landscapes
Dingle Peninsula Drive
Last Saturday I embarked on a mini solo road trip. I asked my Sat Nav for the nearest mountain passes and picked Conor Pass from the list. This pass is one of the highest in Ireland with an elevation of 410 m above the sea level. The Conor Pass runs from Dingle on the southern end of the peninsula to Brandon Bay and Castlegregory in the North, in County Kerry. I have been to Dingle once before, more than 10 years ago. I am already thinking about going back, as I got to explore only a fraction of the peninsula.
Every journey begins here, in the Boggeragh Mountains in County Cork. I traveled cross county to Tralee and stopped in Blennerville to fuel up and take some photos. Blennerville Windmill is a dominant landmark in Tralee Bay. This windmill is the tallest of its kind in Europe at 21.3 meters high.
As I followed my Sat Nav to the Conor Pass, I saw road signs for Fermoyle Beach and Brandon Point and decided to follow those. I was not disappointed with my detour. Fermoyle Strand is a stunning beach, situated at the foothills of Brandon Mountain.
From the beach I made my way to Brandon Point where I climbed the mountains overlooking the North Atlantic Ocean. It was a windy day and I was glad to be sheltered inside a metal can on wheels for the most part.
I stopped a couple more times along the way to Conor Pass. I dashed out of the warm safety of the car to quickly take more photos. Two hours after my initial estimated time of arrival, I made it to the Conor Pass view point. Again, I climbed up the mountain beside the car park, for better photos.
I finished driving the Conor Pass down to Dingle. I stopped for some hot food to warm up my cold bones after running around the mountains on a windy day. My last stop before home was Inch beach, where I took two photos. As the evening went on it got colder and less enticing to leave the sanctuary of the car. It won't be long before I go back to finish driving the rest of the Dingle Peninsula.
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