Named Kite Spots
10 km Bay Sweep and a Hidden Flat-Water Corner
The Brandon Bay Setup
Brandon Bay sweeps 10+ km below the Slieve Mish Mountains on the Dingle Peninsula. The dominant SW–NW winds track sideshore across the main beach; the Maharees spit extends 6 km into the bay creating sheltered flat water at Scraggane Bay. You choose your side based on conditions — open Atlantic or sheltered tidal flat — both within minutes of Castlegregory village.
Brandon Bay Main Beach
IntermediateA sweeping 10+ km bay below the Slieve Mish Mountains with a direct fetch into SW Atlantic swells. Side-onshore SW–NW winds are the dominant condition — surf on the outside, cleaner freeride runs inside on the sand. One of Ireland's most dramatic backdrops. Bring a 12 m kite for most summer days.
Hazards: Consistent Atlantic swell produces shore break; rip currents; cold water requires 5mm+ wetsuit; beach can funnel wind unpredictably below the mountains
Access: Access via Castlegregory village; beach car park at Scraggane Bay or Fahamore
Scraggane Bay / Shallow Flat
All LevelsCoordinates pending: local verification required
The southern protected end of Brandon Bay, behind Scraggane Pier. When SW wind aligns with the bay's opening, this creates a shallow flat zone ideal for beginners and foilers avoiding the open Atlantic swell. Local kiters know this corner — it's not obvious from the road.
Hazards: Very shallow at low tide — foil fin strikes; rocks near pier; verify wind direction is genuinely side-shore before launching
Access: Scraggane Pier, Castlegregory — park at the pier and walk 5 min to flat zone
Wind & Conditions
Atlantic Westerlies: Best May–September
| Month | Wind | Windy Days | Water Temp | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 18–30 kts | 55% | 10°C / 50°F | Atlantic storm season; expert only |
| Feb | 15–28 kts | 55% | 9°C / 48°F | Winter swell; cold |
| Mar | 12–25 kts | 55% | 10°C / 50°F | Improving; still cold |
| Apr | 12–22 kts | 55% | 11°C / 52°F | Shoulder season; variable |
| May | 12–22 kts | 60% | 12°C / 54°F | Season opens; longer days |
| Jun | 12–20 kts | 55% | 14°C / 57°F | Lighter average; stable windows |
| Jul | 12–18 kts | 50% | 15°C / 59°F | Warmest and lightest; crowds |
| Aug | 14–22 kts | 55% | 16°C / 61°F | Best summer balance |
| SepPEAK | 15–25 kts | 62% | 15°C / 59°F | Best overall month; wind builds |
| Oct | 18–30 kts | 60% | 13°C / 55°F | Autumn storms; strong wind days |
| Nov | 18–28 kts | 55% | 12°C / 54°F | Storm season building |
| Dec | 15–28 kts | 50% | 11°C / 52°F | Short days; Atlantic storms |
Schools & Camps
Castlegregory: Village Base for the Bay
Castlegregory Surf School
MixedThe primary instruction centre for Brandon Bay, based in Castlegregory village. Surf lessons are the main business; kite tuition is available with advance booking. Staff know the bay's shifting conditions intimately.
KTP Pick: Local knowledge of Bay's wind patterns; combination surf + kite packages
Tig Áine Holiday Cottages / Castlegregory Accommodation
N/ACastlegregory village has a cluster of B&Bs, self-catering cottages, and small guesthouses serving the surf and outdoor sports crowd. Base here for a full Brandon Bay trip — the village is 5 min from the main beach access points.
KTP Pick: Best base for multi-day Brandon Bay sessions; village pubs and restaurants on foot
Food & Drink
Dingle Peninsula Pubs and Kerry Seafood
Regarded as the best table in Castlegregory — fresh Kerry seafood, local lamb, and a wine list that punches above the village's size. Book ahead in summer.
Iconic Maharees peninsula pub serving food. Directly on the road to the beach. Post-session pints with other kiters and surfers are the ritual here.
The social hub of the village. No-frills Kerry pub with live music on weekends in summer. The place where you find out about the next day's wind.
Logistics
Fly Cork or Kerry, Drive the Dingle Peninsula
Kerry Airport (KIR), 55 km south; Cork Airport (ORK), 160 km
Kerry Airport has Ryanair connections from London Stansted and Frankfurt but limited routes. Most international visitors fly Cork or Dublin (290 km) and drive. The Dingle Peninsula road from Tralee to Castlegregory is 40 min on the N86/R560 — spectacular drive.
EU, UK, USA, Canada, Australia, NZ — visa-free
Ireland is not in the Schengen Area. UK citizens enter freely under the Common Travel Area. Most Western passport holders receive 90-day entry. Always verify current requirements for non-standard passports.
Euro (EUR)
Card accepted everywhere in the village. No ATM in Castlegregory — withdraw in Tralee or Dingle before heading west. Kerry is good value relative to Dublin and Galway.
Three Ireland or Vodafone Ireland
Signal is patchy on the Maharees Peninsula — don't depend on it for live wind app updates on the beach. Download wind data before leaving the village. Prepaid SIMs available in Tralee.
Car essential — no public transport to the beach
Hire car from Kerry or Cork Airport is the only practical option. Roads narrow significantly on the Maharees spit. A small hatchback is fine for most access points; a roof rack or large boot for kite bags is advisable.
Cold water, Atlantic swell, and rip currents are the three hazards
5mm wetsuit plus hood and gloves required from October through May. Atlantic shore break and rip currents at high tide — always scout the beach before launching. No lifeguard service outside peak summer. Kite with a buddy; this is a remote coast.
KTP Edge
What Nobody Else Will Tell You
The Maharees Peninsula — Ireland's Most Remote Kite Launch
The Maharees spit extends 6 km into Brandon Bay from Castlegregory, narrowing to 100 m wide with ocean on both sides. In the right SW wind, you can rig on the Atlantic side and down-loop your way back to the bay side. No other Irish kite spot offers a double-sided downwind run like this — and virtually no travel content describes it.
Kiting Below Brandon Mountain
At 952 m, Brandon Mountain is the dominant feature of the Dingle Peninsula and channels wind down into the bay in a predictable pattern that local kiters use like a natural wind tunnel. The mountain effect is not mentioned in any kite guide — it's local knowledge that makes session planning here more reliable than the weather apps suggest.
Post-Session Kerry: The Best Pub Circuit in Irish Kitesurfing
Castlegregory and the Dingle Peninsula have the densest concentration of quality traditional Irish pubs within 30 min of a kite beach in the country. The session-to-pub pipeline is frictionless. This is a meaningful differentiator vs. more isolated Irish kite spots where the post-session debrief is a drive back to a city.
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