Overview

Ventry - from the Irish Fionntrá, meaning "white beach" - is a Gaeltacht village in County Kerry on the Dingle Peninsula, approximately 7 kilometres west of Dingle town.

What You'll See

Set in a deep south-east facing bay, Ventry Strand is one of the most sheltered beaches on the Dingle Peninsula - an enormous 3-kilometre crescent of golden sand. The beach is backed by a system of sand dunes, a small lake, marshlands, and an extensive reed swamp, giving the area behind the strand a quiet, ecologically rich character that's great for walking.

Ventry Harbour at the village end of the beach is still used by small fishing boats, and marine eco tours and trips to the Blasket Islands run from the pier during the summer months.

On a clear day, the Iveragh Peninsula and the distant outline of the Skellig Islands are visible across the water.

Visitor Essentials

Ventry Beach is free to access and open year-round, 24 hours a day. The beach holds a Blue Flag award for quality and has lifeguards on duty during the summer months - exact times are posted on the noticeboard at the beach.

Free parking is available at several access points, though the car park can get crowded on sunny days, with an overspill car park nearby. Facilities include public toilets and an outdoor shower.

Tips

Ventry is just a 10-minute drive from Dingle and never really gets overwhelmingly busy on account of its size, making it a calmer alternative to some of the more visited beaches on the peninsula.

It sits right at the start of the Slea Head Drive, so it works naturally as a first or last stop on the loop - arriving early to walk the beach before the drive is a good use of the morning.