Don’t listen to those who say you haven’t been to Ireland if you haven’t had a pint of Guinness. Or when you haven’t driven through the Ring of Kerry. Or to those who say you have to see the Cliffs of Moher or the Skellig Islands. The truth is different and very universal: you’ve been to Ireland if your foot has touched Irish soil.

But you can definitely have a fuller and more vivid image of the island if you’ve at least driven part of the Wild Atlantic Way, which runs, among other places, along cliffs, through Kerry, and past many, many pubs serving Guinness.

The entire Wild Atlantic Way route is over 1600 km long, and it's impossible to drive it in just a few days if you want to pay more attention to it than just skimming through.

Let’s start with a summary

My stay lasted 4 days, and although the number of kilometers I drove was enough to get used to driving on the left side, I managed to cover maybe a quarter of this iconic route. Enough to mark my favorite spots on the map and to want to return for a longer stay.

Photographically, it was one of my favorite trips (I know it’s a very tricky statement, since I say this every time I come back from anywhere). I had a rough idea of what to expect (the inspiration for the trip was a YouTube video by James Popsys), but the whole experience exceeded my expectations.

Ireland (at least the southwestern part of the island) gifted me with what is my favorite subject in photography: raw landscapes, changing (and challenging) weather conditions and the human element. Small villages in the middle of nowhere, colorful (I didn’t expect them to be that colorful) towns, friendly people, and power poles. A lot of power poles.

I love power poles, did I mention this?

Where, what, and how

My flight from Amsterdam landed in Cork. Unfortunately, it was one of the last flights on that route with Aer Lingus (now only the more expensive KLM remains).

I picked up my car at the airport and headed towards Dingle.

On the first day, I arrived in Dingle and wandered around the area. The second day was dedicated to the Dingle Peninsula, with the iconic Slea Head Drive loop and Connor Pass. From there it was like 2,5 hour drive to my other accommodation on the Beara Peninsula.

On the suggestion of the owner of my cabin, instead of the Ring of Kerry, I decided to take a trip around Beara the next day. I took a ride on the only cable car in Ireland (which connects the mainland to Dursey Island), visited some picturesque towns on the way, and explored less obvious spots. No regret I’ve listened to the locals.

On the day of my departure, early in the morning, I jumped into the car and sped towards the Ring of Kerry with the intention of reaching Derrynane Beach. I managed to get there relatively quickly, so I decided to push on and managed to complete the whole loop, arriving at the airport on time.