The rebranded wilds of Kerry

When visitors first land at Kerry Airport, they’re “bombarded with posters” advertising the delights of the Ring of Kerry and the Wild Atlantic Way, says Will Humphries in The Times. Yet there’s no mention of the fact that just 30 minutes’ drive away, there’s an area that could “rival the Lake District or the west coast of Scotland” for its panorama of peaks, mountain lakes and golden beaches. It’s called the Reeks District, and if you’ve never heard of it, that’s because it was only christened this year. The name is taken from the Macgillycuddy’s Reeks mountain range, and this “rebranding” is the brainchild of local business owners who want to lure visitors away from Kerry’s more showy locations.

The Coumloughra Horseshoe is a “fairly strenuous” seven-mile hike across Ireland’s three highest mountains, Beenkeragh, Carrauntoohil and Caher (all just above 1,000 metres). With “few discernible route signs or tracks”, it feels properly wild and offers up “ravishing scenery” as its reward. Afterwards, head into the “lively” town of Killorglin, sporting your new “Irish tan” (sunburn combined with wind lash), for dinner at Sol y Sombra, an “Irish fusion tapas” joint in a former church where the food is “superb”. In this part of the world, the locals still “come together for a drink and traditional music” and there are plenty of “spit-and-sawdust” bars to choose from. The obligatory “heavy night” can always be “blown away” the next day by a “morning dunk” in the chilly Atlantic. Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) flies from Luton and Stansted to Kerry. Visit reeksdistrict.com for more information.