Gardens

10:00 - 18:00

Monday

10:00 - 18:00

Tuesday

10:00 - 18:00

Wednesday

10:00 - 18:00

Thursday

10:00 - 18:00

Friday

10:00 - 18:00

Saturday

10:00 - 18:00

Sunday

10:00 - 18:00

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About

Derreen is a woodland garden that has a selection of narrow paths leading to the sea. You can choose a short stroll of about 40 minutes or take all day discovering the 8 miles of paths. Many of the plants were brought back from the Himalayas by the Victorian plant hunters. There is a cafe selling lunch or a selection of delicious hand made cakes during the summer months.

Duration: 1-2 hours

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See what travellers are saying

kimble1066
York, United Kingdom69 contributions
Dog friendly with good scenic woody walks amongst mature planting with great views
We were lucky with the weather and spent a merry couple of hours walking around the gardens, fabulously scenic, reminded me very much of the Helston Valley in Cornwall. Tea and cake in the garden outside the cafe equally enjoyable and staff were very chatty and friendly . Dog friendly too
Claire
Thank you for coming and glad that both you and your dog enjoyed your visit.
Written 23 May 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Visited May 2024
Travelled as a couple
Written 21 May 2024
Debbie C
Bangor, United Kingdom171 contributions
Beautiful gardens
Absolute gem of a place. We had a very peaceful walk here with our dog and it was delightful. So tranquil with amazing scenery. Then ended our visit with tea and freshly baked scones. Excellent value for money and friendly staff. We will definitely be back
Visited June 2024
Travelled as a couple
Written 25 June 2024
BarryWalesAngie
238 contributions
Beautiful woodland garden
This a wonderful garden to visit. There are plenty of areas to wander eith some magnificent tree shrubs and plants. It a relaxed feel not formal. If you decide to do the ladies loop walk be aware there is some road walking and some of the paths can get very muddy. The cafe at the gardens is excellent lovely cakes and we had a fabulous crab salad.
Visited July 2024
Travelled with family
Written 1 August 2024
Clare M
Cork, Ireland3 contributions
Beautiful gardens in an amazing location
Spent a lovely Sunday afternoon exploring the gardens and Ladies view trail. The surrounding scenery is incredible and the sun came out ! Dog friendly and enjoyed coffee and cake afterwards in the garden cafe Highly recommend a visit
Visited August 2024
Travelled solo
Written 19 August 2024

These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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4.0

226 reviews

Excellent

121

Very good

65

Average

21

Poor

13

Terrible

6

Fiffins Travels

75 contributions

A haven

Jul 2021 • Couples

A beautiful place to walk, paint, unwind. Gorgeous, lush semi tropical gardens in the Kerry countryside, rich with history. Dog friendly, fairy friendly and simply put, a heavenly place to spend time. A 5 star cafe with fresh home baking, delicious locally caught fresh crab salads
Gorgeous giftshop. The owner/managers couldnt be nicer or more welcoming, the staff were so pleasant. I would happily move in. Live Music on occasion also

Written 11 July 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Claire

Thanks so much for your lovely review, Frederika, it's always great to hear when people have enjoyed Derreen. We look forward to welcoming you back again in the future.

Written 16 July 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Paul G

London, United Kingdom2 contributions

Stunning gardens , exquisite food

Jul 2021 • Solo

Visited the wonderful Dereen gardens yesterday (Fri 2nd July) - gardens are simply spectacular and with an amazing backdrop of mountains and Kenmare River. The vast collection of trees are beautiful and especially the stunning Tree Ferns of which there are many at times feels more like a walk in a far away subtropical location. We decided to have lunch in the wonderful garden area adjacent to the property and the food was really excellent (salad leaf from the garden - local crab on freshly made brown bread followed by the most amazing home baked cakes) The three staff we met were so warm and hospitable that we are already looking forward to returning there again soon.

Written 3 July 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Claire

Thank you so much for the lovely review, it is always good to hear when visitors have enjoyed their time at Derreen (and their lunch!) We look forward to welcoming you back again in the future.

Written 16 July 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Dan S

45 contributions

Perfectly average

Jun 2022 • Family

I have to say that we felt this was a little overpriced. We’ve spent the last few days on the East coast, and having spent time at both Mount Usher and Powers Court gardens (€9 & €11.50 respectively) the €9 we paid here did not feel like value for money as the gardens were not as well kept as others we’ve seen during the course of the week. Having said that the views across the bay were impressive and the cafe was lovely.

Written 2 June 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Claire

I’m sorry you didn’t feel the garden was worth the €9 entrance fee. Our garden team work incredibly hard to strike a balance between the need to maintain and care for the garden and plant collection here at Derreen and preserving the atmosphere of wildness that the garden is renowned for. This wildness is not to everyone’s taste and I’m sorry that on this occasion it wasn’t to yours. I am glad you enjoyed the cafe, they also work incredibly hard to provide the delicious lunches and cakes that they bake fresh everyday, so thank you for your positive comments. Do visit again and perhaps the garden will win you over next time!

