The Tides
+2 photosAbout The Tides
The Tides is a Fáilte Ireland approved 5-star b&b in Ballybunion, on the Kerry coast, listed on Fáilte Ireland’s official register of quality-assured accommodation. It is a smaller, owner-run house of 6 rooms, the kind of place where you deal with the people who actually run it.
Upscale rooms and suites, a sitting room with fireplace, plus a dining room with views.
Is this your B&B?
Claim this listingStaying in Ballybunion
A seaside golf town on Kerry’s Atlantic coast, known for its clifftop links, sandy beaches and sea caves.
Ballybunion is a lively coastal town on the north Kerry coast, where the Cashen River meets the Atlantic. Its year-round population is modest but swells considerably in summer, drawn by a long golden beach, dramatic cliffs and a links golf course with a genuinely international reputation. It sits on the Wild Atlantic Way, about forty minutes from Tralee and Kerry Airport.
For a B&B stay, Ballybunion works as a beach and golf base rather than a touring hub for the Ring of Kerry or Dingle, which lie further south. Days here run around the two main beaches, the clifftop walks between them, and the town’s golf courses, with the caves beneath the cliffs adding a curious bit of history to what is otherwise a straightforward seaside break.
It also sits close to Listowel, a short drive up the Cashen valley, which adds a literary and heritage side trip, the Lartigue Monorail heritage railway among them, for anyone staying more than a night or two.
Things to do near The Tides
Ballybunion Golf Club
Founded in 1893 and expanded to its full eighteen holes by 1927, Ballybunion’s Old Course is regularly ranked among the best links courses in the world and hosted the Irish Open in 2000. Its clifftop holes, running close to the Atlantic, are the main reason golfers travel from across the world to play here.
The caves beneath the cliffs
Beneath the cliffs at Castle Green lie a series of underground chambers thought to date from the Iron Age and early Christian period. They were a popular curiosity in the nineteenth century, drawing visitors including the poet Lord Alfred Tennyson.
The Nine Daughters’ Hole
A blowhole in the cliffs with a grim local legend attached, tied to a Viking-era story, and one of several distinctive rock features along this stretch of coast, alongside the sea stack known as the Devil’s Castle.
The beaches
Ballybunion’s two main beaches sit either side of the cliffs and are linked by a clifftop walkway, giving an easy choice between a livelier strand near the town centre and quieter sand further along.
The Lartigue Monorail, Listowel
A short drive away in Listowel, this rebuilt section of Charles Lartigue’s unusual balanced monorail runs on the bed of the original line that once carried passengers, cattle and sand between Listowel and Ballybunion from 1888 until 1924.
Getting to Ballybunion
Ballybunion is on the N69 coast road, about forty minutes from Tralee and Kerry Airport, and around the same from Listowel, which has its own train station on the Limerick line. Local Link and Bus Éireann services connect the town to Listowel and Tralee for onward travel, though a car is the easiest way to get around this stretch of coast.
Booking The Tides direct, and what the rating means
A real, assessed b&b
The Tides holds a 5-star b&b rating under Fáilte Ireland's National Quality Assurance Framework, assessed against the bedrooms, bathrooms, breakfast and welcome rather than self-declared. It's an independent signal you can trust before you book, separate from any platform's own review score.
No fees, no middleman
Ring the owner, or use the contact details on this page, and arrange the stay with the house rather than through an app. No booking fee added to your bill and no commission taken from the owner, so the room rate you agree is the room rate you pay.
A better stay, direct
Owners answer the questions a booking platform never will: whether the room at the front is quieter, how early breakfast can be served, or where to park for a few days. Speaking to the house directly is how B&Bs in Ireland were booked for decades.
Still deciding where to base yourself? Browse more B&Bs in Kerry.
Check availability at The Tides
Send the owner the details of your stay and they will come back to you directly. No booking fee, no platform in between, just Ballybunion on the other end.
The Tides, common questions
Where is The Tides?
The Tides is at Gortnaskeha, Ballybunion, Co. Kerry (Eircode V31 X206). Give the Eircode to your sat-nav to find the door.
How do I book The Tides?
You contact the owner directly, by phone or the enquiry form on this page. DirectBnB adds no booking fee and takes no commission, so you arrange the stay with the house itself and pay the room rate with nothing on top.
What star rating does The Tides have?
The Tides is a Fáilte Ireland approved 5-star b&b under Fáilte Ireland's National Quality Assurance Framework, and guests rate it 4.8 out of 5 across 118 Google reviews.
Is The Tides suitable for families?
Yes, The Tides is listed as family friendly. Ask the owner directly about room configurations and cots when you book.
How many rooms does The Tides have?
The Tides has 6 rooms. As a smaller, owner-run house it is worth booking ahead, particularly in summer and over weekends.
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