Walks and adventure sports in Cork

Munster

Cork has 187 waymarked trails on Sport Ireland's National Trails Register, covering about 4,566 kilometres in total across walking (172), cycling (12), canoeing/kayaking/paddling (3), horse sport (1).

Waymarked trails
187
Total distance
4,566 km
Longest
2300 km

Spots worth the trip

Named on our sport and activity guides.

Kinsale

Sailing

A sheltered harbour opening onto serious offshore water, and a long-standing base for cruising and race weeks.

West Cork

Coasteering

The inlets and islands around Baltimore and the Mizen give sheltered water when the open Atlantic is unworkable.

Farran Forest Park

Zip Lining & High Ropes

Riverside forest west of Cork city with a treetop course, and the main option for the south-west.

West Cork inlets

Stand-Up Paddleboarding

Sheltered sea water around Lough Hyne and the Baltimore inlets. Sea paddling without the exposure of the open coast.

Waymarked trails in Cork

The 25 longest of 187, from the National Trails Register.

EuroVelo 1 Ireland - Atlantic Coast Route

2300 km · 21700 m climb · Very Challenging · Linear

Starts at Newtowncunningham or Rosslare Harbour. Directions

Waymarked: blue text on white signs with bicycle symbol and eurovelo logo

Beara Way

241.8 km · 5245 m climb · Strenuous · Loop

Starts at Glengarriff. Directions

9 days · Waymarked: yellow arrow on black background

Sheep's Head Way

171.8 km · 2190 m climb · Strenuous · Loop

Starts at Bantry West, near Bantry. Directions

6 days · Waymarked: yellow arrow on black background

From 8th July, due to tree harvesting on the route of the Sheep's Head Way at Barnagowlanes, the section over Mullaghmesha has been temporarily re-routed via the Mealagh Valley Community Centre and Ards, re-joining the route at Kealkil, and the same route will be in place for those travelling in the opposite direction. Please follow the diversion signs. We are sorry for any inconvenience caused. ***No dogs are allowed on the Sheep's Head Way***

Beara Way Cycling Route

165.4 km · 1481 m climb · Very Challenging · Loop

Starts near Glengarriff. Directions

10 hours

Blackwater Way - Avondhu

126.2 km · 3690 m climb · Moderate · Linear

Starts at Clogheen. Directions

6 days · Waymarked: yellow arrow on black background

Ballyhoura Way

89 km · 1560 m climb · Moderate · Linear

Starts at St.Johns Bridge, 7km from Kanturk. Directions

4 days · Waymarked: yellow arrow on black background

Duhallow Way

73.9 km · 560 m climb · Strenuous · Linear

Starts at Clonkeen, near Rathmore. Directions

2 to 3 days · Waymarked: yellow arrow on black background

Please note: This trail is currently being upgraded at the Mushera section of the trail ( 52.011803, -8.993739, grid ref: W319 851) and the Paps section of the trail at the Clonkeen side (52.012440, -9.248627, grid ref: W144 853) , walkers can still pass through both sections but please take care. If you require any further information, please contact the Rural Recreation Officer in IRD on 029-60633 It is vitally important that dogs must not be brought on The Shrone/The Paps, Mustera and the Mount Leader Fields areas of this trail (from 52.05075, -9.06831 to 52.04670, -9.06163). Bringing dogs to these areas is putting the trail at risk of closure as landowners are concerned about the impact on their livestock. The ongoing presence of dogs will lead to the closure of the trail. To keep the hills open to walkers, it is imperative that landowners and their livestock are respected.

Sli Gaeltacht Mhuscrai

71.3 km · Strenuous · Linear

Starts at Kealkill. Directions

Waymarked: yellow arrow on black background

The Sheep's Head Looped Cycle

60.8 km · Challenging · Loop

Starts at Ballylickey. Directions

4 hours

Skibbereen Cycle Hub Loop 3

45.7 km · 313 m climb · Challenging · Loop

Starts at Skibbereen Post Office, near Skibbereen. Directions

3 hours · Waymarked: blue text on white background

Sheep's Head - St. Finbarr's Way (Drimoleague)

39.7 km · 400 m climb · Strenuous · Linear

Starts at Top of the Rock Pod Páirc and Walking Centre, Drimoleague, near Drimoleague. Directions

2 days · Waymarked: brown st. finbarr's way markers

Seven Heads Trail

31 km · Strenuous · Loop

Starts at Car park on R601 road at Timoleague Priory, near Timoleague. Directions

8 hours 50 minutes · Waymarked: red arrow

Beara Bridleway

30.1 km · Moderate · Linear

Starts at Car park at Clonglaskin, near Castletownbere. Directions

Skibbereen Cycle Hub Loop 1

25 km · 156 m climb · Challenging · Loop

Starts at Skibbereen Post Office, near Skibbereen. Directions

1 hour 30 minutes · Waymarked: blue text on white background

Skibbereen Cycle Hub Loop 2

23.9 km · 251 m climb · Challenging · Loop

Starts at Skibbereen Post Office, near Skibbereen. Directions

2 hours 20 minutes · Waymarked: blue text on white background

Grange Loop

21 km · Moderate · Loop

Starts at Car park on R601 road at Timoleague Friary, near Timoleague. Directions

