Fortfield

The nearby village of Ballydehob (five minutes' drive) is a traditional place with lots of nice little craft shops and independent cafés as well as a thriving artistic community that puts on festivals and all sorts of music and art events. Schull has plenty of shops to browse too, along with a popular Sunday market. It’s also home to the Republic of Ireland’s only planetarium, a community-run project that's well worth a visit. A little way off the coast of Schull is Cape Clear Island – reachable by ferry from Schull (in summer) or Baltimore (half an hour’s drive). This Gaeltacht island is full of fabulous scenery and historic remnants, and it’s a great place for wildlife spotting; look out for dolphins, turtles and whales as well as various bird species. Over on the Mizen Peninsula, a couple of favourite spots are the spectacular sands of Barley Cove beach (25 minutes) and the dramatic cliffs of Mizen Head Signal Station (35 minutes), Ireland’s most southwesterly point.