camping kerry

kdowling

Anyone know any good camping spots in kerry?
myself and the wife are going to kerry for a week.
somewhere with plenty of activities?

woggie

Oh God how I love camping in Kerry!
Castlegregory out on the dingle penisula is a lovely spot. Lots of water based activities there www.jamieknox.com and plenty of nice scenic drives in the area. Dingle itself is a great town to visit, last time we were there (in feb this year) we visited this place and the hubbie and teenage daughter had a ball http://www.playatheight.com/joomla/index.php

If you're looking for a camp/caravan site check out www.campingireland.com , if your happy to just rough it in the sand dunes (we always do, much better craic and dont have to worry about other peoples noisy kids ) we just head on out towards castlegregory and from there head for the Maharees, pass caravan site on the left, about another km up the road is what they call 'The Dumps' - not because it's dirty, but because of the way the waves crash on the beach. Plenty of kite surfing etc here. Large stretch of grassland on the left most people park up their motorhomes, on the right there are sheltered areas among the dunes.

YourName

Only place I stayed in Kerry was Woodlands:

http://www.camping-ireland.ie/parks/kerry/92-woodlands-park.html


Nice park altogether, got there on a very rough night in June last year and we were told if we wanted to stay in the pool room we could, but sure that would be no fun so we pitched up. Facilities are second to none, well the best I've been in so far, but that doesn't really say much cause my camping is mostly in Scotland, however they had loads of awards for facilities so that's good too. Pool room, games room, large shower room, campers kitchen, a small campers shop at reception etc. Literally outside Tralee town on the ring road so perfect for going down into the town. Very secure site too, sometimes a little too secure but I think I just must have looked a little shifty cause the owner interrogated me on three separate occasions as to who I was, so we kind of stayed clear of him, just didn't take a liking to us for some reason, but I wouldn't hold that against him, the site or let it ruin our break away.

Anyway that's my input, take it or leave it., enjoy your time in Kerry no matter what, lovely place altogether ! ! ! !

YourName

YourName wrote: »

Literally outside Tralee town on the ring road so perfect for going down into the town.

But Tralee is a KIP!

The site might be lovely, but it is one of the roughest towns in the country. A bit of a blot in an otherwise perfect county!

woggie

I wouldn't have put it quite so strongly as that :rolleyes: but yeah..not my favourite of towns either. Might explain the 'security conscious' owner lol.

woggie

woggie wrote: »

not my favourite of towns either.

Don't get me wrong. I love Tralee. It's my county town. I sported and played there hundreds of times. I have great friends and close family there. I go there I'd say once a week nearly.

But by any stretch it's a kip.

mossey79

Mannix Point in Caherciveen is a very nice campsite. Close to the town with great facilities and right next to the estuary/Bay. Stayed there twice last summer.

mossey79

mossey79 wrote: »

Mannix Point in Caherciveen is a very nice campsite.

Cahersiveen. Love the place. Love drinking there. Love the Harp Bar. Yeah it's easy to be smart and it sure is no Manumission. On the other hand, it's pure Kerry. In a way that bigger places in busier tourists traps like Killarney and Kenmare are not.

YourName

Deleted User wrote: »

But Tralee is a KIP!

The site might be lovely, but it is one of the roughest towns in the country. A bit of a blot in an otherwise perfect county!

Your probably right, went down the town one morning to pick up a bit of breakfast and saw The Gooch walking down the road in a suit . . . . . . I'm from Dublin , Needless to say, but just the sight of him made me never want to go back,

But joking aside, I didn't come across anything bad in the town, and sure Killarney is really really nice and thats only down the road, and we went during Puck Fair and that wasn't too far up the mountain in Killorglin, so central to a lot.

allyano16

@Woogie, thanks for sharing your ruff guide,
I'm looking at camping in the same area as you and doing a spot of surf, also I want to do a camp night out in the Blasket Island!!
I was wondering did you have any trouble at the 'The Dumps', are you allowed to actually camp there? Is there any noticable site? You seem to know about "Wild camping" Any tips when you go camping outside of camp sites? - Thanks Al

IfUSeekAmy

Castlegregory is lovely. Very close to the Blaskets if you're interested in going there. Much more so than the likes of SouthKerry, Caherciveen, etc.

woggie

Hey Al, I far as I remember the council only have signs up about overnight camping being prohibited around the carparks. Never saw/heard anything out at the dumps... or if there is a sign it's been obscured by all the camper vans and tents


The spot i'm talking about is out on the pennisula so the sea is on both sides of the road, people with small VW campers or just with tents tend to camp on the left side (the dumps!) as there is more shelter from the sand dunes. This is the better side for surfing, usually lots of kite surfing etc going on there.
The other side of the road has no dunes so you're more exposed, but the beach is calmer. You tend to get larger camper vans on that side. We've stayed there once in a rented camper van (boring LOL) and have had a few very blustery nights in a couple of tents trying to use our cars to create wind jammers LOL...if you're in a tent I would definitely recommend staying in the dunes!. I think the patch of land there is public land for grazing - there's no fence or anything but you sometimes wake up to find some cows nearby

Never had any trouble camping on either side, never heard of anyone having trouble either but haven't been there in 2 years as was preggars and now just waiting til little fella is old enough to be introduced to the joys of sleeping in a tent!

The only issue we've ever had was when we were gathering drift wood on the beach for our camp fire, a middle-aged couple approached us and pointed out their house that was down on the beach, they said that us taking the drift wood was putting their house in danger of being eroded but we made sure we walked waaaaaay up the beach away from any house to get stuff.

We always walk up to the Green Room (or is it the green bar?) for pints and to use the loo one last time before bedding down for the night LOL

Enjoy

oh...by the way... if you're going on a bank holiday weekend get there early! Its a very popular spot for sufers!

Ardennes1944

went camping in killarney for years and years, always stayed in white bridge. lovely owners, clean facilities and a great all round park

irishtear

Be warned ,a train belts through there every morning very early and its like the end of the world.It roars through and the ground shakes,give it a wide berth.:D

lucylu

Flesk Campsite in Killarney is a great campsite. It is on the Muckross Road beside the Gleneagle Hotel.

allyano16

Cheers fellow boarders and in particular wonder Woogie, your a total legend for the advice, discover Ireland needs you !... I think I'll take your advice and venture out to the dunes, I think I have a general idea where abouts you guys stayed, am gonna try it! marked it in the google map.??.. Looks unreal there checked out that street view malarck and see they still have a phone box out there, proper sean-scoil!

So excited now, I'm gonna go proper bear grylls on it and catch a fish, maybe hunt a cow and cook it watching the sun go down over the atlantic in my man made hammock made from seaweed... who knows, BEAUT

http://maps.google.com/maps?daddr=52...sz=16&t=h&z=17

Thanks again!
Al

Sounds great...but sadly no trees from which to hang a hammock in the Maharees!

allyano16

dammit!! - Forgot about that, must collect some fire wood before hand so :rolleyes:

woggie

LOL I almost wish I was going meself!
Enjoy Al