Caravanning In Kerry

For the past 4 years we have organised one of the local Summer Projects instead of going on holiday. This year we knew that we needed to take a break, and decided to staycation around Ireland and in particular in the West. When the opportunity arose to go caravanning in Kerry, we decided to take the Irish Caravan and Camping Council up on their offer, packed the car, and travelled down the country.

The plan was to spend 3 nights in the Glenross Caravan & Camping Park in Glenbeigh, on the Ring of Kerry, then a further 2 nights at another location in the midlands. I’ll be back next week with our account of how we got on when we left Kerry but in the meantime, here’s what you need to know.

Journey Time:

Not as long as we expected. We left home at around 11am, and arrived before 4pm and this included a stop at the (overrated) Barack Obama Plaza and a supermarket.

Glenross:

If you want a pristine holiday park with manicured lawns, safe areas for kids to roam around, wifi access for all residents (campers included) then this is the place for you to go. The caravan was immaculate and had all the mod-cons, along with digital TV, electric shower etc. The entire caravan park was incredibly quiet at night, it’s a short stroll into the main village centre and it’s fully equipped for you to cater for yourself.

The view from the caravan was something magical (it’s the featured image on this post) and we couldn’t have asked for a better place for the smaller boys to stay. There was plenty of lawn for them to play out on within view of the caravan along with some handy deck chairs to sit out and enjoy the sun going down.

What We Ate:

We shopped at the nearest ALDI in Killorglin on our way to Glenbeigh, having researched the supermarket options in advance. I cooked everyday, we ate plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables and yoghurts. Special mention goes to the cut price UV/Wetsuits that we picked up for the boys which were fantastic in the good weather.

One of the evenings, myself and the hubby snook off for a quiet drink (water for me, beer for him) and were so enticed by the amazing smells coming from the Towers Hotel in the village centre that we ordered a club sandwich between us. Out came a stunning sandwich with a side of chips and garlic sauce at 9pm in the evening to the bar. We wandered home just before the gates closed at 11pm.

My Aunt had recommended we make the spin to the Skellig Chocolate Factory and on a day that started off damp and misty it made for a good morning. The staff were incredibly patient with the small boys, took time to explain all the chocolate to us and the entire shop is decorated in a massive Willy-Wonka-Style mural.

The family at the Skellig Chocolate Factory

Wall Mural at the Skellig Chocolate Factory

What Did We Do

The best thing, the very best thing, about staying in Glenbeigh is the most amazing blue flag beach which is about 2 miles away, called Rossbeigh. It was severely damaged during the Winter storms and there was reconstruction going on while we were there (the playground was closed for repair). However, if you walk past the stone section of the beach down to the golden sand, you could be on the Costa Del Sol. In fact, the sun was so bright and the weather so good while we were there, I could have closed my eyes and been in the tropics.

We went to the beach with a picnic every day we stayed there. I can’t recommend Rossbeigh beach highly enough. I still can’t believe that in the first week in July, after all the schools were closed, we nearly had the place to ourselves. It was pure magic.

The boys on the beach on Rossbeigh Strand

Rossbeigh Strand

1 Happy 5-year-old

Even happier again!

Caravan Essentials

Actually technically you don’t really need to bring anything with you apart from clothes and food. You can rent all the extra things such as towels and sheets from the park. There is a grand laundry block and you can wash as you go through your holidays to save space in the car (we did). We brought sleeping bags for the kids and sheets for ourselves.

Cons

If I’m being honest, Glenross is a top-notch camping and caravan site, you get what you pay for and it is expensive but would be worth the trip if you want all your home comforts.

Would We Go Again?

Yes. We loved Kerry. The kids had a blast and it was a fantastic spot to stay, explore or just relax in the sunshine.

Disclosure

We stayed as guests of the Irish Caravan & Camping Council at the Glenross Caravan & Camping Park for 3 nights. All my opinions are my own and I am not paid to give them. We paid for all travel and expenses ourselves, including all the activities mentioned above.