CLIFF PATHS

1. PATH TO THE POINT ACROSS THE BRIDGE (About 10 minutes walk to the end)

2. PATH TO VIEWING PLATFORM, CAVES, NATURAL ARCH. The viewing platform down the cliffs to the south of the car park has been made at the top of the old steps leading down to a landing stage which was built to provision the Mizen Head signal station by sea. When land travel was still difficult provisioning by sea was quicker an easier. The natural arch and the caves have been formed by the sea. In one of the caves lie the cannons of the French Armada ship ‘L’Impatiente’ which sank with the loss of 563 men and several hundred horses in December 1796 on their way to Bantry. Only seven men were saved.

Take care - this is a very steep path.  25 mins

3. PATH OVERLOOKING THE BRIDGE AND VIEWS TO THE BEARA PENINSULA  This is a good path for those who aren't good with steep paths.  It is a flat path out straight from the Visitor Centre

4.PATH TO RADIO BEACON PLINTH -DUNLOUGH BAY VIEW

This path is over the Bridge and ends on the 1931 Radio Beacon Platform next to the old Radio Beacon Hut.  The views to the north are up to Sheeps Head and the Beara Peninsula.   To the south there are views over the  Bridge, the cliffs at the back of the Signal Station.  This gully is where Charles Haughey's yacht Taurima sank in 1985.

The old Radio Beacon plinth has made an excellent platform for viewing the whole site - from Roaring Water Bay, Cape Clear and the Fastnet Lighthouse to the south east, the wide Atlantic ocean to the south and west and Dunlough Bay, Three Castle Head, Sheeps Head and up to the Beara peninsula to the north.

20 mins

5. PATH TO DERRICK PLATFORM

In the beginning, access to Cloghane Island where Mizen Head Signal Station was built was by boat  A derrick was erected on a platform on the island.

The derrick has gone, but the derrick pad is still there.  Cutters, boats without rowlocks or an engine, that were towed by another boat, full of construction materials, food and water were hoisted up to the working crew constructing the buildings.