Kinsale is a very popular place with those who enjoy sailing and fishing. Because it is sheltered from the open sea by rolling hills it is a wonderful place to have fun on the water.
Blue Flag Marina at Castlepark, just outside the town, has public boat ramps and docks. You can also rent crewed cruising yachts or small recreational sailboats.
Kinsale / Photo licensed under the Creative Commons
If you’d prefer to just sit back and enjoy the water rather than sail yourself, Kinsale Harbour Cruises takes all the effort out of being on a boat. For something a little different you could book a full day, half day or evening trip sea angling or whale and dolphin watching.
Once you’ve finished enjoy the water activities, you can try the other delights Kinsale has to offer. From May to September you can enjoy a Ghost Tour — a slapstick-style horror-humour tour that lasts for 90 minutes around Kinsale.
For something a bit tamer, there is a daily historic tour of Old Kinsale; it lasts an hour and costs only €6.
Kinsale reflections
After a day of sailing or walking, you’ll need something to eat; thankfully Kinsale has an utterly enormous selection of restaurants and is known as a gourmet centre.
Fish is obvious one of the specialties, but you can find food to suit any taste and budget here. Then you can have a drink in one of the many cheerful pubs before settling down to sleep in any of the charming hotels, B&Bs or lodges.
