Allihies Loop Walks

Loop 139A. North Engine Loop

Trailhead    Allihies Village, Co Cork

Services      Allihies Village

Dist/Time   7km / 2hrs – 3hrs

Difficulty      Moderate

High/Ascent  160m/200m

Terrain        Minor roads, coastline, hillside tracks.  

To Suit        Average levels of fitness

Min. Gear    Hiking boots, raingear, fluid and mobile phone.

Grid Ref.      OS Sheet 84, V586 448

Loop Guiding 

A-B. Leaving the trailhead at the Allihies village follow the green (and blue and purple) arrows downhill through the village. The blue and purple arrows are for longer loops. After 200m pass a crossroads and 500m later reach a 4-way junction where you turn right onto the ‘beach road’. Note that you have now joined the long-distance Beara Way waymarked with yellow arrows. Follow this road for 600m past the beach and public toilets and join a sandy roadway which takes you across a stile and onto the coastline.

B-C. Follow the green (blue, purple and yellow) arrows as the loop takes you along this superb coastline for 2km. Joining a surfaced road cross straight over and follow this road for 300m to reach a stile where you turn left. Follow the green arrows as the loop takes you by farm buildings and uphill to the disused Mountain Mine area. Joining a surfaced road, turn right and travel downhil for 200m to reach a narrow track on your right. You turn right here - following the green (and yellow) arrow.

C-A. Continue to follow the track downhill for 500m to reach the edge of the village. Enjoy the last 1km back to the trailhead through this picturesque fishing village.

Directions to Trailhead
Start from Castletownbere (or Castletown Berehaven) on the R572 on the southern side of the Beara Peninsula.
Follow the R572 for 15km to reach a junction with the R575 near Bealbarnish Gap – keep right here following the signs for Allihies. Another 3km will take you to the picturesque village – the trailhead is located at Allihies Village.

Loop 139B. Kealoge Mine Loop

 

Trailhead     Allihies Village, Allihies, Co Cork

Services      Allihies Village

Dist/Time   10km / 3hrs – 4hrs

Difficulty      Moderate

High/Ascent  160m/220m

Terrain        Minor roads, coastline, hillside tracks.  

To Suit        Average levels of fitness

Min. Gear    Hiking boots, raingear, fluid, snack, and mobile phone.

Grid Ref.    OS Sheet 84, V586 448

 

Loop Guiding 

A-B. Leaving the trailhead at Allihies Village, follow the blue (and green and purple) arrows downhill along the surfaced road. The green and purple arrows are for other loops. After 200m pass a crossroads and 500m later reach a 4-way junction where you turn right onto the ‘beach road’. Note that you have now joined the long-distance Beara Way - waymarked with yellow arrows. Follow this road for 600m past the beach and public toilets and join a sandy roadway which takes you across a stile and onto the coastline.

B-C. Follow the blue (green, purple and yellow) arrows as the loop takes you along this superb coastline for 2km.
Joining a surfaced road cross straight over and follow this road for 300m to reach a stile where you turn left. Follow the blue arrows as the loop takes you by farm buildings and uphill to a disused mine area. Joining a surfaced road, turn right and travel downhill for 200m to reach a narrow track on your right. The green loop turns right here - but you continue straight on following the blue (and purple) arrows.  

C-D. Follow the roadway for 300m to reach a stile on your left. Cross this stile and follow the blue arrows past old mining buildings to join a minor roadway. After 500m you join a surfaced road and turn left. Follow this road for more than 1km to a junction where you rejoin the Beara Way (yellow arrows). Continue to follow roadway past Kealoge Mine (on your right) to reach a narrow laneway on your right where the purple loop goes straight - but you turn right following the blue (and yellow) arrows.

D-A. The surfaced laneway soon becomes a grassy laneway as it descends. Near the edge of the village you join the surfaced road on which you started out - turn right and enjoy the last 200m back to the trailhead.

Directions to Trailhead
Start from Castletownbere (or Castletown Berehaven) on the R572 on the southern side of the Beara Peninsula.
Follow the R572 for 15km to reach a junction with the R575 near Bealbarnish Gap – keep right here following the signs for Allihies. Another 3km will take you to the picturesque village – the trailhead is located at Allihies Village.

Loop 139C. Ballydonegan Loop

 

Trailhead     Allihies Village, Allihies, Co Cork

Services      Allihies Village

Dist/Time   18km / 4hrs – 5hrs

Difficulty      Hard

High/Ascent  220m/300m

Terrain        Minor roads, coastline, hillside tracks.  

To Suit        Above average levels of fitness

Min. Gear    Hiking boots, raingear, fluid, snack, and mobile phone.

Grid Ref.    OS Sheet 84, V586 448

 

Loop Guiding 

A-B. Leaving the trailhead at the Allihies Village, follow the purple (and green and blue) arrows downhill along the surfaced road. The green and blue arrows are for shorter loops. After 200m pass a crossroads and 500m later reach a 4-way junction where you turn right onto the ‘beach road’. Note that you have now joined the long-distance Beara Way - waymarked with yellow arrows. Follow this road for 600m past the beach and public toilets and join a sandy roadway which takes you across a stile and onto the coastline.

B-C. Follow the purple (green, blue and yellow) arrows as the loop takes you along this superb coastline for 2km. Joining a surfaced road cross straight over and follow this road for 300m to reach a stile where you turn left. Follow the purple arrows as the loop takes you by farm buildings and uphill to a disused mine area. Joining a surfaced road, turn right and travel downhill for 200m to reach a narrow track on your right. The green loop turns right here - but you continue straight on following the purple (and blue) arrows.  

C-D. Follow the roadway for 300m to reach a stile on your left. Cross this stile and follow the purple arrows past old mining buildings to join a minor roadway. After 500m you join a surfaced road and turn left. Follow this road for more than 1km to a junction where you rejoin the Beara Way (yellow arrows). Continue to follow roadway past Kealoge Mine (on your right) to reach a narrow laneway on your right where the blue loop turns right following the Beara Way (yellow arrows). You continue straight ahead.

D-E. Continue to follow the surfaced roadway for approximately 500m to reach a roadway on your left into Beara Holiday Homes. Turn left here, but almost immediately turn right and cross a stile into a field. After 300m you exit the field and join an old laneway - turn left and follow the laneway as it takes you through a forested section and follows a wire fence over a hill and descends to join a surfaced roadway at Knockroe. Turning right the loop descends gently to the townland of Kilkinnikin where it turns sharp right and joins a sandy laneway and ascends again. After the laneway ends the loop joins a wire fence and crosses hillside westward toward Knockincrough. Here the loop turns north again and starts a descent on a sandy laneway to reach the R575 at Ballydonegan.

E-A. The loop just crosses the main road here and rejoins the Beara Way (yellow arrows) and turns right. Shortly afterwards you join an old laneway and turn left following the shoreline of Ballydonegan Bay. After Bayyydonegan Strand the loop joins the 4-way junction mentioned at A above. This time go straight on and enjoy the last 500m back to the trailhead.

Directions to Trailhead
Start from Castletownbere (or Castletown Berehaven) on the R572 on the southern side of the Beara Peninsula.
Follow the R572 for 15km to reach a junction with the R575 near Bealbarnish Gap – keep right here following the signs for Allihies. Another 3km will take you to the picturesque village – the trailhead is located at Allihies Village.