Hidden gems
Hidden gems in Kenmare
Kenmare’s famous things are famous for a reason. But the town keeps a second shelf of places the coaches don’t reach: old roads, heritage parks, a mountain pub, a waterfall valley. The quiet Kenmare, researched October 2026.
The Old Kenmare Road
The old road out of town is now a walking trail — the route people took before the modern road, with the bay and the mountains for company. It’s the walk that feels most like the Kenmare of a hundred years ago, and it starts practically in town.
Bonane Heritage Park
Out the Bonane road, this heritage park packs ring forts, a stone circle and famine-era ruins into one walkable site. It’s archaeology without the crowds — Kenmare in miniature, a few thousand years deep.
The Roughty valley and Blackwater Tavern
Follow the Roughty river up into the mountains and you’ll find the Blackwater Tavern: a family-run pub, shop and petrol station in the middle of nowhere, with Friday-night music and dancing. It’s a godsend for locals and a revelation for visitors — the Kerry that exists when the tourists go home.
Gleninchaquin, again
It’s in the day-trips guide too, but it belongs here: a family farm at the end of a glen, six walks, a 140-metre waterfall face, a tea room, no mobile signal, and sheep with opinions. The yellow trail is the serious one — four hours, proper boots, real weather. The red is the sensible one. Both are superb.
The Gortamullen and Kenmare Old circuits
The town’s own walking circuits, listed by the Kenmare tourism site alongside Reenagross and Bonane: short, local, and almost entirely visitor-free. Ask at the Kenmare Tourist Information Centre for the current routes.
Common questions
What are the hidden gems near Kenmare?
The Old Kenmare Road walking trail, Bonane Heritage Park, the Blackwater Tavern up the Roughty valley, the Gleninchaquin waterfall valley, and the town’s own Gortamullen and Old Kenmare walking circuits.
Is Gleninchaquin Park worth visiting?
Yes — a family-owned waterfall valley about 20 minutes from Kenmare, with six marked walks, a tea room and no crowds. Open Easter to November; cash only.
Where do locals go near Kenmare?
Up the Roughty valley to the Blackwater Tavern, onto the Beara lanes, and walking the old roads and circuits around town.
More to explore in Kenmare
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