Description

Travel the coast road through the beautiful town of Cobh, appreciating all the colourful buildings. Continue until you reach a ferry crossing, and you can purchase your ticket on-board for this short 5-minute journey. Use this time to relax and enjoy the scenery as you cross to the other side of the harbour, the second largest natural harbour in the world.

Follow the road towards Monkstown and stop in the village for a cup of coffee, perhaps at the Bosun which looks out directly onto the water. It is also worth noting that there is a private marina in Monkstown.The landscape will change from coastal to lush greenery as you head towards Carrigaline where you can visit the Owenabue Arts Collective.

You will be able to travel on the Carrigaline to Crosshaven Greenway which runs along the old Carragaline to Crosshaven railway line with the Owenabue River alongside the whole way. You will pass a scenic area known as Drake’s Pool, named because in 1589 Sir Francis Drake, with a squadron of five ships of War, was chased into Cork Harbour, by a superior fleet of Spaniards; he travelled into Crosshaven and moored his ships behind the shelter of Currabinny hill in a safe basin now called Drake’s Pool. The Spaniards sailed up the harbour of Cork and were unable to see the ships they had been chasing. They left without doing Sir Drake and his ships any harm. Ever since the place has been called Drake’s Pool.

Arriving in the town of Crosshaven, home to the oldest yacht club in the world, you can stop in the local chipper (Chish & Fips) or the local shop to grab a bite to eat or get an ice cream. Departing from Crosshaven we coast along Cork’s outer harbour passing the local favourite bathing spot of Myrtleville Beach and the sheltered haven of Fountainstown Beach before journey through the gastro village and sheltered bay of Roberts Cove. As we travel onward we depart the coast before the emerging at an inlet just before the final climb into Kinsale.