Allihies - Ballydonegan Loop

Walking Trail · Cork

Allihies - Ballydonegan Loop is an 18.2 km strenuous waymarked loop in Cork, starting near Allihies.

Distance
18.2 km
Climb
700 m
Shape
Loop
Time
4 hours 30 minuites

Grade

Activity Grade Difficulty Time
Walking Strenuous Challenging 4 hours 30 minuites

Getting there

Starts at Allihies Village, near Allihies.

Directions to the trailhead

Trailhead coordinates
51.63783, -10.04786
Irish Grid reference
V 584 448
Ordnance Survey sheets
Discovery Series Sheet 84

The National Trails Register's own latitude and longitude fields are empty for all 1,186 trails on it. This trailhead comes from Sport Ireland's separate Trailheads dataset, matched to this trail on its register ID.

About the trail

This walk gives you some fine walking along the coast as well as circling the hillsides beyind Allihies and Ballydonegan. It takes you on minor road, coastline and hillside tracks, passing through an area dotted with disused mine sites. There are great views of coastal scenery, including the Bay and Cod Head, and the surrounding hills and mountains.

Before you go

Waymarked with National Loop Walk information plates with purple arrows on standard marker posts

Waymarking
Purple arrow
Dogs
No

Who manages it

Beara Tourism & Development Association

Beara Tourism,Castletownbere,Co.Cork. Tel/Fax 027-70054, Email: [email protected] Web: https://bearatourism.com

Conditions and closures change. The operator is the authority on both, not this page.

Trails nearby

Measured trailhead to trailhead, in a straight line.

Common questions

How long is the Allihies - Ballydonegan Loop?

18.2 km, recorded as a loop on Sport Ireland's National Trails Register. It climbs 700 m in total. Sport Ireland estimates 4 hours 30 minuites.

How hard is the Allihies - Ballydonegan Loop?

Sport Ireland grades it Strenuous, with an overall difficulty of Challenging. Grades are set against national criteria, so they are comparable with other registered trails.

Where does the Allihies - Ballydonegan Loop start?

Starts at Allihies Village, near Allihies. The trailhead is at 51.63783, -10.04786 (Irish Grid V 584 448).

Can you bring a dog on the Allihies - Ballydonegan Loop?

No. The register records dogs as not allowed on this trail.

Who manages the Allihies - Ballydonegan Loop?

Beara Tourism & Development Association. They are the authority on current conditions and closures, not this page.

More in Cork

Trail data from the Sport Ireland National Trails Register, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Trailhead coordinates from the companion Trailheads dataset. Snapshot taken 2026-08-13.