Is it worth booking Kerry Cliffs in advance?

Walk-up entry is usually possible, but booking in advance secures your preferred time slot and avoids queues in peak season (June–August).

How much does it cost to visit Kerry Cliffs?

Standard adult admission is €5. Guided experiences start from €5 per person.

How long does a visit to Kerry Cliffs take?

Allow 1–1.5 hours for a comfortable visit. Arriving early in the morning or late afternoon helps avoid the busiest periods in summer.

When is Kerry Cliffs open?

Daily 08:00–19:00 (Apr–Oct); weather dependent (Nov–Mar)

How do I get to Kerry Cliffs?

The nearest major airport is Kerry Airport (KIR), approximately 1 hr by car. Kerry Cliffs is best reached by car — this is a self-drive destination.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

All Attractions

Coastal

Kerry Cliffs

Co. Kerry · 1–1.5 hours

The Kerry Cliffs at Portmagee are a privately managed clifftop viewing area on the Iveragh Peninsula, overlooking a coastline of sea stacks and sheer drops into the Atlantic. The cliffs reach 300 metres at their highest point — considerably taller than the Cliffs of Moher — and the viewing area has been developed with a series of pathways and viewing platforms positioned for the best angles over the sea stacks below.

The site's primary draw, beyond the cliffs themselves, is the view of Skellig Michael on the horizon — on a clear day the twin peaks of the island are visible roughly 12 km offshore. For anyone planning a Skellig boat trip, the Kerry Cliffs are the logical stop the evening before or morning of — Portmagee, where the Skellig boats depart, is less than 2 km away, and the combination of the cliffs view and the island itself in a single day is one of the strongest experiences in southwest Kerry.

The €5 entry fee (pay at the car park) is modest. The farmhouse at the entrance operates a small café. The access road from the R565 is narrow; take care with wide vehicles. This part of the Iveragh Peninsula sees significantly less traffic than the Ring of Kerry main road, which runs further north — the Kerry Cliffs and the Portmagee area reward those who detour from the main circuit.

Highlights

Cliff heights up to 300 m — taller than the Cliffs of Moher and less visited
Clear view of Skellig Michael (12 km offshore) from the top viewpoints on a good day
Less than 2 km from Portmagee, the departure point for Skellig Michael boat tours
Sea stacks and dramatic Atlantic coastline from a series of cliff-edge pathways
Small €5 entry fee — one of the best-value coastal viewpoints in Kerry

Good to know

→Visit the evening before your Skellig boat trip — the cliffs give you the view of Skellig Michael from land before you see it from the sea.
→The access road is narrow — allow extra time in summer and be patient with oncoming traffic.
→Morning light gives better photography conditions — the cliffs face roughly west-southwest.
→The café at the farmhouse entrance is simple but reliable for a coffee stop.
→This is the less-visited part of the Ring of Kerry — the approach from Portmagee via the R565 is far quieter than the main N70 circuit.

Best Time to Visit

May–Sep for the clearest views of Skellig Michael from the cliff top. Morning visits give better light for photography. Combine with a Skellig Michael boat trip from Portmagee (2 km away) for the full southwest Kerry experience.