Castletownbere

Castletownbere sits at the tip of the Beara Peninsula in Cork, a working fishing port on Bantry Bay that hosts Ireland's largest white fish fleet. You'll reach it via the R572, either from Kenmare (45km) or Glengarriff (35km), as part of the scenic Ring of Beara drive. From Cork city it's about two hours via the N71 through Bantry, while Dublin is four hours away. The peninsula roads are narrow and winding, so drive carefully. Most mornings you can watch the trawlers unloading their catch straight onto the pier while gulls wheel overhead.