Castletownbere is the working heart of the Beara peninsula, a fishing town on a deep sheltered harbour, with a long main street of brightly painted shops and pubs and the fishing boats lined up along the quay. It is among the largest whitefish ports in Ireland, and the harbour is busy with trawlers, with the smell of diesel, fish and salt in the air. Across the water lies Bere Island, a low hump of land that shelters the harbour and has been a fortress for centuries.
The harbour has a history of military importance. Berehaven was a base for the Royal Navy until 1938, when it was handed back to Ireland, and the island is dotted with fortifications, signal towers and gun batteries from the Napoleonic wars onward. A few kilometres west of the town stand the remains of Dunboy Castle, where in 1602 the last great Gaelic stronghold in the south-west was destroyed after a siege by English forces, and the chief, Donal Cam O'Sullivan Beare, began a desperate winter march north with hundreds of followers, of whom only a handful survived.
The ride into the town is a pleasure. The road from Glengarriff runs over the mountains in a series of long bends, with views of the bay and islands, and the road westward from the town continues along the shore. The roads on Beara are narrow, with sharp bends and sheep, so allow plenty of time, and be prepared for slow-moving farm vehicles. The surface is generally good, with some rough patches.
Nature is lush. The coast has sheltered coves, with seals and seabirds, and the hills behind are covered with heather and bracken. In the harbour, dolphins sometimes follow the boats, and the air has a briny tang. The mild climate allows subtropical plants to grow in sheltered gardens.
Castletownbere has supermarkets, fuel, cafes, pubs, restaurants and places to stay, and it is the main centre of the peninsula. Bantry is the next larger town to the east. Eat fish, and listen to the talk in a pub.