West Cork Sheeps Head Peninsula

Mizen Loop and Ring of Beara Loop

Base ➤ Bantry | 2 Days
Routes Suitable For ➤ Small groups or mid/end-of-season club tour
Guide Budget ➤ €90 - €120 based on 2 nights Bed & Breakfast / Twin Room sharing

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Mizen Loop and Ring of Beara Loop

Tough but worth the effort, this is West Cork (and a sneaky bit of Kerry) at its finest!

Check out Ireland.com’s listings for the best accommodation in Bantry

Top Tip

Day 2 is a challenge. Take it easy in the morning and save yourself for the Caha Pass – you'll be glad you did!

This route has two options, A and B. A is longer and more challenging than B so have a look and pick the one that suits you. If you’re cycling with a group, you can split into Group A and Group B depending on experience and fitness.

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Mizen Loop & Ring of Beara Loop, West Cork (Group A)

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Route Rating ➤ Challenging

Distance ➤ 299 km

Climbing ➤ 3,633 meters

Day 1

Bantry - Ballydehob - Schull - Goleen - Mizen Head - Durrus - Sheeps Head (126km)

This route has all the ingredients for a perfect day’s cycling. Challenging stretches bookended by some gentle rolling hills, great coffee and lunch options all topped off with what just might be the best of the Wild Atlantic Way between Durrus and Sheeps Head. Don’t believe us? Cycle it and see!

This one is best enjoyed with the head up and the Garmin turned off!

Day 2

Bantry - Glengarriff - Castletownbere - Allihies - Eyeries - Kilmakilloge - Caha Pass - Glengarriff (173km)

Taking on the Ring of Beara in a clockwise direction is without doubt the best way to enjoy this stunning peninsula. You need to pace yourself on this one, not because it’s long at 173km but because it just keeps coming at you with a mixture of long and short drags and sharp descents – and that’s before you get to the 16km Caha Pass at 130km! So take it easy, soak up the views and listen to the body.

Mizen Loop & Ring of Beara Loop, West Cork (Group B)

Go to Ride with GPS

Route Rating ➤ Challenging

Distance ➤ 249 km

Climbing ➤ 2,887 meters

Day 1

Bantry – Ballydehob – Schull – Goleen – Durrus - Sheeps Head (116km)

The only difference between Group A and Group B is the 10km spin down to Mizen Head. If you can, it’s worth doing the full route on this one to see Ireland’s most southerly point. Head out early in the morning if you need more time to finish the stage, it’s more than worth it.

Day 2

Bantry – Glengarriff – Adrigole – the Healy Pass – Killmakilloge – the Caha Pass – Glengarriff – Bantry (133km)

With both the Healy Pass and the Caha Pass on the menu, this is a good challenge for any club cyclist. The route from Glengarriff to Adrigole is a bit of a drag but once this is over with you’ll have a classic spin through some of the best cycling country Ireland has to offer.

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