WALKING
Beara is renowned for having one of the most spectacular and
well laid out set of walking routes nationally. The "Beara
Way" offers amazing hill walking, criss-crossing the Beara
Peninsula. This route is a couple of hundred meters from
Goldwater Holiday Cottages.
Goldwater provides the ideal location
for hill walking. We have four specific walks on quiet
mountain sides, ranging from 6 to 12km in length
organised for you. Three of these walks leave from
Goldwater, and offer beautiful hill views of Bantry Bay
and Bere-island and over the vast atlantic Ocean. These
routes follow known mapped and marked routes.
Walk 1: (10 km Goldwater to Base of
Hungry Hill)
Depart Goldwater and walk east along the
hill of Mailin, and Hungry Hill. We can organise transport
for you to be picked up at the end of this walk. Visit the
magalitic and wedge graves on the route.
Walk 2 (6km Loop walk Goldwater via
Hills returns)
This loop walk begins and ends at Goldwater. Beautiful walk
via the hills on marked walks all around Castletownbere. Many
architectural features on the way.
Walk 3 (12km Goldwater to Bere-island
return)
This is indeed a unique walk. Walk 1km
to the ferry. Cross to Bere-island for 20 mins, then walk the
loop around Bere-Island. This is a very historic island.
Being a British naval base until recently.This strategic
island played a role in history’s major wards. There are many
artefacts, watch out towers, guns, training camps, military
houses, light houses, old signal towers, as well as ancient
megalithic and wedge tombs. Return to Goldwater via the
ferry. Delightful walk.
Walk 4: (9km Dursey Island)
Exhilerating experience, walk through
time as this enthralling walk takes you to where time began,
on the western tip of Dursey Island, A bus/taxi can be got
from Goldwater, then take the cable car for a half km over the
sea to the island, and walk the marked loop walk. Now a
national heritage area, and renowned for bird watching, the
derelict cottages and huts, are testimony of a different era.
The written word cannot describe adequately this walk. Your
map of the walk will also contain the history of the island. A
must walk.
CYCLING
Beara is the ideal location for some
cycling during your holiday. Bicycles can be hired locally.
We can provide you at Goldwater with a special cycling map,
giving details of the routes, distance and on route
information. There is no start or finish to the Beara cycling
route, which is a 138 km long, and this gives the cyclist the
opportunity to pick his or her own routes. The routes are
based mainly on quieter country roads, which take you closer
to the scenery. The routes are sign-posted with a special
logo and bicycle symbol. This is a beautiful way to discover
the undiscovered, hidden corners of the majestic Beara
Penninsula.
BEACHES
There is a beautiful shingle beach just a couple hundred
meters through the fields from Goldwater Holiday Cottages.
There are other beaches, as well as the famous Ballydonegan
Beach near Allihies
Drive the amazing Healy Pass and the ring of
Beara. Stop off at Dursey sound and take the spectacular trip
by cable car to Dursey Island.
For the Archaeologically minded, there are
many sites to visit. Ogham stones, stone circles, forts etc.
Place's of Interest and other pursuits
Trout fishing at Glenbeg near Ardgroom and Derryvegal lakes,
visit the highest waterfall in Ireland near Hungry Hill,
Adrigole.
Take a trip to Bere Island and see its ancient Military bases.
Visit Dunboy Castle (the home of O'Sullivan Bere).
Beara also boasts two famous gardens, The Italian Gardens on
Garnish Island, Glengarriff and Dereen Tropical Gardens in
Lauragh.
MEDITATION
Dzogchen Beara is a world famous Tibetan Buddhist retreat
centre. Visitors are always welcome to visit the centre. It is
located high on the cliff tops and affords spectacular views
of the Atlantic....well worth a visit!!!
ART GALLERIES
Beara is the home of the worlds finest Artists. This is
because they find peace and tranquillity of the area
inspirational. Many of these Artists welcome visitors into
their homes/Galleries
