The Irish summer holiday combines simplicity and sophistication – we find extraordinary places to stay, eat and explore …
For a perfect base from which to explore West Cork, book the renovated Foxglove Cottage, a ten-minute drive from Ballydehob, Bantry, Skibbereen and Schull. On a rainy day, the cottage is warm and inviting, with a sideboard filled with books and board games; on a sunny day, the terrace is a suntrap for breakfast and birdsong. There are lots of gorgeous walks and cycle routes nearby, including the Skibbereen Loop 3 cycling route.
In Ballydehob, sauna fans should book a stay in a Native Cabin in order to experience the wellness experience that combines aromatherapy, foraged tea, and scents and botanicals sourced from local herbalist Jen Doran. New self-catering cabins launched last year.
While there’s no shortage of enticing restaurants around West Cork, for a unique dining experience try Carpa at the family-run Inish Beg Estate, on a private island accessed by road bridge from the Skibbereen-Baltimore road. Chef Ophelia Keane offers private dining for up to 30 guests in Carpa’s glazed sunroom, as well as special feasting experiences on the estate – the greenhouse for an intimate dining experience surrounded by plants, the orchard, the woods or the shoreline for a seafood feast cooked over fire. Available for overnight guests and non-residents, and for two up to 20 guests, seasonal menus are based on what’s ready to harvest in the estate’s gardens.
Leave the car when heading out for dinner and drinks as a relatively new bus route connects Baltimore, Skibbereen, Union Hall and Castletownshend for the first time ever on a public transport service. A good excuse to visit Nolan’s in Union Hall – the former coffee house reopened as a bar with quaint, quirky design and cosy rooms.
In Baltimore, a table at Baba’de (the sister restaurant of two-Michelin star Dede at The Customs House) is still the hottest reservation in town during the summer months. The Turkish mezze style menu is perfect for a casual dinner.
In the restored 19th-century Ulusker House on the Beara Peninsula, Canadian-German couple Vanessa and Matti have been running Mossie’s B&B since 2019. The latest addition to the accommodation offering is Hanno’s Workshop, a self-catering barn with a New York-style loft (two guests; pets allowed). Check out the sauna beside a small pond on the grounds.
Allow time to walk or cycle part of the Beara Way, a 206km loop that starts and finishes in Glengarriff, from where you can also take a short ferry to mystical Garnish Island. Stop for a sweet crêpe or savoury galette from La Crêperie Gourmande food truck.
If driving along the Sheep’s Head peninsula, make a pitstop in the village of Ahakista, where local haunts include The Heron Gallery & Café, run by artist Annabel Langrish and The Tin Pub – with its lovely garden backing on to Kitchen Cove at Dunmanus Bay, full of hydrangeas in the summer.
In Kinsale, Saint Francis Provisions is a wine bar offering small plates. Owned by Barbara Nealon, it was awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand last year. The menu has a Spanish slant courtesy of head chef Rebeca Recarey Sanchez – expect Rossmore oysters with escabeche, cod and confit peppers, and Santoña anchovies on toast. Get there at opening time to nab one of the tables on the sunny terrace out front.
In East Cork, make haste to the Salty Dog café and restaurant on the pier at Ballycotton. The community pub has live music every Saturday and boutique guest rooms upstairs. Book one of Ballycotton Sea Adventures that offer boat trips to the local lighthouse.
Nearby, Sea Church, in a restored church, is another great restaurant. Garryvoe Beach is lovely for a walk – after a dip, try the sauna at the beach. Further afield but worth the short drive is Cush, which moved from Ballycotton to Midleton – this award-winning restaurant is listed in the Michelin Guide.
