Slea Head — Dingle Peninsula Atlantic Viewpoint

Slea Head at the tip of the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry is as far west as paved road goes on mainland Ireland. The view from the headland takes in the Blasket Islands sitting three kilometres offshore — abandoned by their last permanent residents in 1953, now uninhabited and hauntingly visible from the clifftop. Dunbeg Fort, an Iron Age promontory fort, clings to the cliff edge just below the road. Beehive-shaped clocháns — dry-stone monks’ huts dating back over a thousand years — are scattered across the hillside above.

The Slea Head Drive is a narrow one-way loop road off the R559 — high-clearance isn’t required but wide vehicles will have a bad time on the passing places. Any time of year is navigable but summer brings camper vans that struggle with the width. Dingle town is 13km east for fuel and resupply. Cell service is spotty on the exposed headland.

End of the road — Blasket Islands straight ahead.