to see but to be transparent we didn't go to them all. Absolutely gorgeous. A definite MUST!

Ladies' View is a scenic viewpoint in Killarney National Park, that was named after Queen…read moreVictoria's ladies-in-waiting, who were so impressed by the vista during an 1861 visit, that the spot was named in their honor. Our tour group made a relatively short stop here to take in the stunning scenery. There was a little bit of everything to behold.

A very famous stop in Killarney National Park the famous Ladies view. This is a small little pit…read morestop w/ stunning views, it's basically a lookout view of the lakes with great photo ops.

Awesome! Lady Bantry's Lookout is a hiking trail in the nature reserve and was incredible. Although…read moreit doesn't look like much at first, I highly, highly suggest making the stop. The hike up to the lookout is fairly strenuous and steep and probably not suitable for the elderly and families with small children. If you have the opportunity, definitely make the time to have a look!

KNOCKOMAGH WOOD Knockomagh means crooked hill and there is…read morecertainly a crooked path to the top. When you get there you are rewarded with a view of Lough Hyne and an even better one of the West Cork coast. It is a stiff enough walk up and a walking stick won't go astray. We went up the zig-zag path at the weekend. Total length is about 2 km but there is an opportunity to shorten the walk and avoid some of the steepest climbing by taking the northern loop. The Skibbereen heritage centre has a booklet on the trail and I would recommend that you get your hands on it before you go. There are Sessile Oaks, the ruins of a cottage, a bluebell glade (in season), the fallen beech (growing again) and other sights to see as you progress. There are also a couple of stops that give good views over Lough Hyne but to get the best view of all you have to get to the top. Well worth it. Young or old, you have to be careful here as there are some steep drops. If you are reasonably fit, have the right shoes, a walking stick and a bottle of water, you'll have no problem at all. And the views are really worth it.

LOUGH HYNE Revisited Lough Hyne, after a gap of quite a few…read moreyears, during a recent trip to the Skibbereen area. The lake, south west of the town, is Ireland's first Marine Nature reserve. It is an essentially a sea lake, fed through a narrow channel from the nearby sea, and they say that makes it unique in Northern Europe. It is a pleasant place to walk around, there are some ruins to view and sea kayaking also takes place on the lake. Essentially though this is a place for the scientists. It is a marine biologist's paradise and its varied fauna and flora provide ongoing study for university researchers. For the amateur, your best bet is to start with a visit to the Skibbereen heritage centre (in the town) which has a 15 minute explanatory video (very interesting) and an information display on the lake.

The gardens are absolutely beautiful and so nicely maintained. There are trails everywhere and so…read moremuch to see and so many gorgeous views. Take the ferry to this island and you will not be disappointed. The ferry ride is also part of the wonderful adventure, keeping in mind that it's not always the 'destination' as the 'journey' can be equally amazing. (You'll encounter a seal colony on the way!) The Italian Gardens were memorable and we wandered around there the longest; however, the entire island with it's beautiful walks and plant life is gorgeous. This is a great spot for an afternoon outing! Note: Discounts for families of four!

One of the best little islands and gardens to visit on the wild atlantic way.its probably not the…read morebest in the world.but it is unique to have Italian style garden on a small island on the atlantic