People search for holiday homes in Dingle and most of them mean the town: the harbour, the pubs, the restaurants, the road out to Slea Head. Our homes are not in the town. They are on the north side of the same peninsula, around Castlegregory, Cloghane and Camp, plus one in Fenit and one in Listowel. From the peninsula homes Dingle is between about 30 and 60 minutes by car.
What Dingle town gives you
Dingle is the largest town on the peninsula, known for its pubs, seafood restaurants and traditional music in the evenings. The marina is the working harbour where the boat trips leave from, and Oceanworld is the aquarium for a wet afternoon. The Slea Head Drive loop runs west from the town past cliffs, beehive huts and views of the Blasket Islands. Our Dingle town guide has the detail.
We have no holiday homes in the town. If walking to a different pub or restaurant every evening is the point of the holiday, then Dingle town is the right base, and we have no homes there.
What the north side gives you
The north side faces Brandon Bay and Tralee Bay, with the mountains behind. Brandon Bay has about 12 km of sand with steady surf, and lessons and board hire for all levels. Castlegregory Beach is a sandy beach near the village, with dunes and views across Tralee Bay towards the Slieve Mish Mountains.
The Maharees run out between the two bays. The Tralee Bay side is calmer and suits swimming, kayaking and paddleboarding, and Maharabeg, one of the beaches there, is on the Kerry County Council list of Blue Flag beaches. Keep to the paths through the dunes, which are home to the natterjack toad.
Mount Brandon rises above Cloghane, about ten minutes from our homes there. Camp sits at the Tralee end of the peninsula, and Derrymore Strand on Tralee Bay is about five minutes from our Camp cottages by car. From the Camp cottages the nearest beach, Derrymore Strand, is about five minutes by car; from Castlegregory the beach is a walk from the village.
This is where our homes are: holiday homes in Castlegregory and the Maharees, holiday homes in Cloghane under the mountain, and holiday homes in Camp. All of them together are on the Dingle Peninsula page.
The road between the two
From Castlegregory and Cloghane the short way to Dingle is the Conor Pass, Ireland's highest drivable mountain pass, 7 km of narrow road between Dingle town and the north side. There is a car park near the top by the waterfall, and Pedlar's Lake is a ten minute scramble above it.
The pass is not suited to large vehicles. The longer way runs on the N86 through Camp and Annascaul, and that is the road to take with a campervan or other large vehicle. From Camp the N86 is the natural route either way.
How long the drive is from each home
| Home | Village | To Dingle town | To Tralee |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Old Post Cottage | Camp | about 31 min | about 16 min |
| Slate Cottage | Camp | about 33 min | about 16 min |
| East Bay House Aughacasla | Castlegregory | about 35 min | about 21 min |
| West Bay House Aughacasla | Castlegregory | about 35 min | about 21 min |
| Woodside House | Castlegregory | about 36 min | about 22 min |
| Inchaloughra Lodge | Cloghane | about 40 min | about 25 min |
| Bedrock House | Castlegregory | about 42 min | about 27 min |
| Lough Gill Lake House | Castlegregory | about 42 min | about 28 min |
| Elfin House | Castlegregory | about 49 min | about 34 min |
| The Swallow | Castlegregory | about 52 min | about 37 min |
| An Teach Beag | Cloghane | about 54 min | about 40 min |
| The Old Schoolhouse | Cloghane | about 55 min | about 40 min |
| The Lighthouse, Fenit | Fenit | about 57 min | about 18 min |
| Brandon Bay View | Cloghane | about 59 min | about 44 min |
| Loch Cruite Cottage | Cloghane | about 60 min | about 46 min |
| 59 William Street | Listowel | about 71 min | about 27 min |
Times are car routes in fair weather and run longer in summer traffic. The Lighthouse in Fenit and 59 William Street in Listowel are off the peninsula, closer to Tralee than to Dingle, so they suit a trip that takes in more of Kerry.
Who should stay where
Stay on the north side if the children want a beach every day, if someone in the group surfs, or if you plan to walk Mount Brandon or a stage of the Dingle Way. The evenings are quiet. Pick a home in Camp if Dingle is the main reason for the trip: it is the closest we have, with Tralee about a quarter of an hour the other way.
Stay in Dingle town if the holiday is about restaurants and pubs within walking distance and you would rather not drive after dinner. A week on the north side with one or two evenings in Dingle works well.
FAQ
Do you have holiday homes in Dingle town?
No. The closest are our two cottages in Camp, The Old Post Cottage and Slate Cottage, about 31 and 33 minutes from Dingle by car. Our other homes are in Castlegregory and Cloghane on the north side of the peninsula, in Fenit and in Listowel.
How long is the drive from Castlegregory to Dingle?
Between about 35 and 52 minutes depending on the home, over the Conor Pass or through Camp and Annascaul. The table above gives the time from each house.
Can we do Slea Head Drive in a day from your homes?
Yes. The loop starts in Dingle town, which is 31 to 60 minutes from the peninsula homes by the table above, so allow a full day with stops.
Is the Conor Pass suitable for a campervan or a large car?
No. The road is narrow, and large vehicles should take the N86 through Camp and Annascaul instead.
