Tralee to Camp (23km/15.5mi)
Through wind, rain and rocky terrain, we prevailed on our first official day of inn-to-inn hiking. We took a wrong turn early on, which added an hour to our hike, but it was a beautiful mistake.
Our morning began with a traditional Irish breakfast and heated debate about soccer football. A typical Irish breakfast includes: egg with fresh tomato wedges (sometimes seared), sausage, rashers (large bacon similar to country ham), black pudding (sausage with barley, oats & dried blood), juice, coffee/tea, cereals & yogurt, fresh fruit, bread or toast with butter & jam.
With our detailed trip notes from Ireland Walk Hike Bike in hand, we set out for our destination. This was the hardest day physically, due to weather and distance, but the scenery was ever-changing and we never noticed our aches and pains until we ended the day.
At one point the rain was so bad that we couldn’t see and someone in a VW bug stopped to ask if we needed a ride — they looked at us like we were crazy when I replied “no thanks, we paid to do this!”
By the time we crawled up a steep hill to the Sea View B&B in Camp, our wonderful host Joanna met us with steaming hot tea and homemade fruit bread. Our room here was the most spacious room of the trip.
Ashes Pub in Camp was by far my favorite dining experience on the Dingle Way. They had the BEST seafood chowder I’ve ever had and the building was very old, with a cozy local pub vibe. It was a true hiker’s oasis. We ate grass fed beef burgers (not so great), mushy peas and fries, and a refreshing Smithwicks.
