Three Days Around Waterville, Kerry
Waterville works as a base on the Skellig Coast. From the village, Portmagee is about 35 minutes away, Derrynane about 25 minutes and Cahersiveen about 30 minutes (all estimates). That makes three days of varied sightseeing without changing hotels.
A three-day pattern
Day 1: Waterville itself. Walk the seafront promenade and see the Charlie Chaplin and Mick O’Dwyer statues. Spend the day on one of Waterville Golf Links, a boat day on Lough Currane or the Tech Amergin exhibition on the cable station. After dark, go stargazing, either with Kerry Dark Sky Tourism (tours from €35, meeting in Castlecove) or on your own from a beach.
Day 2: Skellig Coast. Take a Skellig cruise or landing trip from Portmagee, Valentia, Ballinskelligs or Derrynane, whichever your operator uses. Skellig Michael boats are weather-dependent, so keep a spare day in the plan. Then drive on to Valentia Island and Kerry Cliffs (about €5 per person).
Day 3: Derrynane and the Kerry Way. Visit Derrynane House (open to 1 November 2026) and Staigue Stone Fort at Castlecove. If you have energy left, walk the Kerry Way stage from Waterville to Caherdaniel.
The Kerry Way in stages
The Kerry Way passes through Waterville. Two stages matter here:
- Cahersiveen to Waterville: 30 km, about 9 hours.
- Waterville to Caherdaniel: the coastal route is 12.5 km with 320 m of ascent and takes about 4 hours 15 minutes. It is graded Moderate. The inland alternative over Windy Gap runs up to 27 km, and it is remote and one of the tougher sections, so do not underestimate it.
Plan transport for the end of each day. The Route 280 bus can bring you back toward Waterville from Cahersiveen.
The Ring of Kerry by bus
TFI Local Link Route 280 runs from Waterville through Cahersiveen, Kells, Glenbeigh, Killorglin and Beaufort to Killarney. Since 23 June 2025 there are nine daily return trips between Waterville and Killorglin, and four of them go on to Killarney bus and rail station. Fares are low, and you can pay with a Leap card or cash. Waterville also connects to Route 281 for Kenmare. There is no railway in Waterville. Kerry Airport at Farranfore is about 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 30 by road.
Where to stay
- Butler Arms Hotel: a seafront hotel that opened in 1884 and reopened in April 2026 under new owners.
- Smugglers Inn: a restored farmhouse about 200 years old on Cliff Road, with a restaurant.
- The Old Cable House: a historic cable-station house dating from 1866.
- Bay View Hotel is also listed by the local tourism site.
The Sea Lodge Hotel in the village is closed until further notice. Book ahead for July and August, and check each place for its opening days.
Packing and safety
Take waterproofs and sturdy shoes. The N70 is a busy main road shared with walkers and cyclists. Swim only where a lifeguard flag is flying in season, and expect strong currents on the open Atlantic beaches.
Read more: walking tours around Waterville covers the shorter walks in more detail.
Check each Kerry Way stage on kerryway.com , see the Smugglers Inn site for its restaurant, and search places to stay on Booking.com .