Doing The Healy Pass | A Question Or Two

[Cian86]

Is there a "better" side to start from, Cork or Kerry?

Any nice cafe or pub grub along the way or down the peninsula to stop?

Any advice on doing it in general? Coming from the Cork City side.

[Alfaguy]

I cycled it a good few times and being a person not over awed by barren scenery it is viewed by me more as an endurance course to be conquered rather than a pleasant driving experience. I once took my BMW S1000 over it and lets just say the tight bends some with extreme gradient's are not easy to negotiate on a bike with a very poor turning circle.

Avoid during peak summer months unless you like being stuck behind a coach or caravan. Watch out for crazy cyclists and sheep.

[Cian86]

I've just started your video and I'm hooked. You're a natural.

[Cold]

I’ve nearly always done it from the Cork side usually with Caha Pass as part of a loop but I don’t think it matters which way you go. That loop has everything. It’s worth doing a few times.

I’ve never stopped along it so no idea about eateries. Kenmare is generally very good for food so that’s where I’m usually at.

[JohnBoy]

Sides never really mattered back in the day, haven't been in 10+ years.

We used go up and down a few times so you got it both ways. I prefer going up (towards Kerry) myself.

Get there early and you'll have the road to yourself

[Cold]

By the way, Healy Pass itself is often not busy even in the middle of the day but it’s basically single track so any traffic there will obviously kill all the fun. Best to pull over and wait for a gap. It’s generally well sighted so you can let it rip if you have a clear view. I’ve often had it to myself (and a few sheep of course).

Maybe controversially, the best bit in my opinion is not Healy Pass but the R571 towards Kenmare that you will turn right onto after the single track bit. The first few km’s there are absolutely cracking but you’re much more likely to encounter traffic because it’s a main road. You don’t want to spend that stretch behind a civilian or two. It’s good all the way into Kenmare but more houses and traffic the closer you get.

[Muppet man]

Use either Glengarrif or kenmare as a base and do both healy and caha pass in a ring. Epic fun.

[Auto_Motive]

Sides never really mattered back in the day, haven't been in 10+ years.

We used go up and down a few times so you got it both ways. I prefer going up (towards Kerry) myself.

Get there early and you'll have the road to yourself

BBQ'd rasher sandwiches at the top ftw

[JohnMc]

Anytime we went there we stopped off in Helen's Bar for food. You may remember them getting publicity for having the cheapest pint in Ireland: Helen's Bar in Co Kerry goes viral for "hard to beat" prices (irishcentral.com) Most of the time we went from the Cork side up and down the Kerry side.

[Smokey Bear]

Maybe controversially, the best bit in my opinion is not Healy Pass but the R571 towards Kenmare that you will turn right onto after the single track bit. The first few km’s there are absolutely cracking but you’re much more likely to encounter traffic because it’s a main road. You don’t want to spend that stretch behind a civilian or two. It’s good all the way into Kenmare but more houses and traffic the closer you get.

Just a word of warning if you are on that road late at night or early morning it’s not uncommon to have deer or deer plural crossing that road.

[dubal]

The video is from Lucky luke Rides and he was one of the people who inspired myself to buy an MT07 and get back on bikes

[KevC]

As people have already mentioned, there's no wrong way to do the Healy Pass. You'll probably end up going up and down it a few times while you're there too. There are some nice cafe's in Kenmare but last June I decided to get down early and have breakfast there. Other than one or two cars, I had the place to myself. It was heaven.

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[Datsa-roadster]

+1 to Helen’s bar. Great food. It’s got rally pedigree too.

Anytime we went there we stopped off in Helen's Bar for food. You may remember them getting publicity for having the cheapest pint in Ireland: Helen's Bar in Co Kerry goes viral for "hard to beat" prices (irishcentral.com) Most of the time we went from the Cork side up and down the Kerry side.

[Hail_to_the_Thief]

My preferred way is doing it from the Glengarriff side. Then go do the Killmacalogue Rally of the Lakes stage (I've spelt that wrong). A pit stop in Killmacalogue itself for food. Then into Kenmare and out to Kilgarvan and tackle the Borlin stage.