The islands and peninsulas of West Cork jut into the North Atlantic swell. They're a paradise for walkers and birdwatchers and are not yet swamped by tourists but it may not remain undiscovered for long.

The picturesque village of Baltimore, is situated at the end of one of these West Cork's peninsulas with the island of Sherkin providing a sheltered Harbour & bay ideal for watersports - diving, deep sea angling, sailing, boating, fishing, and ferries, and boasts of pubs, restaurants, hotels. West Cork is world renowned as a holiday destination famed for it's breathtaking scenery and wild life. Gulls shriek and swirl above the beaches, gannets nest in crevices in rugged cliffs and whales, dolphins and seals are often seen in the West Cork Coastline.

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There are many fine walks in the Baltimore area offering great views, places of historic and archaeological interest, the seashore and a wealth of flora and fauna. Walks range from comfortable ambles to cross-country adventures and convivial company guaranteed. For a short stroll you could visit the pretty harbour with its ancient O’Driscoll castle now imaginatively being converted to a family home. This was the ‘Ti Mor’ of the name Baile Ti Mor. Baltimore was an important fishing and boat-building area and was dominated by the O’Driscoll clan who profited from the plentiful stocks of mackerel and pilchards. The history of the area can be read on the plaque erected in the harbour. Round the corner is the old railway station where up to 16 fish-laden trains departed for Cork daily.  The fish was thence exported to the USA.  Now the old station is the location for the Glenaans Sailing School.

A longer walk can take you on around the Cove and up the winding road to the Beacon…or Lot’s Wife (the pillar of salt) as it is called. Beacons and Signal Towers were erected all around the coast by the Government in the early 19th Century when they feared a European invasion. After the climb up to the Beacon please be very careful as strong winds could easily push the unwary over the high cliffs.  However the climb is well worthwhile as the views over to Sherkin Island and out to sea are magnificent.

For a bird’s eye view of Baltimore there is another loop walk that passes The Community Hall and then turns inland towards Spain Tower – a gaunt example of one of the 19th Century Signal Towers. A system of signalling from one tower to the next was put in place so that the whole coast was watched.  The coastal views along this route are superb.  

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If flora and fauna interest you there is no better walk than across the bridge to Ringarogy island. A pleasant one and a half hour loop walk takes you first past the mud-flats where myriad birds are to be seen, most notably shelduck with their green heads, white breasts and red legs and beaks. Also curlew and oyster-catchers and green and redshanks are to be seen grubbing in the mud when the tide is out. The walk follows a quiet road around the island where fuschia, honeysuckle, rhododendron, hawthorn, montbretia and many kinds of seaweed can be identified.

It has an interesting history but nowadays justly famous as a holiday resort & fishing port - an ideal base for touring the magnificient West Cork Area.Most remarkable Baltimore Story is the tale of a Dutch-Algerian pirate who in 1631 sacked Baltimore and sold 160 inhabitants into slavery in the Middle East. Eventually a new village was founded, this time up the shallow river in Skibbereen, where pirate ships could not follow.

A ferry takes visitors out to the Islands of Heir, Sherkin, and Cape Clear. Cape Clear Island, the most southerly island off Ireland’s coast. Cape Clear was for a long time an important communication centre as ships from the North America dropped off their messages. It was from Cape Clear that the first news of the American Civil War and of Lincoln's assassination reached Europe.

Use the AA's route planner to work out routes, distances and journey times from other towns, cities, Airports, & Ferryports in Ireland.

Download Baltimore Brochure