Bere Island - Doonbeg Loop
Grade
Strenuous
Length
5.3 km
Time
3 hours
Format
Loop
Ascent
260 m
Waymarking
Orange arrow
Start Point
close by the Gallan standing stone in the centre of Bere island
Finish Point
close by the Gallan standing stone in the centre of Bere island
Nearest Town to Start
Castletownbere
Lat. and Long.
51.63054, -9.861676
This is a challenging but rewarding walk on the south side of Bere Island across open mountain. It can be difficult to follow in low cloud and the path is indistinct in places, but in fine weather from the slopes of Knockanallig there are wonderful views of the Sheep's Head and Mizen Peninsulas. There is an option to detour to Dun Beag promontory fort.
Maps and other information
OSI Maps
Discovery Series Sheet 84
The Doonbeg Loop is a testing but rewarding loop of 5km on the south side of Bere Island in West Cork. A walk of up to 4 hours on open mountain provides some wonderful views from Knockanallig Mountain.While the trail is in reasonable condition and the ground mostly solid, some navigation skill may be required as the route can be difficult to follow. In mist or low cloud, the route on open mountain can be hard to find, and the track is quite indistinct in many places.