The origin for many townlands and placenames in Ireland can be found when looking at their Irish names. They can reference the historic landscape, the natural features or perhaps the human activities in years gone by. A few examples you will encounter on your walk: Waterville or ‘An Coireán’ means ‘little cauldron’ in reference to the shape of Ballinskelligs Bay; Derrynane or Doire Fhíonán means ‘Finan’s oak wood’; and Caherdaniel or Cathair Dónall refers to the nearby ‘Donal’s stone fort’.

Two others have more interesting backgrounds. Leaving Waterville, you pass through Baslicon. The origin of this placename is Baisleacán, meaning ‘little church/basilica’, and is linked to the ecclesiastical settlement that was in the area, including a church and childrens’ burial ground. The high pass of the walk crosses near Coomakista or ‘Com an Chiste’ which translates as ‘coombe of the cash’. Legend says that French smugglers would hide money in these mountains, the spoils of their illicit trade. Logainm is a wonderful resource to discover the origins of other placenames on your travels.

The cliffs that line Ballinskelligs Bay around Waterville are among the best evidence we have of the huge ice sheets that once dominated Iveragh. During the last Ice Age, glaciers travelled down from the mountains towards what we now see as Ballinskelligs Bay, carving and sculpting the landscape before them. A detour off this trail to Loher Beach gives you an excellent view of these cliffs, which on closer inspection are clearly made up of distinct units.

In some areas, the deposits appear as an unsorted jumble of pebbles, boulders, and clays. In other places, it is clearly layered and distinctly sorted by size. The finer-layered material was deposited by meltwater that flowed out from the glacier; the coarser and seemingly more chaotic material would have been deposited directly by glacial ice, rather than meltwater. The variation between these two groups suggests that the retreat of the ice sheet was not a simple process, but occurred in several cycles of melting, advancing, and stagnation.

As the Ice Age came to an end and the glaciers began to melt and retreat, the debris that had been picked up and transported by the ice was dumped to the ground forming mounds of glacial deposits. These deposits trapped and dammed glacial meltwater as it drained across the landscape forming a series of lakes in the Cummeragh Valley, of which, Lough Currane is the largest.

Some of Ireland’s cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) can be seen from dry land, which is excellent news for those of us that lack sea legs! A high vantage point with unobstructed views is always a good start, so this trail ticks that box at several locations. In recent times, Harbour Porpoises (Mhuc Mhara), Common Dolphins (Deilf Choiteann) and Minke Whales (Droimeiteach Beag) have all been sighted in the waters seen from this trail. Remarkably, Humpback Whales (Míol Mór Dronnach) are occasionally spotted off of Iveragh’s coastline; keep your eye on the waters and you may be one of the lucky few to catch a glimpse of these amazing creatures.

To learn more about the common species of whales and dolphins seen around Iveragh and how to identify them, visit our section on Dolphins and Whales. If you wish to submit your records to the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group’s national database, it’s a good idea to bring a pair of binoculars or scope, a camera and something to take notes on. You can submit your sightings through their online portal.

It’s not a bad complaint when you have trouble deciding which way to look on a trail! At the highest points, this gets even more difficult as the seascapes of both Ballinskelligs and Derrynane bays are revealed. To the north, Bolus Head curves away from Waterville, via Reenroe and Ballinskelligs beaches, which leads your eye to the Skellig Islands on the horizon - you can take a closer look at this area by walking the Skellig Way. The headland reaching around the southern shore of Ballinskelligs Bay is Hog’s Head, with its Napoleonic-era lookout tower perched on top.

Turning to Derrynane Bay you will be struck by the number of islands that are found here. Starting with the furthest north (and closest to Hog’s Head), you will find the larger Scariff Island followed by Deenish closer to shore. Beyond Derrynane beach, in the far left of the photo you will see the headland known as Lamb’s Head, with the larger Beara Peninsula visible in the distance on a clear day. Abbey Island is the larger island in the foreground, connected to Derrynane Beach via a ‘tombolo’ (a sandspit connecting an island to the mainland). Lamb’s Island is the smaller island in the foreground, slightly to the right of Abbey Island. Finally, the aptly named ‘Two-Headed Island’ is situated behind Abbey Island just off the tip of Lamb’s Head. With such a spectacular coastal landscape, why not take to the water for a closer look with one of the many boat tour operators.

Thanks to its remote location and rural landscapes, Iveragh is home to some of the darkest night skies in Europe. This fact was officially recognised in 2014 when the ‘Kerry International Dark-Sky Reserve’ on Iveragh was awarded Gold Tier status by the International Dark-Sky Association. Stretching from Kells Bay to Castlecove, locations outside of urban centres reveal the wonders of astronomy in glorious detail. Pack a flask of tea, find a cosy spot, lay back and gaze at our Milky Way, or take in a celestial event such as the annual ‘Geminids meteor shower’ in December. In our Dark Skies section, you will find more information on the Kerry International Dark Sky Reserve, Iveragh’s nocturnal animals and even archeoastronomy (where the worlds of archaeology and astronomy intertwine)!

We are very fortunate on Iveragh to have access to a wonderful web of interconnecting walkways taking us from the seashores to the uplands and all of the habitats in between. With the gracious permission of landowners, we can ramble to our hearts content all year round. The trail from Waterville to Caherdaniel via the Coastal Route joins the Derrynane Mass Path for a section that includes a wander through native woodland. The Mass Path traverses an ancient route that has been used by countless generations. We have gathered a wealth of information on the Derrynane Mass Path to help you explore this beautiful area of Iveragh.