5 hours 15 minutes · Waymarked: purple

Fastnet Trails - Skibbereen to Mizen Trail (Skibbereen to Kilcoe)

20 km · 140 m climb · Moderate · Linear

Starts at Heritage Centre, Skibbereen, near Skibbereen. Directions

4 hours · Waymarked: red arrow

Ballingeary Loops – Gougane Barra Loop

19 km · 162 m climb · Strenuous · Loop

Starts at Ballingeary Village, near Ballingeary. Directions

4 hours · Waymarked: pink

Fastnet Trails - Toormore-Barr an Bhealaigh Link Walk

18.6 km · 260 m climb · Easy · Linear

Starts at The Altar Church, Toormore, near Goleen. Directions

6 hours · Waymarked: navy blue

Allihies - Ballydonegan Loop

18.2 km · 700 m climb · Strenuous · Loop

Starts at Allihies Village, near Allihies. Directions

4 hours 30 minuites · Waymarked: purple arrow

Sheep's Head - Glanlough Loop

16.9 km · 270 m climb · Strenuous · Loop

Starts at Car park at Arundels Bar by Ahakisha pier, near Ahakista. Directions

5 hours · Waymarked: purple arrow on white background

Lusitania Loop

16 km · Moderate · Loop

Starts at Courtmacsherry Rowing Club, near Courtmacsherry. Directions

4 hours · Waymarked: blue

Kilbrittain Trails - Kiln Walk

14.5 km · 290 m climb · Moderate · Loop

Starts at The Village Park, near Kilbrittain. Directions

3.5 hours · Waymarked: green arrow on white background

Fastnet Trails - Goleen to Tormore Trail

14.3 km · 200 m climb · Moderate · Linear

Starts at Goleen Village Cross Roads, near Goleen Village. Directions

4 hours · Waymarked: amber arrow on white background

Butlerstown Coastal Loop

14 km · Moderate · Loop

Starts at Butlerstown Community Centre, near Butlerstown. Directions

3 hours · Waymarked: pink

The other 162 in Cork

Forest parks in Cork

Coillte forest parks: managed destinations with parking, marked routes and facilities, not trails in open country.

Coillte maintains 53 forest car parks in Cork. These are the usual starting points for forest walks and mountain bike trails.

Bathing waters in Cork

33 designated bathing waters monitored by the EPA, 10 of them flying a Blue Flag. Water quality below is the EPA's annual classification, which is a verdict on the previous four bathing seasons and not a reading for today.

Bathing restrictions in Cork right now

Live from the EPA's bathing water service. Local authorities post restrictions after heavy rain, sewage discharges and pollution incidents, and they can appear the same morning.

Checking the EPA for current restrictions…

If this doesn't update, check beaches.ie directly before you swim.

Data from the EPA Bathing Water Open Data service, licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Ardnahinch

Green Coast

Directions

Ballynamona Strand

Green Coast · Parking

Directions

Ballyrisode

Green Coast · Accessible

Directions

Barley Cove

Excellent Quality (2025)

Blue Flag · Lifeguard · Parking · Toilets · Accessible

Directions · EPA profile

Cadogans strand, Schull

Green Coast · Accessible

Directions

Cape Clear North Harbour

No facilities recorded

Directions

Dooneen Pier

Green Coast · Accessible

Directions

Fountainstown

Good Quality (2025)

Lifeguard · Parking · Toilets · Public transport · Accessible

Directions · EPA profile

Galley Cove

Green Coast · Accessible

Directions

Garnish

Green Coast · Accessible

Directions

Garretstown

Excellent Quality (2025)

Blue Flag · Lifeguard · Parking · Toilets · Accessible

Directions · EPA profile

Garrylucas, White Strand

Excellent Quality (2025)

Blue Flag · Lifeguard · Parking · Toilets

Directions · EPA profile

Garryvoe

Good Quality (2025)

Lifeguard · Parking · Toilets · Accessible

Directions · EPA profile

Inch

No facilities recorded

Directions

Inchydoney East Beach

Excellent Quality (2025)

Blue Flag · Green Coast · Lifeguard · Parking · Toilets · Public transport

Directions · EPA profile

Inchydoney West Beach

Excellent Quality (2025)

Blue Flag · Lifeguard · Parking · Toilets · Public transport

Directions · EPA profile

Kilcrohane

Parking · Public transport · Accessible

Directions

Oileán Chléire

No facilities recorded

Directions

Oileán Chléire

No facilities recorded

Directions

Owenahincha, Little Island Strand

Excellent Quality (2025)

