Cycling vacations and bicycle tours in Ireland with Easy Rider Tours


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Coasting Kerry

Jun 7-15, 2008
Jun 28-Jul 6, 2008
Aug 2-10, 2008
Sep 13-21, 2008

Price: US$3650 for 9 days/8 nights.
Includes 6 dinners, 2 picnics, and all breakfasts.
Terrain: Moderate to hilly. Spectacular options for the adventurous!
Arrive: Shannon Airport
Depart: Shannon Airport

You'll find every one of the "forty shades of green" along the southwest coast of Ireland! County Kerry is at the top of every cyclist's wish list, and our tour of the Dingle, Beara, and Iveragh peninsulas includes Kerry's most beloved landscapes as well as some undiscovered jewels where only the luckiest of tourists set foot.

Each day's ride offers a constantly changing panorama of sky and sea, forests and mountains, fuchsia and foxglove, punctuated with friendly villages and colorful shopfronts. Our itinerary reads like a "Who's Who" of cherished Kerry landmarks: Slea Head, the Blaskets, the Lakes of Killarney, the Gap of Dunloe, Macgillycuddy's Reeks, and, of course, the Ring of Kerry.

Fuchsia hedgerows line our first day's ride through the famed headlands of the Dingle Peninsula. In the Gap of Dunloe, we'll pedal past tumbling waterfalls, forest glens, and glacial lakes that have graced many a postcard. The handsome market town of Kenmare will be our base for exploring the rugged beauty of the Beara Peninsula. On Skellig Michael Island, those who wish can climb the 600 steps to visit the stone huts that once comprised a 6th-century monastery. Here monks once searched for meaning on the edge of their universe; today the only inhabitants are a huge colony of puffins and a resident archaeologist!

You'll experience Ireland's cultural riches firsthand throughout our bike tour. Dingle Town is famed for its traditional music scene, and we'll have two nights to take in its lively atmosphere. In Killarney, a renowned storyteller will regale us with tales of old Ireland. History will come alive as we visit the Blasket Heritage Center, neolithic stone forts, and the 18th-century estate of Daniel O'Connell, one of Ireland's great Nationalist heroes. Our final cycling destination is Carrig House, a Victorian country estate overlooking Lough Caragh, where we'll savor our farewell feast along with one of the loveliest views in Ireland.

Ireland Bike Tours
Coasting Kerry Itinerary
Day 1: Morning transfer by private coach from Shannon Airport to Dingle for a two-night stay at our four-star guesthouse overlooking the harbor. Afternoon free to explore town. Welcome dinner, followed by traditional music at O'Flaherty's Pub.

Day 2: Cycle the Slea Head Drive, with views of the now-abandoned Blasket Islands. Stops at an Iron Age fort, the Blasket Heritage Center, and Gallarus Oratory, where monks spreading the word of St. Patrick once sojourned. (28, 35, or 44 mi.)

Day 3: Follow the south coast of the Dingle Peninsula via the beach at Inch. Tiny backroads pass a reputed "fairy fort" en route to Killarney, where we'll overnight near the stately Muckross House and Gardens. After-dinner storytelling performance by shenachie Eddie Lenihan. (43 mi.)

Day 4: Free morning for shopping or a warm-up spin along the Lakes of Killarney. Our route through the Gap of Dunloe is surrounded by MacGillycuddy's Reeks, the highest mountain range in Ireland. Pedal on past glacial ponds and cascading streams in the Black Valley to Moll's Gap. A five-mile descent leads to Kenmare for a two-night stay. (28, 40, or 52 mi.)

Day 5: Our Beara Peninsula loop begins with easy cycling to exotic Derreen Gardens. Longer options lead to spectacular headlands, colorful fishing villages at Eyeries and Allihies, and a challenging climb over Healy Pass. (32, 39, 51, or 84 mi.)

Day 6: The Ring of Kerry! Stop to meet a friendly family of artisans at Brushwood Studio Galleries, visit Staigue ring fort, and tour O'Connell's estate at Derrynane National Park. Take in the panoramic view from Coomakesta Pass, then descend to the seaside village of Waterville for a two-night stay. (37 or 42 mi.)

Day 7: Free day to relax or ride. Ferry out to the monastery ruins at Skellig Michael and the puffin sanctuary on Little Skellig, or bike the challenging Ring of Ballinskelligs, a hidden pocket of Kerry's best scenery. (0, 32, or 44 mi.)

Day 8: Follow the coast around Dingle Bay to Lough Caragh. Along the way, visit the British Garrison museum in Caherciveen, Bronze Age ring forts, and Valentia Island. Farewell celebration at Carrig House. (35, 46, or 52 mi.)

Day 9: Private coach transfer to Shannon Airport for early afternoon flights.

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