Beara Way Cycling Route

A collection of 4 cycling routes.

Overview

About this tour

A stunning coastal-and-mountain loop around the Beara Peninsula in southwest Ireland, weaving between County Cork and County Kerry. Expect Atlantic views over Bantry Bay and Kenmare Bay, colorful villages like Castletownbere, Eyeries, and Allihies, and the legendary hairpins of Healy Pass.

It’s mostly on paved roads with a mix of quiet lanes and some busier regional stretches. The terrain is hilly and exposed, with proper climbs and fast descents—bring good legs and a camera.

Ride the full loop in a long day if you’re keen, or split it into a relaxed 2–3 day tour with café stops and ocean views. Services are fairly regular in the towns, but top up when you can. Weather changes fast here, so pack layers, a rain jacket, and lights. Watch for narrow bends, sheep on the road, and gusty winds.

Common access points include Glengarriff, Kenmare, and Castletownbere. Whichever way you ride it, this one’s all about big scenery, quiet moments, and classic Irish coastal vibes.

4
Routes: -:--
Duration: 172.3 km
Distance: ---
Avg. speed: 2,600 m
Ascent: 2,677 m
Descent

Beara Way Cycling Route

Stages of this tour

All 4 stages of this tour can be opened on the map or in the Bikemap App for more details, where you can adjust them in the route planner or download them as GPX or KML file. Use them as a template for planning your own tour, or let Bikemap navigate you along them directly.

Open map

Official

Classic spin around the Beara Peninsula, threading between Bantry and Kenmare Bays. Expect a punchy 87 km with about 1,400 m of climbing on mostly paved roads, plus a few busier stretches—start early if you can. Coast-hugging views, rugged passes, and colorful villages like Eyeries and Allihies kee…

87.3 km
Distance: 1,406 m
Ascent: 1,470 m
Descent

Open map

Official

Beara Way Cycling Route: Kenmare Loop

Cycling route in Kenmare, Munster, Ireland

Start and finish in Kenmare, the colorful gateway to the Beara Peninsula. This quick 4 km spin on the Beara Way rolls through town and out along quiet roads, with a few gentle ups and downs (~60 m). Expect mostly calm lanes with a short busier stretch. Perfect as a warm-up, leg-stretcher, or a tast…

4 km
Distance: 61 m
Ascent: 64 m
Descent

Open map

Official

Beara Way Cycling Route

A classic spin along the Beara Peninsula, starting near Kenmare Bay and rolling west to the tip at Dursey Sound. Around 73 km with about 1,000 m of climbing on mostly paved roads, with steady ups and downs and big sea-and-mountain views. Traffic can be busy on sections, so keep it tidy and bring li…

72.8 km
Distance: 999 m
Ascent: 936 m
Descent

Open map

Official

Beara Way Cycling Route

Short coastal spin on the Beara Peninsula with big Bantry Bay views. Around 8 km with a couple of punchy rises and easy descents, all on road. Expect narrow shoulders and some traffic—ride single file. You’ll pass stone walls, sleepy farms, and salty air off the Wild Atlantic Way. Great as a link b…

8.1 km
Distance: 134 m
Ascent: 208 m
Descent