Blue Flag · Lifeguard · Parking · Toilets

Directions · EPA profile

Oysterhaven

Green Coast · Accessible

Directions

Red Strand

Accessible

Directions

Redbarn

Excellent Quality (2025)

Blue Flag · Lifeguard · Parking · Toilets · Accessible

Directions · EPA profile

Ring (Greenlands Strand)

Green Coast

Directions

Rocky Bay

Green Coast · Accessible

Directions

Sandycove

Parking

Directions

Silver Strand, Sherkin Island

Green Coast

Directions

The Dock Beach Kinsale

Public transport

Directions

Tragumna

Excellent Quality (2025)

Blue Flag · Lifeguard · Parking · Toilets · Accessible

Directions · EPA profile

Warren, Cregane Strand

Good Quality (2025)

Lifeguard · Parking · Toilets · Beach wheelchair

Directions · EPA profile

WhiteBay Beach Whitegate Midleton

Parking

Directions

Youghal Claycastle

Excellent Quality (2025)

Blue Flag · Lifeguard · Parking · Toilets · Public transport · Accessible

Directions · EPA profile

Youghal Front Strand Beach

Excellent Quality (2025)

Blue Flag · Lifeguard · Parking · Toilets · Public transport · Accessible

Directions · EPA profile

Bathing water data from the EPA Bathing Water Open Data service, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Snapshot taken 2026-08-13. Positions converted from Irish Grid. The EPA publishes the full profile for each water at beaches.ie.

Sports in Cork, in depth

The sports with named spots, accredited centres or registered trails in the county.

70 clubs and schools in Cork

Listed by Irish Sailing, Mountaineering Ireland, Irish Surfing, Diving Ireland and Archery Ireland. Reproduced as each body publishes it, with a link back to the register. Contact details are theirs, not checked by us.

Bantry Walking Club

Club

Barley Cove Surf Camp

School · Barley Cove

Barryroe Walking Club

Club
Phone
0861651809

BLACKWATER SAC

Club · Fermoy

Blarney Walking Group

Club

Coconuts Hillwalking Club

Club

Cork Climbing Co-Op

Club

CORK SAC

Club · Cork
Phone
0868416817

Crosshaven Walking Group

Club

Fota Island Trail Running & Walking Club

Club
Phone
0862249828

Hard Core Club

Club
Phone
0877791183

Lee Hillwalking & Mountaineering Club

Club
Phone
0876627705

Midleton Climbing Club

Club

Pukana Surf Adventures

School · Garretstown- West Cork
Phone
086 1998959

Rebel County Archery Club

Club · Cobh

Riverstick Ramblers

Club
Phone
0871247490

Swell Surf School

School · Inch-East Cork
Phone
087 9803206

University College Cork

Club · Cork

Viatrek Little Island

Club
Phone
0852424612

WEST CORK SAC

Club · Skibbereen
Phone
0872526604

Adventure centres in Cork

11 of 13 currently hold governing-body accreditation, shown as a badge linking to the register.

The full directory →

Guides for Cork

Common questions

Where can I go walking in Cork?

172 waymarked walking trails are registered in Cork. The longest are Beara Way (241.8km), Sheep's Head Way (171.8km), Blackwater Way - Avondhu (126.2km), Ballyhoura Way (89km). Every one has a verified start point and driving directions on its own page.

How many waymarked trails are there in Cork?

187 on Sport Ireland's National Trails Register, totalling roughly 4,566 kilometres. The register records waymarked trails only, so unmarked mountain routes and informal paths aren't counted.

How hard are the trails in Cork?

By register grade: 1 beginner, 70 easy, 72 moderate, 1 intermediate, 34 strenuous, 4 challenging, 2 very challenging, 2 very difficult, 1 advanced. Grades are set by Sport Ireland against national criteria, so they're comparable between counties.

Are there sports clubs in Cork?

70 clubs and schools in Cork are listed by their national governing body: Irish Sailing, Mountaineering Ireland, Irish Surfing, Diving Ireland and Archery Ireland. They cover 6 sports between them, and each listing links back to the register it came from.

Are there adventure centres in Cork?

13 in our directory, 11 of which currently hold accreditation from a national governing body: Atlantic Offshore Adventures, Atlantic Sea Kayaking, Ember Camps (Active Connections), Fastnet Marine & Outdoor Education Centre and others. Each accredited listing links to the body's own register so you can check it.

What adventure sports can you do in Cork?

hillwalking & mountaineering, mountain biking, kayaking & canoeing, sailing, coasteering, zip lining & high ropes, stand-up paddleboarding, based on the trails registered in the county and the locations named on our sport guides.

Elsewhere in Munster

Trail data from the Sport Ireland National Trails Register, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Start points from the companion Trailheads dataset. Snapshot taken 2026-08-13. The register records waymarked trails only, so check the trail operator for current conditions and closures. Forest park and car park data from Coillte Recreation Information (CC BY 4.0), snapshot 2026-08-04, with county boundaries from OSi.