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If you are longing for that perfect place that offers breathtaking scenery, beautiful beaches and rolling uplands, the Irish county of Kerry is the place for you.

Nestled somewhere in the southwest of Ireland in the Munster province of the Republic of Ireland, is a place known to its locals as “The Kingdom” for its historical background.  This beguiling place is famous for the coastlines that it holds and its cliffs and mountain ranges.

Kerry cradles two of the three highest mountains in Ireland.  The highest peak is the Carrauntoohill, which is perched atop Ireland at 3,415 feet..  The second runner-up is Mount Brandon.  It is perched atop the northern tip of the Dingle Peninsula.

Stretched at around 48 miles, Kerry now boasts of some of Ireland’s most panoramic sights.  Ogham Stones, a form of writing in the olden Irish days tells a story of ‘Puicin an Chairn, a preserved huge grave. Tales of this is circulated throughout Kerry in hushed tones.  This mysterious peninsula also showcases gravesites, stones, and a restored medieval bridge. Of course you still have the castles, the migrating birds and the never ending coastline boasting of breathtaking beaches to watch.

Kerry is famous for its ‘Rose of Tralee’ festival.  This festival is held every August in Tralee.  On this day, the sleeping city seems to light up and shine.  The main and center bustling capital town is called Tralee.  Tralee has got great and brilliant ideas.

Meanwhile, Kerry’s second town, Killarney, should not be missed because of its three famous lakes. The Lakes of Killarney – the Upper Lake, Muckross Lake (Middle Lake) and Lough Leane (Lower Lake), make up almost a quarter of Killarney National Park’s entire area. The three lakes are joined at the ‘meeting of the waters’, a popular area for visitors. It is here that the Old Weir Bridge (thought to be over 400 years old) can also be seen.

What also draws tourists to Kerry is The Ring of Kerry, Ireland’s greatest tour. The 110-mile (176k) circuit takes in Killorglin, Glenbeigh, Caherciveen, Waterville, Sneem, Kenmare, and Killarney. Any one of the many stopping points along this magnificent odyssey makes an idyllic holiday destination.

The Ring of Kerry also has some of the finest beaches in Europe that provide all the facilities for a traditional seaside holiday. Most of all, the Ring of Kerry provides an amazing insight into the ancient heritage of Ireland – the Iron Age Forts & Ogham Stones, Old Monasteries and a landscape carved out of rock by the last Ice Age 10,000 years ago.

When it comes to gastronomic exploration, Kerry has a wide variety of restaurants catering for all budgets and tastes. For an average price between Eur15 and Eur30, The Cooperage Restaurant (Killarney), The Chart House (The Mall Dingle Co. Kerry), and Ballyroe Heights Hotel (in Tralee) come highly recommended. Meanwhile, The Cookery Restaurant and the Restaurant David Norris come highly recommended if you’re looking for something more expensive, say around Eur30.

If you want to end your day with a unique Irish Evening, you should pay a visit to The Irish Whiskey Event. Here in this bar/club, you can have excellent Irish Whiskeys while enjoying some typical Irish stories, humor, charm and toasts.

Some of the more popular bars/pubs around Kerry are Tatler Jack (Killarney), O’Flaherty’s (Dingle), Kirby’s Olde Brogue Inn (Tralee), Rineys Bar (Sneem), Courtney’s Bar (Killarney) and Mustang Sally’s (Killarney).

The best time to visit Kerry is during the summer (May to September), when you can expect reasonably warm weather, longer days and a lively menu of festivals. Besides the “Rose of Tralee,” Kerry also holds in August the ‘Puck Fair,” one of Ireland’s most unusual street festivals. The fair is one of Ireland’s oldest and longest celebrated and is held without fail on 10th, 11th and 12th August every year with 12 hours of free family street entertainment.

Some of Kerry’s most popular festivals happening during summer include the Feile na Bealtaine Arts Festival, Killarney Summer Fest, World Irish Dancing Championships, Listowel Writers Week, Rally of The Lakes, and Kenmare Walking Festival.

Since summer is the peak season, it may present some challenges if you are longing for a bit of solitude. Spring and autumn can also be delightful seasons.  With smaller crowds of tourists, it is best to maximize one’s time. Winter is characterized by short, wet, foggy days and long night, but the temperature rarely gets below freezing due to the tempering Gulf Stream winds which serves a buffet of the west coast of Ireland.

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