River Ilen View

You can’t visit this pretty corner of Ireland without mucking about in the sea – and sheltered Tragumna beach (10 minutes) is a fab spot for family swims. Remote Ballyrisode (40 minutes) has rock-pooling adventures plus oodles of room for running around and burning off energy, while Lough Hyne (both 15 minutes’ drive) is another hotspot for swimming and kayaking. Fancy getting out on the ocean wave? You can take sailing lessons at Schull (30 minutes), and if that seems like hard work, join whale-watching cruises from Baltimore Harbour (15 minutes). Back on dry land, you can explore the lush countryside on horseback (15 minutes), or cycle West Cork’s rural lanes. Not brought the bike? No problem, you can hire one in Skibbereen (five minutes). For more sedate pursuits, mug up on local history at Skibbereen Heritage Centre (five minutes), where enlightening displays cover the Great Irish Famine, or pay a visit to the 18th-century, whitewashed Baltimore Beacon (20 minutes) to see wild Atlantic waves crashing against the shoreline.