Ireland with kids: Why we loved the Dingle Peninsula
The Dingle Peninsula is on everyone’s radar, and for good reason. This southwest coastal town is beautiful, and is the perfect place to spend a few days in the summer. We visited Dingle in July of 2024 with our 5-year-old daughter, as part of our road trip around Ireland and Northern Ireland.
We think the town of Dingle is family-friendly for a few reasons. The town is easy to walk around, there are a number of restaurants and ice cream shops, it’s right on the waterfront, and if you visit at the right time of year, there’s also a fair in town. Plus, there’s the Oceanworld aquarium which is tailored to families.
Here’s how we spent two days in Dingle as a family.
Fungie the Dolphin- Dingle with kids
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Inch Beach
Inch Beach, Dingle Peninsula with kids
Inch Beach, Dingle Peninsula
Our first stop on our drive from Killarney to Dingle was at Inch Beach. The long stretch of sand and waves is the perfect place to spend a morning or afternoon wading and playing wave tag. The beach stretches for 4 miles, and has designated areas for surfing and swimming. The water is chilly, even in July, but a handful of families were enjoying some time in the water. I would recommend grabbing a couple some sand toys or plastic cups for playing on the beaches here. The expansive beaches, soft sand, and the space to walk and play is one of the best parts of Ireland.
There is a lifeguard stand present, but if you are coming from the US, and you are used to lifeguards being close by, you will not find that at Inch Beach. The lifeguard tower is not by the water, but rather closer to the shore.
Tip: Do not worry if you cannot find parking at first, you can join the cars on the sand at low tide. (Since we had a small rental car, we opted to wait for a proper spot up on the paved lot.)
Dingle Ocean World Aquarium
Dingle World Ocean Aquarium, Dingle with kids
On the edge of Dingle town, walking distance from the restaurants, you will find the aquarium. We pre-booked timed entry tickets while we were having lunch; while it’s not always necessary to book ahead, the aquarium is small, and if there is a school group, they will not admit many other guests. (Click here for the website to book.)
Our daughter’s favorite parts of Dingle Ocean World Aquarium were the penguins and sea otters, both of whom have lovely outdoor enclosures. We also spent a lot of time watching the sea turtle and shark inside. I would plan for about an hour or more here.
This was a perfect way to end our day before checking into our hotel. We booked a family room at the Dingle Harbour Lodge B&B, which was perfect for us. We parked our car at the B&B and walked for the rest of our time in Dingle.
Murphy’s Ice Cream
Murphy’s Ice Cream, Dingle
Murphy’s ice cream has delicious and unique flavors and the ice cream is handmade in Dingle. There are locations around the country, and two in the small town of Dingle. We love that there is always someone ready to greet you and offer tastings of their flavors, and that no matter what size you get, you can have two flavors. The price was the same in Dublin as it was in Dingle (and it’s a bit of a splurge at 6 euros for a small.) Our daughter ordered chocolate and strawberry while I enjoyed sea salt and coffee.
Harbor front picnic, Dingle Town
Dingle town, picnic tables
When traveling with a kid, you simply have fewer hours in the day because they need to sleep more. We’ve realized that we cannot eat out at a restaurant three times a day, it just takes too long. For one meal each day, we usually have snacks or pop by the grocery store. We’ll eat wherever we need to, even if it’s in the car.
However, a grocery store picnic in Dingle feel luxurious thanks to the covered tables that they have. Right across the street from Murphy’s, you can enjoy your ice cream, take out, or anything else you need. This is free harbor front dining. How many places offer such luxurious public facilities. There is enough seating for a dozen large families to gather and enjoy. It’s all covered, which means you are safe from the rain or sun. You can stop by Garvey’s SuperValu, Lidl, or one of the food trucks for your to go meals. Some of the local pubs also offer a to go fish and chips if you are short on time or patience and need a quick meal.
Restaurants in Dingle Town
Fish and chips in Dingle
Another reason that we simply loved to visit Dingle with a kid is because of the large numbers of restaurants. We never had to wait for a table, and service was always fairly quick. We traveled all over Ireland, and found that in some small towns, eating out is a competitive sport. In Doolin, we always needed reservations or were on a wait list, but in Dingle, it was easy to find a restaurant where we all were happy. For breakfast, our daughter enjoyed the Dingle Diner, which offered her pancakes with strawberry and nutella. Lunch and dinner were always spur of the moment wherever we walked by and looked good.
Dingle Sea Life and Island Tours
A pod of seals on Great Blasket Island
Dingle Bay and the North Atlantic Ocean near the bay is full of wildlife. Seals, whales, and dolphins are frequent visitors here. From Dingle town, you merely need to walk across the street and you have a number of options for wildlife tours and sea safaris.
We chose to take a tour with The Great Blasket Island experience, which is focused partially on visiting sea caves and animals, but also allows you to land on Great Blasket. On Great Blasket you can hike, visit the beach with seals, and take a historical tour to learn about the island’s past residents. (No one has lived there since the 1950s). The island and the surrounding area is an example of stunning, unspoiled beauty.
Great Blasket Island Experience, Dingle boat tour
View of Cliffs on our Dingle boat cruise; notice the layers of rock
Taking a road trip around Ireland? We visited Ireland in July of 2024. Check out our other posts to help plan your family-friendly road trip around Ireland and Northern Ireland.
