Garinish Island and Glengarriff

Poxed lucky with the weather for an October weekend away to Glengarriff. It is a very quiet time of year for most West Cork towns but perfect for seeing the sights without the crowds, and as Irish people know well, our off-peak season can produce the best weather conditions.

Glengarriff’s great strength is it’s woodlands and walking areas and probably it’s most famous attraction, Garinish Island. The island’s topography is rare in our climate, and is borne from the effects of the gulf stream and the shelter of the woodlands.  Ferries depart from a few places, the most picturesque being Poll Gorm (meaning Blue Hole).

This sheltered cove belies the open sea that awaits through a narrow opening

A quick spin past the seal rocks (with Maureen O’Hara’s house in the background)

and we arrive at Garinish.

The first attraction to feast your eyes on is the Italian garden

Behind which are beautiful views onto the water

Some curious plants to be found along the way

Beautiful stone walkways

The Martell tower looks impressive at a height

And the view is ten times better from the top

If you see a pathway, explore it because you’d never know what’s hiding behind those trees

Back on mainland, the Glengarriff shore looks out on a fabulous vista

A beautiful place.