Written 6 June 2022

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

C_and_H_11

Dublin, Ireland783 contributions

Lovely Couple of Hours Spent Here

May 2022

Really lovely gardens with many tropical plants here on the Beara Peninsula. Nice walks, good views along the waters edge, very well developed & definitely a bit different. The cafe has outdoor seating & is well shaded if it's either rainy or sunny. Lovely cakes, especially the carrot cake!! Very nice friendly staff & you can also buy plants here which we took advantage of too. Would definitely seek out this lovely area which passes a couple of hours very pleasantly.

Written 20 August 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Claire

I'm so glad that you enjoyed your visit and I hope your plants thrive. Out of interest what more could we do to ensure that next time you give us 5/5?! Thank you Claire

Written 23 August 2022

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Ted M

Dublin, Ireland51 contributions

A wonderful experience

Mar 2022

We came on this garden driving along the Beara peninsula. It seems to be in a micro climate with lush ferns and magnificent trees . The paths lead you along an enchanting waterside views. It is not an extended walk but so beautiful. The maintainance is so respectful of nature. Full marks to the management . It has a very similar atmosphere to Garnish island
The cafe was not open given that it was March.

Written 7 March 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Claire

Thank you for taking the time to leave such a nice review, Ted. We're so glad you enjoyed your visit to Derreen we do try and balance the need for maintenance with trying not to disturb the atmosphere of the garden, it's always nice to hear when visitors feel we are succeeding.

Written 13 April 2022

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Brian W

2 contributions

Lovely fern garden

Aug 2021

A beautiful fern garden in a magnificent setting. Nice cafe and open air eating space. Entrance fee is somewhat pricey at Euro 14.50 per head. Overall a nice place to spend an hour walking through the gardens.

Written 17 September 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Claire

Thank you for your review, I'm glad you enjoyed the garden and cafe. The entrance fee is just 8 euros per adult, so you should definitely not have been charged 14.50 euros. If you would like to get in touch we can of course arrange a refund. Kindest regards, Louise

Written 23 September 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

kimble1066

York, UK69 contributions

Dog friendly with good scenic woody walks amongst mature planting with great views

May 2024 • Couples

We were lucky with the weather and spent a merry couple of hours walking around the gardens, fabulously scenic, reminded me very much of the Helston Valley in Cornwall. Tea and cake in the garden outside the cafe equally enjoyable and staff were very chatty and friendly . Dog friendly too

Written 21 May 2024

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Claire

Thank you for coming and glad that both you and your dog enjoyed your visit.

Written 23 May 2024

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Ciara S

2 contributions

A lovely way to spend an afternoon!

Jul 2022 • Friends

Highly recommend a visit to this beautiful part of Kerry! It's €9 to explore the gardens which I think is appropriate and in line with similar attractions. We paid the entry fee in the cafe and a lovely woman gave us a map and guided us to the start of our route.

There are 12km of walks and it's good fun to find your way along the various names walks and spot the identification points marked on the map. The map also identifies the routes most suited to those with buggies or older persons which was very helpful.

We had tea and scones in the cafe after our walk, all of which was delicious. An excellent afternoon, particularly in the nice sunny weather which we enjoyed! Just be aware of the occasional fly bite given the setting!

Written 5 July 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Claire

I'm so glad you enjoyed your visit to the garden and the café. Please come again soon.

Written 11 July 2022

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

gilgenwinter

Ireland100 contributions

Wonderful escape

Jul 2020 • Family

We visited Derreen and enjoyed walks around the grounds. The gardens are no manicured show gardens. Instead they are about the trees, shrubs and foliage. However the real highlight is the shore and the views across the bay. The land is like a private peninsula and on a good weather day it is stunningly beautiful.
The cafe has a nice range of cakes and outdoor picnic tables.
Overall a little gem for this part of the county.

Written 30 July 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Claire

Thank you. So nice when people really appreciate what we have here. As you say it is all about the trees and the shore. Please come again.

Written 31 July 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Tadhg O

27 contributions

DH

Jul 2020 • Family

Derreen house is a lovely spot outside of Kenmare on the Beara Peninsula.
They were serving savoury & sweet foods as well as having a garden. The food was amazing (a lot of it coming from the garden or locally). The crab I had was apparently fresh from a fishing trip the day before. The food was very well priced too. We tried both sweet & savoury menus and the total was very fair. After lunch we explored the lovely gardens. Overall, definitely worth stopping in for a few hours while traveling the wild Atlantic way.

Written 4 August 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Claire

Thank you for you nice comments, I'm glad you had a good trip round the garden and enjoyed the cafe. They make do as much as possible themselves.

Written 21 August 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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