Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The walk
From the Bray Head car park, go through the gate and follow the stony old road west, climbing steadily above Foilhomurrum Bay with Horse Island and Long Island below on the left. The track swings south-west and ends at the signal tower on the cliff edge, with the Skelligs out to sea. The tower reopened in July 2026 after restoration, with a new spiral stair to a viewing platform on its roof. Return the same way: the old loop over the summit ridge is no longer used.
It is 4.2 km there and back with 116 m of ascent; allow about 1½ hours. The grade is Easy: a stony track all the way, with a steady climb.
The trail is waymarked with purple arrows and looked after by the Valentia Island Walks Group. It crosses farmland where cattle graze, by the landowners' goodwill, and dogs are not allowed. The cliff edges at and below the tower are unfenced: keep children close. The headland takes the full Atlantic wind, and the track turns soft and muddy after rain.
The car park charges a fee; guide sites report €2 in coins. Local Link Kerry route 287a runs a few days a week between Knightstown and Cahersiveen, stopping at Chapeltown and Portmagee, a few kilometres from the car park. Check the times first: the published timetable may be out of date.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- The signal tower was built in the Napoleonic period as one of a chain of lookouts along the south-west coast, and was used again as a coast-watching post in the Second World War.
- Below the tower, stones on the ground spell 'EIRE', a wartime marker for aircraft.
- From the tower the two Skellig rocks stand out to the south-west, with the Blaskets and the Dingle peninsula to the north.
- Valentia was the eastern end of the first transatlantic telegraph cable, landed in 1866 near the car park at Foilhomurrum.
Getting there
Start: Valentia Island, Bray Head car park · Pay and display. 51.89195, -10.39650
Directions to the start
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Valentia Island: Booking.com → Expedia → Hotels.com →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.
