Irish Roads Less Traveled

Farther along the southern coast is the must-see Mizen Head, the most southwesterly point in the country, and the last homeland view many Irish emigrants had before sailing to America.

Mizen Head has the award-winning Maritime Museum, but the main attraction is the point itself. The walk to the tip offers spectacular views along soaring cliffs, with the Atlantic Ocean swirling hundreds of feet below. Sharp-eyed observers can spot dolphins, whales, seals, gannets, kittiwakes and many other types of seabirds, as well as copious flowers clinging to the rolling hills.

Heading north up the coast are yet more beautiful outcroppings surrounded by bays. Taking as many secondary roads as possible made the drive slower, of course, but the views were the payoff. Coming over a rise while driving on the narrow Goat's Path road, with beautiful Dunmanus Bay behind me and Bantry Bay glimmering ahead, made it worthwhile. You can't get views like that on major highways.

Kerry vs. Dingle

Being a little short on time (I was driving slowly, remember?), I had to skip the Ring of Kerry, a 170-kilometer road encircling the Iveragh peninsula. That, however, proved a wise choice.

The ring of Kerry is famous for two things: its beautiful views of the Irish countryside and ocean, and being absolutely choked with tourists on gigantic tour buses. The traffic is so congested that during the summer the buses follow the road in an counterclockwise direction; it's recommended that if you're driving you should take the road clockwise in order to avoid the inevitable delays caused by these vehicles on the narrow roads.

Pressing onward, the town of Dingle was next, where I stayed at the charming Captain's House B&B, right off the main street.

It was there that I learned about the Ring of Dingle -- a much less-traveled road than the Ring of Kerry -- which goes around the Dingle peninsula, and it did not disappoint. The Dingle peninsula has more than 2,000 monuments dating from the Mesolithic period (more than 6,000 years ago) up to more modern castles and churches. Sites include ring forts, Stone Age petroglyphs, stone beehive huts and early Christian churches with mixtures of Christian and Irish pagan symbols. And if the archeological sites don't wow you, the views at Slea Head near the Blasket Islands will.

Want Moher?

	Cliffs of Moher

No trip to western Ireland would be complete without seeing the Cliffs of Moher. On the drive up to the city of Galway I again took the coast road through small towns and fields embracing the sea until I reached the famed cliffs.

Towering over 750 feet high and stretching for nearly five miles, the cliffs are an astonishing natural wonder. Gulls circle below as the waves crash against the rocks, and the ruins of an ancient tower loom in the distance.

Galway was the final stop, and being a major Irish city, it was only possible to avoid the major highways for so long. Arriving in the busy urban center, it felt like entering a different world after the quiet green expanse of the countryside -- but the excellent Petra House B&B offered some respite.

Although Galway may be a bustling city, just to the north is the arresting landscape of Connemara and the Burren, an area covered with cracked sheets of gray limestone, full of caves, and often festooned with wildflowers such as gentian, orchids and bloody cranesbill. The Burren rewards visitors with dozens of megalithic tombs, Celtic crosses and a ruined cistercian abbey from the 12th century, Corcomroe.

Driving through Ireland and staying in B&Bs is an outstanding way to experience the country, satisfying you with dazzling scenery uncluttered by multitudes of day-trippers: These are things a tour bus and a fancy hotel chain just can't provide.

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