
If You Love to Drive, You’ll Love the Road to Caha Pass in Ireland
Ireland, europe
27 km
320 m
moderate
Year-round
Okay, picture this: you're cruising along the N71, straddling the border between Cork and Kerry in southwest Ireland. You're on the Caha Pass, a seriously cool mountain road that climbs to 320 meters (that's 1,049 feet!). Locals call it "The Tunnels," and for good reason.
This beauty was built way back in 1842—they called it The New Line back then. The whole thing is paved, stretching for about 27 kilometers (or almost 17 miles) from Glengarriff up to Kenmare. You'll probably want to budget more than the 25-30 minutes it takes to drive it straight through, because, trust me, you'll be stopping for photos.
The views are unreal—pure, raw Irish wilderness. Just a heads up, it gets pretty popular during the summer months.
Now, the road itself? It's carved right into the Caha Mountains, so expect some serious curves and a narrow path. It gets a little steep too, hitting a 9% gradient in places. And on the Kerry side, prepare for multiple tunnels blasted right through the rock. Sometimes the fog rolls in, adding an extra layer of awesome (and maybe a little bit of spookiness!). It's an unforgettable drive.
Where is it?
If You Love to Drive, You’ll Love the Road to Caha Pass in Ireland is located in Ireland (europe). Coordinates: 53.2334, -7.6586
Road Details
- Country
- Ireland
- Continent
- europe
- Length
- 27 km
- Max Elevation
- 320 m
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Coordinates
- 53.2334, -7.6586
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