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Choose the road less taken and detour off the Ring of Kerry to drive through the Ballaghbeama Gap, a rock-strewn mountain pass road where you’ll share the route with only a handful of sheep and a rugged landscape.
I get out of the car to be met by complete silence.
The muffled stillness was enveloping, for in this corridor of rock all outside noises and influences were drowned out, absorbed by the giant walls of boulders that lined either side of the single-lane mountain pass road.
Nearby, a black-faced sheep glanced nonchalantly over its shoulder and having appraised this space-invader as unworthy of its attention, turned its horned head back to the lush tufts of grass poking out through the rocky outcrop.
The mountain pass in question was the Ballaghbeama Gap, a little-visited and highly worthy detour off the popular Ring of Kerry driving route that passes close by.
With scenery akin to the nearby Gap of Dunloe, it’s a somewhat head-scratching conundrum as to why it receives so few visitors, but if you do ordain to pass through, it feels as if you’ve stumbled upon a great secret.
Locals, of course, know this beautiful road, using it as a means to cut through the mountains between Sneem and Killorglin.
With a big, brown road sign that points towards the route once you exit Kenmare, tourists should be drawn to know about it too yet most whizz by, keen to hit the snippets of coastal scenery that reveal themselves through gaps in the hedgerows that line the N70 road from Kenmare to Sneem.
And thus this spectacular, winding, rural route is overlooked for its more famous neighbour and therein lies the bounty – nary another car you will meet and you will be left to enjoy this remote stretch of glacial glory and the wild beauty of the place unencumbered by other visitors.
Relatively short and easy to get to, it’s really not too difficult to include this great drive in your Ring of Kerry plans.
Read on to discover all you need to know before driving the Ballaghbeama Gap route and discover how to incorporate it into your driving plans around Ireland’s Iveragh Peninsula.
RESOURCES FOR YOUR RING OF KERRY VISIT
→ Search for and compare car rentals via Rentalcars.com
→ Can’t or don’t want to drive? Book a private or minibus tour instead, which still allow for some flexibility.
Top-rated Ring of Kerry experiences:
⭑ Jaunting Car Tour to Ross Castle from Killarney
⭑ Guided Killarney National Park Walking Tour
⭑ Self-Guided Bike Tour of Killarney National Park, Muckross Gardens & Waterfall
⭑ Combination Killarney Jaunting Car Tour and Lakes of Killarney Cruise
⭑ Ultimate Skellig Coast Tour (non landing)
Cultured Voyages Top Ring of Kerry Accommodation Picks:
→ Cahernane House (manor house in Killarney)
→ Quinlan & Cooke Boutique Townhouse (Caherciveen)
→ Parknasilla Resort & Spa (luxury resort outside Sneem)
→ Watersedge Guesthouse (a friendly B&B in Kenmare)
a wind & waterproof jacket // The Little Book of Irishisms: Know the Irish through our Words // Over Nine Waves: A Book of Irish Legends (reading with enrich your trip) // these amazing compression packing cubes // a universal travel adapter
A little about the Ballaghbeama Gap, Kerry
Geography and area
Although it’s located adjacent to the Macgillycuddy’s Reeks mountains, unless you’re a seasoned hiker the uninitiated will likely be unfamiliar with the Dunkerron Mountain range, which forms the central spine of Kerry’s Iveragh Peninsula.
The range’s highest point is Mullaghanattin, standing at 773m, and the approach to Ballaghbeama Gap is via a glaciated valley between the spur of Mullaghanattin and the slightly smaller Knocklomena, which comes in at a respectable 641m.
The western coast of Ireland saw great activity during the the Ice Age and Ballaghbeama Gap is superb evidence of this.
As the glacier moved across the landscape of the Iveragh Peninsula, it breached the weakest point in the mountain ridge, plucking out a giant wedge of rock and leaving behind a corridor through the rock face which now forms the vertical walls through which the narrow mountain pass road winds.
Along with some spectacular mountain scenery, the glacier smoothed out the rocky moorland that we can see today, as well as carving out cavities for Cloon Lough and the smaller Lough Brin, which is visible from the road. This landscape certainly makes for some magnificent views.
As the narrow road winds its way through the scattered boulders at the top of Ballaghbeama Gap, you question where the single track road is going to lead you next but have no fear, as it tracks safely down the towards lower ground and presents some ever-changing views along the way.
Where is the Ballghbeama Gap located?
In a way, the actual road that encompasses the Ballaghbeama Gap sort of starts and ends in the middle nowhere, in that it doesn’t begin or finish in a town or village, but traverses a specific part of mountain from one townland to another.
From the Kenmare/Killarney direction, the Ballaghbeama Gap starts around 10km past Moll’s Gap once you turn off the R558 road. The scenic drive then finishes around 1km short of the small rural village of Glencar.
To see specifically where this all fits in in the grander scheme of the Kerry countryside, see the accompanying map. In the map, you’ll also clearly be able to see the ridge of mountain running up the peninsula and how the Ballaghbeama pass road cuts across it.
How long does it take to drive the Ballaghbeama Pass?
In terms of distance, this spectacular drive is relatively short.
The Ballaghbeama Gap is just shy of 17km and takes around 30 minutes of slow, careful driving if you don’t plan on getting out of the car.
If you do plan on stopping off, I’d allow around 45 minutes in one direction and if you plan on driving it in both directions (more on why you might do that later in this post), I’d budget around 1.5 hours in your day.
If you’ve done the maths on the above and have realised that you’ll be travelling at 30km per hour, this is not an error – unless you’re a rally car driver you’re going to be taking it this slow. Any faster and you risk turning a nice drive into a very challenging drive that requires strong nerves!
