Killarney

Killarney is a compact, buzzing tourist town wrapped around the edge of one of Ireland's most beautiful national parks, and the trick is to treat the town as a base rather than the main event. The centre is small enough to cross in ten minutes on foot, with High Street, New Street and Main Street lined with traditional pubs, trad-music sessions and craft shops that fill fast in summer. Just beyond, the gates of Killarney National Park open onto lakes, oak woods, waterfalls and mountains you can reach on foot, by bike or in a jaunting car (a horse-drawn trap driven by a local jarvey). Rise early to walk to Ross Castle or cycle the Muckross loop before the coach tours arrive, keep afternoons for the higher scenery at Ladies View and Torc, and save evenings for a slow pint and a fiddle session in town. Weather here changes by the hour, so pack layers and a rain jacket whatever the forecast, book restaurant tables ahead in high season, and let the Kerry pace, unhurried and friendly, set your rhythm. The town rewards those who mix a few big-ticket sights with plenty of unstructured wandering.