The 7 Best Towns In West Cork Ireland 2023
West Cork is one of the most popular tourist destinations in all of Ireland, thanks in large part to the beauty of its countryside. However, the towns here are also beautiful, especially those along the coast.
Best Towns In West Cork: #1 Kinsale
Kinsale is the place to go for seafood that tastes out of this world. The town grew up around an old fishing port. This charming seaside town is now the southern starting point of the famous Wild Atlantic Way tourist trail. It has brightly colored storefronts, flowerbeds that are overflowing, and a beautiful view of the harbor. Old Head Golf Links is a local golf course that you have to see to believe. It is built on rough cliffs at the end of a diamond-shaped peninsula that sticks out into the ocean.

Best Towns In West Cork: #2 Clonakilty
At the 2017 Urbanism Awards, Clonakilty was named the best town in Ireland and the UK. This is because the people who live there really care about making their town look nice. In 1999, it won the national TidyTowns competition as a whole. Since then, it has won a lot of awards for how hard it works to keep the area looking its best. A few kilometers (miles) outside of town is Inchydoney Beach, which has a Blue Flag and is one of the most beautiful beaches in the whole country.

Best Towns In West Cork: #3 Glandore
Even though Glandore is a village, it should be part of a trip along the West Cork coast. The same-named yachting harbor is about 3 miles long and 4.8 km wide. At its mouth are two islands called Adam and Eve. The center of the village is a pier from the early 1800s. Sailing and watching whales are two of the most popular things to do there. There are two Norman castles nearby, as well as a nice path that leads to the Drombeg Stone Circle, which is an ancient megalithic structure.

Best Towns In West Cork: #4 Baltimore
Baltimore’s name comes from the Irish Baile a T Mhóir, which means “town of the big house.” It has a ferry port that serves the oyster-rich Roaringwater Bay and many of the islands known as Carbery’s Hundred Isles. The “big house” in question is a castle built in the 1300s that looks out over the harbor and has been destroyed and rebuilt many times. Legends say that the name of the US city comes from the islands off its coast. However, this is not thought to be the case. People think that Baltimore, Maryland, got its name from the second Lord Baltimore, who was a member of the Irish House of Lords and helped to settle the area.

Best Towns In West Cork: #5 Schull
Schull is the main village on the peninsula that ends in Mizen Head. This is the most southern point of Ireland, and the new Star Wars movies were filmed there because it looks like something out of a fairy tale. Mount Gabriel is to the north of the town, which means that it has a rare view of both the sea and the mountains. Schull is a little piece of heaven. It has unique shops and friendly restaurants, and its harbor looks out over the Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking) area of Cape Clear Island and the Atlantic Ocean.

Best Towns In West Cork: #6 Bantry
The town of Bantry is in the middle of Bantry Bay, which is one of the longest inlets in the southwest. It is about 32.1 km (20 mi) long. Discover Ireland calls the weekly Bantry Market “one of the most lively markets in West Cork.” It is held in the town square, which is surrounded by buildings in a rainbow of colors. Other things to do here include taking a day trip to the bay’s Whiddy Island, which is a haven for colorful plants like fuchsia because of the Gulf Stream climate.

Best Towns In West Cork: #7 Glengarriff
The beautiful village of Glengarriff is on the Ring of Beara route on the Beara Peninsula. It is known as “the natural meeting place” because it has so many outdoor activities. Its name comes from the Irish phrase “the rugged glen,” which is probably a reference to the sandstone Caha Mountains on the peninsula. Glengarriff Forest is now a large nature reserve with paths, picnic areas, and lookout points. On Garnish Island in Glengarriff Harbour, British landscape designer Harold Peto made a famous Italian garden.

Topic: The 7 Best Towns In West Cork Ireland 2023
Join the “I Left My Heart in Ireland” in Our Community on Facebook. A place where members can be honest with each other, share their stories and travel photos, and try out a new way to see Ireland together.
By: Travel Pixy