Fenit: Beaches, Greenway and maritime experiences

Fenit combines sandy beaches with a harbour, tours of Tralee Bay and a Greenway to Tralee. During your stay, you can choose between days by the water, exploring by boat, and a longer walk or cycle. The holiday rental in Fenit that suits your trip also depends on which of these aspects of the area interests you most.

Beaches and sheltered coastal areas

Fenit Beach, also known as Locke’s Beach, is a sandy beach. Its sheltered location and calm water make it suitable for swimming. The beach has Blue Flag status, and lifeguards are on duty there from June to August. A large car park, toilets, picnic tables and a nearby playground offer added convenience for a day at the beach.

Fenit Island Beach is also sandy, but lies along the tombolo that connects Fenit Island to the mainland. Its dune system is an important wildlife habitat. It also forms the only link to Fenit Island and protects vehicle access to the island. Fenit Beach and Fenit Harbour have marked swimming areas. If you’d like to explore different stretches of beach, Kelly’s Beach is another option: a smaller, sheltered beach with views of Fenit Pier. There is also a slipway for small boats.

Take to the water from the harbour

A range of boat tours depart from Fenit Marina. Tralee Bay Experience, a licensed passenger boat operator based in Fenit, offers eco-sightseeing, lighthouse and harbour tours. The Harbour Tour travels around Tralee Bay and Fenit Lighthouse and lasts 1.5 hours. Experiences available on tours include fishing, sightseeing and watching seals and dolphins.

Scenic Eco Tours also depart from the marina. With a guide, visitors can look out for seabirds such as gannets, cormorants and guillemots. The Fenit Lighthouse Sea Kayaking Tour offers a different perspective: it includes landing by kayak on Little Samphire Island to get a close-up view of historic Fenit Lighthouse. In Fenit Village, Wild Water Adventures offers lessons or equipment hire for swimming, kayaking, coasteering and stand-up paddleboarding. Fenit Lighthouse Sauna, a coastal sauna, is located at Locke’s Beach; you can follow your sauna session with a swim in the Atlantic.

Greenway, harbour and history

The Tralee to Fenit Greenway runs for 13.6 km from Tralee to Fenit through countryside and along the coast. The mostly flat, smooth, traffic-free route is designed for cycling and walking and was created to be accessible and inclusive. It follows the former Tralee–Fenit railway line, which was built to serve Fenit’s deep-water harbour. Fenit Trailhead has toilets and free parking and provides access to the Greenway. At the end of the route, you can discover Fenit’s maritime history at the statue of St Brendan.

The harbour also tells the story of Fenit’s connection to the sea. Built in 1997, Fenit Marina is located at Fenit Harbour and has 130 berths. An 800 m causeway and viaduct connect it to the mainland. The marina accommodates leisure boats from 6 m to 15 m in length; a 5 m access depth allows entry at all tide conditions.

Among the coast’s historic features is Fenit Lighthouse, built in 1851 on Little Samphire Island, a few hundred metres west of Fenit Pier. Fenit Island is home to an old castle built to protect the entrance to a small sea inlet. In 2004, a large bronze sculpture of St Brendan was erected on Great Samphire Island, the rock around which the harbour was built. A large festive swimming event takes place in Fenit every year on Christmas Day. The Lighthouse Candle is a visitor-friendly candle and soap shop where the products are made on site.

When choosing accommodation, you could consider whether you’d like your stay to focus mainly on the beach and swimming, boat tours and watersports, or the Greenway. More places to discover: Fossa, Curraheen, Milltown, Castlemaine, An Ráth Mhór, Causeway, Castlegregory and Glencar.

For the wider travel overview: County Kerry.