Kerry Way
The Kerry Way (Slí Uíbh Ráthaigh) is a 214 km circular long-distance walking trail in County Kerry, Ireland, starting and finishing in Killarney. It loops around the Iveragh Peninsula and is typically split into nine stages for day-by-day walking.
Expect a serious, mountainous long-distance itinerary: the route combines quiet country lanes with boggy moorland, forest paths, and remote mountain paths. The trail is commonly walked anti-clockwise, using the peninsula loop as a walkers’ version of the Ring of Kerry road tour.
From Killarney, the route passes through the Muckross area and heads toward Torc Waterfall, then follows the Old Kenmare Road via Esknamucky Glen and reaches the Black Valley area. This section sets the tone with upland ground as you work south and west of the Reeks.
The long middle section threads through the Black Valley below MacGillycuddy’s Reeks, then continues through Cummeenduff Glen toward Bridia Valley. It then goes over the Lack Road into Derrynafeana Glen and follows around Lough Acoose to Glencar.
After Glencar, the trail keeps to the Caragh River valley before circling Seefin Mountain and reaching Glenbeigh. Around Seefin, there are two marked route options: a shorter line via Windy Gap (to the west) or a longer line via the east above Lough Caragh overlooking Dingle Bay.
From Glenbeigh the route climbs onto hills overlooking Dingle Bay until Drung Hill, then turns inland toward Foilmore. It continues by ridges and onward to Waterville, then follows options toward Caherdaniel—either coastal or inland (via Capall River and mountain crossings via Windy Gap)—before carrying on to Sneem.
The final return to Killarney runs through the mountains between Kenmare and Killarney via another Windy Gap, rejoining the outbound route near Galway’s Bridge and completing the loop through Muckross.
The trail is a National Waymarked Trail and has been described as the longest of Ireland’s National Waymarked Trails. It’s managed locally with support from the Kerry Way Committee and development partners.
More information: Official website, Wikipedia, The Ultimate Guide to Hiking the Kerry Way - Hillwalk Tours Blog