Dingle Way (Ireland) stage 2: Camp - Anascaul

The second stage of the Dingle Way is not as spectacular as the first day, but has Inch Beach has a real nice attraction. With almost 19 km of well maintained paths it's one of the easier stages on the Dingle Way.

Due to our mishaps of locating the correct B&B we had to be picked up by car, but the owners of the B&B were so incredibly nice that they also dropped of us at the point were we left off. This meant that the first hour was characterized by first a gradual climb on a paved road and later a very steady descent over the boreens through the pastures foreseen with sheep. The part over the paved road must be seen as a necessity to access the boreens thirty minutes later. Although these boreens are not my favourite part of the Dingle Way there are nonetheless an enjoyable hiking expierence. It reminded me of the West Highland Way where I encountered similar kind of roads.

Later I cross a small forest section, but then the path transforms into a grass path leading to Inch Beach. The views over Inch Beach and it's neighbouring cliffs is just an appetizer for what's to come in the next few days. But even then these views demand a certain respect of the viewer, at least when it's very sunny as on this day. I descended to Inch Beach where you have the opportunity to drink a well-deserved Guinness or eat a small meal. That's probably a good idea as the next asccent is a long one, but fortunately not very steep.

Again a grass path between the pastures is your main road to Anascaul. Calling it a bit boring is maybe exeggerated, but it wasn't my favourite part of the Dingle Way. One thing I really liked here was the green landscape and the mountains in the background. What I didn't enjoy as much was the descent over the paved road to my B&B. These are the last two uninspiring kilometers of an otherwise nice day. In Anascaul you should also really visit the South Pole Inn which was opened by Tom Crean, so many years ago and is a really cosy pub.

I would describe this stage as one of the lesser stages on the Dingle Way, but this says more about the quality of the Dingle Way than anything else. With the different grass paths, boreens, a small forest and the lovely stop at Inch Beach it offers a complete package of hiking fun, but it misses that something extra differentiating this stage from others.