When you are planning a trip to Ireland, you cannot miss out on the opportunity of visiting Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry. From the finest beaches to spectacular locations for outdoor activities, you will find it all in the Ring of Kerry.

If you are ever interested in taking a tour of the Clover Leaf nation that is Ireland, it is advisable that you start around the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry, popularly known as the Ring of Kerry. In spite of being a tourism hot spot for hundreds of years, this place happens to be a part of the unspoiled Irish territory.

A spectacular location for outdoor activities such as riding, cycling, walking, golf and water sports, the Ring continues to attract hordes of tourists looking to get a feel of Irish vacations. While the clear rivers provide for pools and eddies with their immense catch of trout and salmon, out in the sea it turns to salt-water varieties such as mackerel, tuna, cod, ray and Pollack.

The Ring of Kerry happens to be home to some of the finest beaches in continental Europe with most of the towns along the peninsula coastline offering all the amenities for a wonderful holiday on the sea-side. A circular tour around the Ring of Kerry offers an insight into the wonderful ancient heritage of the Irish. Rocky landscapes carved by the Ice Age, old monasteries, forts from the Iron Age and Ogham stones form an integral part of the Ring.

Simply taking a drive around this place would not take more than three hours but then, one would be interested in making so many stops along the way that a day should be kept aside for the same. Wondering what else you can do on Irish vacations? Click here.

Kenmare, one of the few planned townships in Ireland, offers a less crowded atmosphere than Killarney and offers a wide range of good pubs and gourmet restaurants that one can enjoy. It provides access to the Ring of Beara besides the Ring of Kerry. A 10:00 a.m. start from Kenmare after a leisurely breakfast would mean an arrival behind majority of the tour groups at the towns on the circuit thereby allowing you to stay clear of the crowds and have a much relaxed touring experience.

You can also visit Macgillicuddy Reeks, the highest mountain range in the country, in the morning and enjoy a clear view of the mountains while avoiding the Killarney-bound evening crowd. The unusually rounded mountains are all part of glacial movements from the Ice Age and are located along the Moll's Gap area. Lake of Killarney at Ladies View is a sight to behold. The seventy feet high Torc Waterfall, initiating at the "Devil's Punch Bowl" and tumbling down into the Muckross Lake is loud and spectacular sighting for the wet season.

Restoration work has been undertaken in the Kerry Bog village for an insight into the rural life from the past centuries with a display of the traditional cottages and tools in use being put up. This is also the place that offers an opportunity for you to come across the Kerry Bog Ponies. A rare and sturdy breed; these ponies have thick, long tails and manes and were mainly used for carrying up turf from the bog.

All of these picturesque and historical places along the Ring of Kerry can be fitted into a day's tour. There are, however, many more things to see as you encircle the Ring so it would be better if your tour itinerary mentions several days for exploring the Ring of Kerry allowing you to return to your own country fully satisfied with your best Irish vacations experience.

A customized family vacation in Ireland can be booked with the help of a travel company. A vacation is all about relaxing. Giving all the travel worries to a travel agent is something most travelers do, when planning a trip to Ireland.