Dingle Way: Wild Camping and Kayaking

TheBuck

Hi Guys,
My self and a friend were planning to do the Dingle way some week in April and we were wondering if anyone could recommend any good spots for both Camping wild and doing some Kayaking, we would be following the usual rules of Leave no trace and will be driving most of the way.
So would love to hear of any good spots to see along the way.

Many Thanks!

sheesh

Dingle harbour is quiet large and looks like an interesting place to have a noise around in a kayak quiet high sea cliffs just out side the harbour too.

I was exploring around Dun an oir last summer for places to fish looks interesting too it was originally the main port on the dingle peninsula so should be pretty safe the place is amazing in the morning.

Have a look at brandon creek too a small pier in quiet narrow inlet where St. Brendan is supposed to have sailed to america from more cliffs sea birds etc.

Stressica

This summer, well hopefully april may-ish im planning on camping on the blaskets with the family and the dogs

byhookorbycrook

Don't think you can bring dogs to the Great Blasket, as there are sheep grazing there and not sure the ferry would take them anyhow.
You can camp wild down the road to the beach from Páidí Sé's pub, in the dunes.
Likewise people can camp wild in the area above Wine strand.

byhookorbycrook

Dingle bay is used for kayaking because it is so sheltered. This year there seemed to be lots of people in kayaks out from the pier at Winestrand and the pier at Baile na nGall (Ballydavid.)They seemed to be with some kind of tour group though.

Stressica

I was told by the man on the boats that does the tour to the blaskets that I could bring the dogs with us as long as they were on leads. .

byhookorbycrook

I have seen people stopped, but if you can get the same guy, then go for it. It's a magical place when the boats go home and you have the whole place more or less to yourself. I presume you know the Trá Bhán beach isn't safe for swimming? Have you come across this app?
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mobanode.blaskets&hl=en

Stressica

Yeah Im hoping we didn't just get a nice man or something, i would be gutted, been planning it since last year (ran out of time to go last year) and no I didnt know about Tra Bhan??

TheBuck

Sounds like Dingle is a good spot for Kayaking then , what about Wild Camping? Ive heard that there are some beaches where its allowed? Any particular places anyone would recommend for an over night stay?

byhookorbycrook

TheBuck wrote: »

Sounds like Dingle is a good spot for Kayaking then , what about Wild Camping? Ive heard that there are some beaches where its allowed? Any particular places anyone would recommend for an over night stay?

Not allowed,per se, but not forbidden..
See post #4

The Trá Bhán on the Great Blasket claimed the life of one of An t-Oileánach's sons as he went to rescue his sister and a girl called Eilís Nic Niocail ,who came to the island to learn Irish.
Like Clogher and Com Úi Neoil, the Trá Bhán has very strong currents and all are very dangerous for swimming.

The Blasket sound is a dangerous stretch of water, hence the Armada ships that sank in the area. The boats are operated by locals who know the water like the back of their hands.

Stressica

Ah thanks for clarifying. Ill have to Google it because I'm not familiar with where exactly that is... just as well as I never knew though. . and when we were on the boat I had that places picked out for swimming when we were camping :O

actually while Im at it.. are their (relativity) safe places to swim around the Blasket?
The place I was looking at had seals bobbing around in .. the right side of the island and it looked like a beach area.. that sounds the same places you are referring to

byhookorbycrook

Yes, that's the Trá Bhán, it's to the right of the landing slip.
http://www.coastalhelicopterview.ie/imf5104/imf.jsp?site=Helicopter will give you the chance to see right around the coastline of the Blasket and around the mainland coastline too.

sheesh

not in dingle peninsula but near enough Barrow harbour is an enclosed inlet near fenit you could also probably wild camp in the grass of the sand spit that links fenit island to the mainland

https://maps.google.com/?ll=52.294307,-9.816628&spn=0.067088,0.209255&t=h&z=13

Also near fenit pier

lottpaul

Stressica wrote: »

actually while Im at it.. are their (relativity) safe places to swim around the Blasket?
The place I was looking at had seals bobbing around in .. the right side of the island and it looked like a beach area.. that sounds the same places you are referring to

There are no safe swimming places on the Blaskets or any of the mainland beaches near it - Coomenoole, Clogher etc. The safest places are Ventry Harbour and Smerwick near Ballydavid, but always check locally first. There can be huge tides at times and after the storms this winter there are new rockfalls, sandbanks etc. The best places of all for swimming are on the northern shores near Stradbally and Castlegregory or on the southern side at Inch. Glorious when the sea is suitable.

lottpaul

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Yes, that's the Trá Bhán, it's to the right of the landing slip.
http://www.coastalhelicopterview.ie/imf5104/imf.jsp?site=Helicopter will give you the chance to see right around the coastline of the Blasket and around the mainland coastline too.

Brilliant site. Thanks for the link.

byhookorbycrook

For swimming ,my choice is always Wine Strand, less exposed than Ventry ,but no car park, as such, no life guards or loos. Next choice would be the pier at the other end of Ventry beach , at Cuan. Though Ventry is Blue Flag, I always think the water is cloudy.