Hogs Head to Sneem Geosites

 LIVE  is a collaboration between Welsh and Irish community organisations, academic departments and local governments on the Iveragh Peninsula (south-west Ireland) and Llŷn Peninsula (north-west Wales). The aim of LIVE is to enable coastal communities to promote their natural and cultural assets and create opportunities for sustainable tourism, especially outside of the traditional peak tourist seasons. We will build on work already underway to create a strong identity and sense of place for both peninsulas. Find out more about the project here:  www.ecomuseumlive.eu .

The landscape of Iveragh has been shaped by geological forces over hundreds of millions of years. Over the past 390 million years the area has migrated across the equator, been covered by hot deserts, submerged beneath shallow tropical seas, and buried below thick ice sheets. The area from Hog’s Head to Sneem is geologically rich and diverse with stunning beaches, mystical coral coves, and towering mountains. These tell a compelling part of the natural history and illustrate the extraordinary range of interesting environments and geomorphologic features created by Earth processes.

The three major regional formations of the Iveragh Old Red Sandstone: the Valentia Slate Formation, St. Finian’s Sandstone Formation, and Ballinskelligs Sandstone Formation are all found between Hog’s Head and Sneem.            

Geosites

The geology of the area tells a remarkable story. The map below highlights some of the best places to take in the extraordinary geology and see some spectacular scenery for yourself.

We want to share our beautiful corner of the world with you and with many generations to come. For this reason, we support regenerative, sustainable and responsible ecotourism and we hope you will too. Please take a minute to read our  '  Things To Know Before You Go'  so you can also play your part. Go raibh maith agat.