If you are visiting south-west Cork in Ireland a trip to Garinish Island is on many people's 'to do' list. With a leisurely 3 weeks to explore the area, we visited in mid-May - it was a lovely sunny day and we thought we had better visit whilst the weather was good. As it turned out the weather just got better and better!

Garinish is a small island known to horticulturists and lovers of trees and shrubs. It was designed by acclaimed architect and garden designer Harold Peto over 80 years ago. I had visited back in the late 80s and it was one of the stand-out memories of the trip, although it rained.

Ferry Trip

There are two ferries that leave the village of Glengariff to take you on the short trip across Bantry Bay - we opted for the Blue Pool Ferry as it was nearest the centre of the village where we had enjoyed a breakfast at Sugarloaf Cafe. Tickets for the ferry are bought on the path down to the blue pool. On the 15 minute ferry trip you should get a chance to see harbour seals and maybe even a white-tailed eagle. We didn't see the eagles, but we were shown a nest site on the island and I spotted a black guillemot as well as the seals.

The Island

In addition to paying for the ferry, you also need to pay to go on to the Island which includes a tour around Bryce House, although places are limited. On such a nice day, most of the visitors were just enjoying soaking up the sun. There is a tea room and some people were having picnics on the lawn. There is plenty to explore in the garden. As well as some stunning plants, the garden architecture frames makes the most of the vistas, both within the garden and out across the bay.

Read More about the Island here