Things to Do

There are lots of interesting and exciting things to do in Bantry while you are with us.  Below is just a small list of different places and activities you can enjoy during your stay in Bantry. And you can explore your options further at Discover Ireland.

Around Bantry

Bantry Heritage Walks

Bantry Heritage WalksBantry has a series of way-marked walks set up by Bantry Tidy towns group in 2010. The aim is to take walkers on a tour of many of the heritage points of interest in and around the town.  The walks vary from 2.5m to 5km plus, but they can be linked together to form a walk of more than 20km.

Most of the walks use pavements, paths and small roads so are suitable for all the family.  For the more adventurous there is the possibility of striking out across the peak of Knocknaveagh, which provides stunning views over the town and bay.  The walks are complemented by a series of interpretative boards erected by Bantry Tourism, Fáilte Ireland and Cork County Council.

Bantry Heritage Walks details are available here. A Bantry Heritage Walks guide is also available free of charge from Bantry Tourist Office.

Bantry House

Bantry House

Bantry House

Bantry House is the ancestral home of the Earls of Bantry, still lived in by their descendant Egerton & Brigitte Shelswell-White, and their family. Since 1946 the house containing its important collection of furniture, tapestries and objets d’art has been open to the public.

Boating and Sailing

Bantry Harbour Marina

We are delighted that the new Bantry Harbour Marina is now open for local and visiting boats to enjoy.

Bantry Bay Boat HireBantry Bay Boat Hire

Self-drive power boat hire, no experience required. Fancy exploring the beautiful Bantry Bay? Come and glide along the waters of the Wild Atlantic Way!

Carbery Sailing

Provides skippered Half-Day and Day sails on a luxury Hallberg-Rassy from Ahakista on the Sheep’s Head peninsula.

Cinema

Cinemax Bantry – 3-Screen Cinema

Golf

Bantry GolfBantry Bay Golf Club, 2km from Bantry on the N71 to Glengarriff is a demanding 18 hole course, designed by Christy O’Connor, Jnr. (Length 5910m. Par 71). Near-by is a Pitch & Putt Course. There are 3 more 18-hole courses within a 20 mile radius and 9-hole golf courses at Glengarriff & Castletownbere.

Whiddy Island & Whiddy Ferry

Whiddy Island FerryTruly an island paradise – Whiddy is a small haven of peace and tranquillity.

A small island, approximately 3 miles long x 1.5 miles wide & nestling in the sheltered heart of Bantry Bay, off the coast of West Cork, Ireland.

Beyond Bantry

Archaelogical Sites

The Bantry Bay area is rich in sites of historical and archeological interest, from wedge tombs, which are thousands of years old, to those of more recet origin. The area is dotted with stone circles, alignments and galluns. Kilnaruane Pillar Stone, Kealkil Stone Circle, Breenymore Megalithes and Ahakista Stone Circle are among those nearest to Bantry. Leaflets and maps are available at Bantry Tourist Information Office or Bookstores.

Hill Walking

Sheeps Head WayThere are 2 Walks recognised by the National Waymarked Ways Committee in the Bantry area, namely Sheep’s Head Way and Beara Way. The Sheep’s Head Way is an 88km route which circles the whole of the Sheep’s Head from Bantry to Sheep’s Head at the end of the peninsula and back through Kilcrohane, Ahakista and Durrus.

The guide book and map of the Sheep’s Head Way is available at the Tourist Office and local shops. The Beara Way is about 165km stretching from Kenmare to Glengarriff, west to Dursey and back to Kenmare on the north side of the peninsula. There are numerous loops for those who just want a short circular walk in scenic surroundings.

The Sheep’s Head Way

Sheeps Head

Sheeps Head

Visit The Sheep’s Head Way on Ireland’s Atlantic coastline and you’ll find an unspoilt natural landscape so beautiful it’s been recognised as a European Destination of Excellence: a kind of modern Eden.

 

West Cork Garden Trail

The West Cork Garden Trail has welcomed thousands of visitors to some of the most beautiful gardens in Ireland since 1994.

West Cork Heritage

Wild Atlantic Way

The Wild Atlantic Way is Ireland’s first long-distance touring route, stretching along the Atlantic coast from Donegal to West Cork. Bantry is situated in a key position along the southerly end of this route.

Sample Itineraries

Click on the images to download pdfs of sample itineraries.