There are a number of historical places of interest to visit including Derrynane House (the ancestral home of Daniel O'Connell), the Caherciveen Heritage Barracks or the Skellig Heritage Centre, the Valencia Quarry and the Valentia Museum (all on nearby Valentia Island). There are beautiful walks, hill walks and cycling trails (all part of the Kerry Way), with the ultimate being the Bolus Head walk to the south west of the village. This magnificent headland overlooks St. Finan's Bay and the Skellig Rocks and will bring you past the Cill Rialaig Famine Village and Cill Rialaig Artists' Retreat, and the early Christian ruins of Cill Rialaig monastic settlement with Oratory, two inscribed stones and traces of Beehive Huts.
Ballinskelligs - Eating and Drinking
There are two bars within a mile of the house. Mains is a small hotel that lies just fifteen minutes walk away, or Rosie's can be found in Dungegan village (10 minutes walk on from Mains along the same road - see map below). There is a small shop just over five minutes walk from the house, and indeed Mains also includes a shop (Both offer a good selection of groceries and household items). Slightly further afield there are numerous bars and restaurants to cater for most tastes within a 10 mile radius. In Waterville, which is a 15 minute drive away around the Bay, there is a good selection of places to choose from, as there is in Cahirciveen, also 15 minutes away. In Waterville is the Butler's Arms Hotel, the hotel/bar/restaurant where Charlie Chaplin brought his family for many a summer vacation. In addition to Cahirciveen and Waterville, there are many other fine places to eat and drink on the way to Valentia Island and past Waterville on the spectactularly scenic route on the Ring of Kerry to Sneem, Caherdaniel and Kenmare.
There is an abundance of outdoor activities available in the local area including, cycling, fishing, horse riding, kayaking, sailing and diving. Experience the thrill of galloping along the sandy beach or go trekking in the mountains that surround the village.
There are a number of excellent golf courses throughout Kerry, including the championship course located in Waterville just 13km from Ballinskelligs.
For sports lovers, Ballinskelligs is an ideal location, offering world class water sports from windsurfing to sea angling. It is also an important departure point for daily boat trips to the Skelligs and to nearby Valentia Island and also for diving trips.