Ways you can drive the Ballaghbeama Gap
The most complicated part of tackling the Ballaghbeama Gap route is trying to figure out how to fit it into your plans and if it is practical to do so.
This probably puts a lot of people off driving it, but armed with a little prior knowledge before setting out or indeed, before writing it off, you’ll find this twisty road of natural treasures to be a very rewarding one that’s worth taking.
Here are some ways that you can fit it into your visit to Kerry.
1. Transiting from the southern side of Iveragh Peninsula to Killorglin or the Dingle Peninsula
If you are travelling from somewhere along the southern shoreline of the Iveragh Peninsula and are heading in the Killorglin direction (for example if you are moving on to Dingle) then you can take the scenic route to Killorglin from the likes of Caherdaniel, Sneem or Kenmare via the Ballaghbeama Gap.
2. As a detour off the Ring of Kerry route from Moll’s Gap or Kenmare
If you’re driving from Killarney and taking in the likes of Ladies View and heading on to Moll’s Gap, then this is a great time to append the Ballaghbeama Gap onto your journey. Both mountain pass roads are so close together it would be a shame to miss out on more magnificent scenery when it is so close by.
In this scenario, you’re looked at an ‘out and back’ type route, where you drive the road in one direction before turning around and heading back the way you came.
3. As a looped road trip started in Killarney or Kenmare
From Killarney, you can go one further and take in Ladies View, Moll’s Gap, Ballaghbeama Gap.
Then continue on past Glencar in a looped route that skirts around the mountainous views of Carrauntoohil and the Bridia Valley, before you’ll cut back in towards Killarney, passing close to the Gap of Dunloe (you may want to visit at this point) and Lough Leane.
Though not any sort of official route, it presents quite a breathtaking driving experience that’s perfect for those who are perhaps short on time and can’t drive the Ring of Kerry, or for those who have more time on their hands and want to explore the area more deeply.
While the coast along the Iveragh Peninsula offers some superb views, the interior of this part of Ireland is also spectacular in its own right and is worthy of exploration.
The route is around 80km long and would take around 1.75 hours or so to complete, plus stoppage time. You’ll also be very close to Caragh Lake, should you wish to take a detour for more exploration.
4. As a ‘scenic route’ from Waterville to Kenmare/Killarney
Taking around 1 hour and 45 minutes to drive the 79km route, by opting for this drive through mountains between Waterville and Killarney you’ll not only get to drive the Ballaghbeama Gap, but also the Ballaghisheen Pass, another stunning Kerry road that offers some incredible views of the Irish landscape.
A great option if you’ve decided to only cover half of the Ring of Kerry, or have already driven the Ring of Kerry N70 route – it’s a wonderful diversion off the usual tourist routes.
Ballaghbeama Gap cycle route
The Ballaghbeama Gap is perfect for cycling, as it’s much quieter than the main Ring of Kerry route and its many tour buses.
The Ballaghbeama Gap ascent is 3km, climbing to a height of 200m at a gradient of 6.7%. You’ll also get to enjoy the unique landscape and breath-taking views in peace and quiet, making it a very worthy cycling route.
Tips for driving the Ballaghbeama Gap route
Watch out for other cars
While you may be lucky enough not to even encounter another vehicle, it’s still very likely that you might meet a handful. If you’re driving as slowly as recommended, then this shouldn’t pose too much of a problem.
While there are tight corners and the route is extremely narrow, you don’t need anything close to mountain driving experience – there are ample turnoffs for you to pull in at.
If you see a car in the near distance and there is room to pull in close by, do yourself a favour by doing so at this point and wait for the car to pass – it may save you from having to reverse if you elect to proceed at this point.
Take your time
Safety aside, it goes without saying that you should take your time to make your way through this thoroughly unique piece of Ireland.
Parts of the landscape look almost lunar in nature and it also appears like many of the Ballaghbeama Gap’s boulders have simply fallen from the sky to their resting places – you’re going to want to take it slowly to soak it all in.
From a safety perspective, once you take your time too you’ll have ample time to react to other cars or to pull in whenever you see something that catches your eye without causing an accident.
Look out for sheep
While any of the sheep I encountered seemed impressively well drilled, moving themselves off the road in advance of the car approaching, please do look out for them.
This is especially true when there are lambs. Let the sheep move out of your way in their own time and make sure you don’t do anything to distress them.
Use common sense
As the crow flies, while you won’t be too far from civilisation this is a fairly remote part of the countryside and phone reception can be dire to non-existent in some areas, especially depending on various phone carriers.
Download your Google Map in advance in case you lose connectivity, make sure you have enough fuel for the drive and don’t do anything reckless!
Ballaghbeama Gap – wrapping up
The Ballaghbeama Gap is one of the best drives to take from Killarney and its environs and offers the chance to see a part of Ireland that most tourists miss out on. By allocating an extra hour or so to include it your plans, you’ll thoroughly enrich your visit to Kerry and see mother nature at her best.
Things to do near the Ballaghbeama Gap
Once you’re finished driving the Ballaghbeama Gap, there is plenty to do in the surrounding area to keep you occupied. A non exhaustive list includes:
- climbing Carrauntoohil, Ireland’s tallest mountain
- climbing the adjoining Mullaghanattin for a unique view of the Iveragh Peninsula
- spending some time at Caragh Lake
- visiting the Gap of Dunloe
- refuelling at The Strawberry Field, a pancake cottage café
- exploring the rugged landscape of Killarney National Park
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