Beara Way
Long Distance Waymarked Way · Cork and Kerry
Beara Way is a 241.8 km strenuous waymarked loop in Cork and Kerry, starting near Glengarriff.
Grade
| Activity | Grade | Difficulty | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walking | Strenuous | Challenging | 9 days |
Getting there
Starts at Glengarriff.
- Trailhead coordinates
- 51.74982, -9.55246
- Irish Grid reference
- V 928 564
- Ordnance Survey sheets
- Discovery Series Sheets 84 and 85
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.
Public transport
At Start: Express bus service Check with Bus Eireann. At End: Limited express bus service Check with Bus Eireann.
About the trail
The Beara Peninsula is a 48km long mountainous finger, shared by counties Kerry and Cork, stretching into the Atlantic Ocean. Quite remote, it has remained perhaps the most unspoilt part of the south west region, and like the peninsulas to the north, is a magical world of mountains and lakes surrounded by a picturesque seacoast. The main industries are farming and fishing, with the latter being based in the port of Castletownbere. The Beara Way was established by a local voluntary group in the early 1990s as a co-operative involving upwards of four hundred landowners to augment the revenues coming from a declining fishing industry through tourism. It is a 206km circular route through magnificently rugged mountain and seacoast scenery which frequently passes by rich evidence of a heavily populated prehistoric past in the form of standing stones and burial monuments. There are also many fine villages, such as Allihies and Eyries, along the route. Terrain consists of mainly quiet tarmac roads, bog roads, cliff and woodland paths and open moorland, some sections of which can be quite rough and remote. The total aggregate ascent is nearly 5300m over the whole route and includes some short but steep climbs. Availability of overnight accommodation is generally good along the route although some of the longer stretches between villages may require careful planning. A loop of the route circumnavigates Bere Island with its great forts, and a spur takes you out (by an exciting trip on Ireland's only cable-car) to sparsely inhabited Dursey Island.
- Waymarking
- Yellow arrow on black background
- 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.
Elsewhere
Trails nearby
Measured trailhead to trailhead, in a straight line.
- Beara Way Cycling Route 226 m away · 165.4 km trail
- Glengarriff Nature Reserve - Big Meadow Walk 1.1 km away · 3.4 km trail
- Glengarriff Nature Reserve - Esknamucky Walk 1.1 km away · 3.1 km trail
- Glengarriff Nature Reserve - Lady Bantrys Lookout 1.1 km away · 0.7 km trail
- Glengarriff Nature Reserve - River Walk 1.1 km away · 1.2 km trail
- Glengarriff Nature Reserve - Waterfall Walk 1.1 km away · 0.5 km trail
Common questions
How long is the Beara Way?
241.8 km, recorded as a loop on Sport Ireland's National Trails Register. It climbs 5,245 m in total. Sport Ireland estimates 9 days.
How hard is the Beara Way?
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 Beara Way start?
Starts at Glengarriff. The trailhead is at 51.74982, -9.55246 (Irish Grid V 928 564).
Can you bring a dog on the Beara Way?
No. The register records dogs as not allowed on this trail.
Can you get to the Beara Way without a car?
At Start: Express bus service Check with Bus Eireann. At End: Limited express bus service Check with Bus Eireann.
Who manages the Beara Way?
Beara Tourism & Development Association. They are the authority on current conditions and closures, not this page.
More in Cork and Kerry
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.