Ireland has 29 accessible islands scattered along its coastline, and one of the best is reachable by car. Valentia Island sits at the country's far southwestern edge, linked to the mainland by a bridge from Portmagee in County Kerry — so you can drive straight from Kerry Airport in about 90 minutes, or from Cork in under three hours. No ferry queues, no weather cancellations.

The island is a highlight of the Wild Atlantic Way, the 1,600-mile coastal driving route that hugs Ireland's western shore. The scenery here is the full Atlantic experience: cliffs carved by ancient rock, lush ocean-facing slopes, and water stretching to the horizon. Geokaun Mountain and the adjacent Fogher Cliffs on the island's north side are the standout viewpoint. From there you can spot the Skelligs — those arrowhead-shaped rocks where hermit monks settled thousands of years ago — plus Dingle Bay to the north and the mountains backing the Ring of Kerry.

For walkers, Bray Head at the island's westernmost tip offers an out-and-back trail taking roughly 1 to 1.5 hours round trip. The payoff is a view over Valentia's own craggy northern shoreline, with more distant islands appearing in the sea haze on clear days.

It's not all raw coastline. Ferries arrive at Knightstown on the eastern end, a village purpose-planned in the mid-1800s and home to the historic Royal Valentia Hotel, which once hosted the son of Queen Victoria. Just outside town, Valentia Island Caravan & Camping is the most southwesterly campsite in all of Ireland, and reviewers on Tripadvisor praise its wildflowers and easy walk into the village park. It's a rare setup: ocean-edge camping with a proper village down the road.

Back on the mainland, Portmagee makes a natural stop either side of your visit. The harbour town is busy in the warmer months because it's the launch point for boat trips to the Skellig Islands, and its past as a smugglers' haunt now translates into hearty pubs serving Irish stew alongside folk music sessions. Killarney National Park, with its lakes and castles, is about 90 minutes east if you want to string together a proper Kerry road trip.

Valentia works for a specific kind of traveller: road-trippers ticking off the Wild Atlantic Way, campers who want serious views without roughing it entirely, and anyone who'd rather watch Atlantic weather roll in from a cliff top than queue for a ferry. It pairs naturally with the Ring of Kerry and the Skelligs, making it an easy add-on to a standard Kerry itinerary rather than a detour.