T
hings to do
Fishing port, market town, tourist center and passageway to
Ireland's mountainous county Kerry, Bantry town sits at the head of
Bantry Bay. Bantry is an ideal base to explore the Beara peninsula.
The area around is lush country with remote
lakes and rivers. It is perfect for more athletic pursuits, from
walking to skin diving, and from horse riding to golf. And for the
more adventurous there is hang-gliding and para-gliding.
There are deep harbors and hidden coves, sweeping golden beaches and
steep cliffs that drop precipitously into the sea.
The nearest long stretches of golden sandy beaches, such as Barleycove (pictured above),
are a 30 minute drive from Bantry. However, there is no shortage of
small secluded sandy beaches in the Bay region where families can
enjoy themselves in almost complete privacy. Detailed guides,maps and route planners of all types of tours including car driven,
cycling, walking and mountain hiking are available free of charge locally.
Hill Walking
With a maze of minor roads and pathways there are many enjoyable
walks for all the family. Casual or more experienced walkers will enjoy discovering what
nearby Glengarrif woods has to offer. The Sheep's Head Way is an 88km route which was recently voted the
"Best Walk in Ireland". The route is mostly off road
across open hillside and is well marked by oak posts and carved
stone markers. There are also five Loop Walks which run north/south
and can be used to lengthen or shorten the days' walking. Information on all walks is available locally and the
Waymarked Ways website is well worth a visit.
Golf 
Golf enthusiasts will not be disappointed as there are many challenging courses in the area. Bantry golf course
is a clifftop parkland championship course of par 71 spread over 6500 yards in length. With
its panoramic views of Bantry Bay and the Beara Peninsula on the backdrop, it is truly a
spectacular setting for west Corks finest course. Two kilometers from Bantry on the N71 to Glengarriff there is a demanding Par 71 course designed by
Christy O'Connor Jnr. There are several other courses within a 20km radius of Bantry aswell as some good Pitch
& Putt courses.
Angling
Fishing is very popular in the area due to the large variety of fish that can be caught - conger eels, dogfish,
cod, pollock, ray, skate, ling and other varieties. For lake and river fishing there are two of the best
fishing lakes in Ireland for trout and six rivers noted for salmon fishing. Licences are available locally
in fish-tackle shops.
Local Attractions 
- Overlooking Bantry Bay is Bantry House, a large Georgian mansion renowned throughout the world for its
collection of art, furniture and tapestries. The house was originally built in 1720 and has undergone many
changes and periods of growth. Today visitors can visit the houses' many rooms, which offer a wide selection
of interesting features. The 1796 French Armada Centre is housed in the old Carriage House behind the main
house. This centre tells the history of the Battle of Bantry in December 1796, which was led by Wolfe Tone.
- Bantry is also home to the West Cork Chamber Music Festival, held during the last week of June. This
involves a performance from the RTE Vanburgh String Quartet.
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