Dog friendly walks on the Kerry- & Beara way.
Dog-friendly walks
Dereen Gardens is a beautiful 19th century woodland garden in a unique micro-climate. It has rare tropical plants and winding paths through the gardens and along the coast.
Dereen has an incredible history dating back to 1657. The gardens were started in 1870 when Lord Lansdowne began an ambitious project to transform the countryside around the house from bare rock and scrub oak into a luxurious woodland garden. He planted 400 acres of woodland to shelter a collection of shrubs and specimen trees which were then being brought back from plant hunting expeditions in the Himalayas and elsewhere.
You are welcome to bring your dog. However, they do ask to keep your dog on a lead in the café and car park area.
Tip from a local: this is an unusually sheltered area, we walk here even on the most wet windy days.
35 locals recommend
Derreen Gardens
Dereen Gardens is a beautiful 19th century woodland garden in a unique micro-climate. It has rare tropical plants and winding paths through the gardens and along the coast.
Dereen has an incredible history dating back to 1657. The gardens were started in 1870 when Lord Lansdowne began an ambitious project to transform the countryside around the house from bare rock and scrub oak into a luxurious woodland garden. He planted 400 acres of woodland to shelter a collection of shrubs and specimen trees which were then being brought back from plant hunting expeditions in the Himalayas and elsewhere.
You are welcome to bring your dog. However, they do ask to keep your dog on a lead in the café and car park area.
Tip from a local: this is an unusually sheltered area, we walk here even on the most wet windy days.
This is a perfect walk to do with your dog. You can park up by the pop-up cafe and have a cup of tea or coffee before or after your walk. Make sure to try their home made raspberry muffin or lemon cake.
Then take a walk along the lake, choose the high road for a good strong hike or the low walk for a bit of leisure.
A must see is O’Sullivan’s Cascade!
6 locals recommend
O'Sullivan's Cascade
This is a perfect walk to do with your dog. You can park up by the pop-up cafe and have a cup of tea or coffee before or after your walk. Make sure to try their home made raspberry muffin or lemon cake.
Then take a walk along the lake, choose the high road for a good strong hike or the low walk for a bit of leisure.
A must see is O’Sullivan’s Cascade!
Dromore
Derrynane Beach
Traveler advice
Customs and culture
Many dog-friendly hiking trails are "strictly-on-leash"
The Kerry Way and the Beara Way hiking trails often cross through sheep farmer's private lands.
This is why dogs are not allowed on many hiking trails in Ireland.
Even when a hiking trail is "dog-friendly" there is often a protocol for keeping your dog on a leash on these hikes.
Make sure you get informed about which trails are dog-friendly, and what protocols to follow while out hiking.
In this guidebook I will add a note to each trail showing you which trails are "strictly-on-leash".