Slea Head, Ireland

If you ever have the opportunity to visit Ireland, I would 100% recommend that you go or add it to your traveling bucket-list! It is like no place I have ever been and every time that I go back I am more in awe of the beautiful country filled with amazing people and cultural history.

I have been blessed to fall in love with an Irishman in California whose mom was born and raised in Cork and the rest of their incredible family still lives there. When he first suggested that we go visit a few years ago, I was really excited but had no idea what to expect. I pictured lots of green, lots of cows, lots of rain and a lot of Guinness. While that was true, I had no idea about all of the spectacular coastal towns, adventures, wonderfully friendly and hilarious people and that they have some of the most amazing beaches in the world.

When I first went to Ireland in 2014, Michael’s cousins took us on a road trip in Kerry to the Dingle Peninsula. (**Dingle by the way is one of the most charming places I have ever seen but that is going to have to come in another post along with other adventures like driving the full Ring of Kerry, visiting the Aran Islands and staying in a haunted manor. I take way too many pictures and have too much to say for just one big Ireland post so hopefully you’ll enjoy looking at everything as much as I did and I’ll have a little series of Irish travel.)

On the way to Dingle we stopped at Inch Beach, which is one of the best surfing spots in Ireland with a sandy beach stretching as far the eye can see. After staying the night in Dingle at an adorable Bed & Breakfast and drinking too much Bulmer’s and Guinness in a handful of the town’s pubs we woke up with plans to go to Slea Head.

When Michael’s cousin told me this was going to be one of the most beautiful places ever, she wasn’t lying and I wasn’t ever prepared for how stunning it really was. We made our way along the tiny winding roads, that believe it or not are actually meant for two lane traffic despite being the size of a golf cart path, and I wanted to stop every couple minutes to get out for pictures. The bright green pastures against the vibrant blue ocean is just too incredible.

When we parked and walked down the grassy steps to the edge of the cliff all you see is turquoise water and a tucked away cove filled with white sand. If you were just looking from the sand outward you would think you were on some tropical island until you look back and see sheep grazing in the pastures and rolling hills going on forever.

There’s two things you have to do when you visit Slea Head (aside from taking pictures) and make sure you’re wearing some good walking shoes when you do. First, go down to the beach and feel the sand. It is so soft and the water is so crisp. Once you soak in the view for a bit get ready to hike.

If you make it all the way to the top of the hill you’ll be at the most western part of Dingle and have a 360 degree view that will literally take your breath away after all the walking. On one side you see the beach and the Blasket Islands, and on the other you see green cliffs fading into the distance.

It gets really windy up at the top and depending on the last time it rained it is super slippery getting down. I have lucked out with strangely beautiful and sunny weather the three times I have been to Ireland and the second time I went to Slea Head it was just as sunny in January as it was in July of 2014, just a lot colder. Hence the jacket’s when it looks like a summer day. 

When we visited in 2017 I made it about half way up a side path to the top before running into Michael’s sister on her way down. We both joked about nearly falling off the edge and how we had taken pictures to mark what might be our last selfie as we slid on the grass. The way up along the side is definitely more scenic, but also slightly terrifying so I would recommend going up the back of the hill unless the thought of sliding to the edge of a cliff doesn’t scare you because it is worth the views.

I think I’ve said as much as I can about how crazy beautiful it is so I’ll just let pictures do the rest. Michael’s cousin Sarah set us up for this picture in 2014 and we had his sister take it again for us this past January. She said she could picture us taking one every time we visit until were just a couple of oldies which is just one more reason to keep going back.

Has anyone been to Ireland before and visited Slea Head? What are some places on your bucket-list?