“A gem hiding in plain sight.”
I have a confession to make: I have overlooked this cottage every time I have searched for cottages in this area; unassuming on the outside and an uninspiring interior, I booked it only because there was nothing else available. Upon arrival, it took only 5 minutes to realise that I should have booked it years ago! The interior photos have not been updated in years - they don't show the beautiful new kitchen, nor do they do justice to the stunning views (mountains nearby, and a sea-view in the distance). No, you cannot see the Skellig Isles directly from the cottage (blocked by the hillside), but the view is awesome nonetheless. When the owners renovated, I'm glad they preserved the traditional layout of the cottage, unlike so many renovations that gut old cottages and build open-plan layouts (aesthetically-pleasing but lack coziness and are difficult to heat). The cupboards are absolutely stuffed with utensils and supplies (in sharp contrast with most cottages that just give you the bare essentials) - trust me, you'll never run out of toilet rolls! It's also the first time I have found unopened food items in the freezer (to the owner: I'm sorry for eating all of your chips, fish fingers, cornflakes, crispbread, baked beans etc!). As for the location, it is second to none: Kerry Cliffs is only 4.5km down the road, Portmagee (where most boat-tours to Skellig Michael depart from) is just 8.5km away, and the bridge to Valentia Island is right next to Portmagee. Final confession: I'm struggling to find anything negative about it! The furniture is old and careworn, if I'm nit-picking. Health permitting, I stay in 4 cottages per year, but never the same one twice. However, this is one cottage that I would seriously consider returning to (and hopefully I'll find another bag of chips and box of Bird's Eye chunky fish fingers in the freezer - the tastiest treat I've had on any trip!). Accuracy of listing: **** (4/5) [text accurate but photos ancient], cleanliness: *****, coziness: *****, bedding: ***, furniture: ***, kitchen: *****, Wi-Fi: *****, TV: ****, helpfulness of owner: *****, value for money: *****
