Beara Peninsula and Mizen Head Private Tour from Cork

Heading towards north Cork and not far from the town of Macroom we veer off the main road into the heart of the Lee Valley, our first stop is Gougane Barra national park. Gougane Barra was Ireland’s first national park when it opened to the public in 1966. This contributes greatly to the reputation which Gougane Barra has as an area of wild and beautiful scenery. The magnificent forest park covers an area of over 400 hectares (1,000 acres). The River Lee rises here in Gougane Barra and flows through beautiful scenery to reach Cork Harbour after a distance of approximately 50 kilometres. There is a tiny island in the lake at Gougane Barra connected to the shore by a causeway. It was here that St. Finbarr, patron saint of Cork, founded his early Christian monastery. He later moved down the River Lee to establish a monastery at what is now St. Finbarr’s Cathedral in Cork City. There is a small church on the island in this beautiful and serene location away from the hustle & bustle of daily life.
From here we head for Glengarriff, this has been a famous holiday destination since the 1700’s and boomed in the Victorian times as an important stop along the ‘Prince of Wales Route’. Today Glengarriff attracts visitors from all over the world. The population of Glengarriff is just 800 people and it expands significantly in size during the summer months. Glengarriff with its unrivalled beauty and its peace and tranquillity, invites you to sit back, relax and take in the very special ambience of the place.
From here we head to Bantry a fishing port and busy town in west Cork which takes advantage of the Gulf Stream that plays a significant part in its mild climate. With its abundance of tropical shrubs Bantry has a very unusual appearance as opposed to the typical Irish scenery.
On then to the Mizen Head visitor centre nestled high up in the Cliff face with some of the most beautiful scenery Ireland has to offer. With the Atlantic Ocean at your side, we can visit ‘Teardrop’ point the last sight the Irish emigrants would have seen sailing to America. Then we would call to Clonakilty on the way back, a colourful town in west Cork and the birth place of Michael Collins, there is a museum in the town celebrating Michael’s life. It’s a busy day that takes in a bit of everything and all that is great about Ireland.