15 June 2026 |
Ireland Activities
My Top Three Most Beautiful Beaches in County Kerry
by Julie Prior
Ireland’s coastline is wild, untamed, and rugged. It’s where crashing Atlantic waves meet towering cliffs, golden sands and windswept dunes. Some beaches feel truly untouched, a beauty that stays with you long after you leave. I’m sharing my top three rugged and beautiful beaches in County Kerry – places where dramatic scenery, powerful seas, and pure coastal magic come together to create unforgettable locations.
There is something quietly unforgettable about Inch beach. Tucked between the wild edges of the Ring of Kerry to one side and the Dingle Peninsula to the other, it feels like a place where Ireland stretches out and exhales.
The beach itself seems endless. Endless soft sand that invites you to wander without purpose. On one side the Atlantic roles in steadily, sometimes gently, sometimes roaring but always alive. On the other dunes rise above the sands, shaped by wind and time, giving the whole place a sense of movement even when you stand still.
What I love most is how Inch changes daily and with the seasons. Some days it is rugged and windswept, the air sharp and bracing, the sea deep and a restless blue – this is when you meet the surfers who seek to tame the wild Atlantic waves. You feel small in the best possible way, wrapped in something vast and untamed. Then there are those rare summer days, perfect days, when the sun transforms everything. The sand glows, the water sparkles and the whole beach feels almost dreamlike as it shimmers in the light, showing off a little!
Inch is not just a beach it’s a mood, a memory and a place that lingers and stays with you long after you have left. Inch does not try to impress, it just does! Somehow that is exactly what makes it so special.
Another favourite location is Minard beach. Minard feels like a secret you have to earn. Reached by a narrow winding country lane on the Dingle Peninsula, the journey itself sets the tone – quiet, remote and full of anticipation with glimpse of the Atlantic appearing between hedgerows as you draw close.
When you arrive, it does not feel like a typical beach at all. The only stretch of soft sand here is at lower tide. Instead, the shore is scattered with smooth, rounded boulders, shaped and polished by the restless sea. It gives the place an almost otherworldly feel, as if you’ve stumbled onto a different landscape entirely. Towering above it all are the majestic ruins of Minard Castle, standing watch over the bay. Weathered and resilient, it adds a sense of history and quiet drama to an already striking scene.
Between the Atlantic waves and the rugged shoreline, everything about Minard feels raw and untouched. It’s a place of wind, waves and wonder – a hidden corner of Ireland that doesn’t shout for attention, but rewards those who make the effort to find it. The road may be winding, but what waits at the end is something truly special.
My final but by no means last is Derrynane beach, near Caherdaniel on the Ring of Kerry. The kind of place that takes your breath away and makes you stop in your tracks. With its sweeping sands and impossibly clear, Caribbean-blue waters, it feels almost surreal, as though a piece of the tropics has found its way to Irelands rugged southwest coast.
The shoreline stretches wide, framed by rolling dunes and rocky outcrops that give it both softness and structure. On calm days, the sea turns a brilliant turquoise, shimmering under the light and inviting you closer, even if the Atlantic chill keeps you from venturing too far in. Small islands dot the horizon adding to the sense of escape. There is a peacefulness here.
The beach itself never feels over crowded, just nature at it’s most generous. You can take a wander, listening to the rhythm of the waves and watch the light as it shifts across the water. At times the views feel almost too vivid to be real! Derrynane is a place where the colours linger in your mind, calling you to return again at some stage to the edge of the Atlantic!
If you want to explore my top 3 beaches in County Kerry, Ireland yourself – take a look at our Southern Tour of Ireland self drive vacation package!
10 Night Southern Tour of Ireland Self Drive
