Overview

Distance:
- Starting from Baltimore village: approx 3.5km total out and back
- Starting from the very small car park at the end of the road: 600m total out and back
Time: 10 - 60 minutes depending on how long you want to explore!
Parking:
- Large car park in the village
- Tiny closer car park (room for approx. 4 cars)
Trail difficulty: Easy (-ish)
Walking out from the village is all small lanes, until the last 300m. From there, there is a worn path that can be steep and slippy underfoot. There is no way-marking.
Read how we rate trails here.
Trail quality: 3/5
No official trail really underfoot, but the ground was stable when I visited
Views: 5/5
A really lovely spot to sit and look out at the surrounding islands and cliffs.
Buggy/Wheelchair friendly: No
Dogs allowed: No
When was I here: March 2026
External links:
- Our long-form video on YouTube
- Sport Ireland Outdoors

Recently I was down in Cork visiting The Wandering Goldsmith to work on our Slí Signet. Having driven to the other end of the country, it felt only right to go and see some places that have been on my to do list for a long time. The first stop was to see the Baltimore Beacon.

The Baltimore Beacon is a large, white-painted stone pillar that sits on a prominent viewpoint above the water between the mainland and Sherkin Island. Standing at 15m high, it’s a tapered pillar with a red ball on top, and unlike anything I’ve seen along the Irish coastline (although apparently it is one of at least 20 such structures out there).

Visiting in mid-March on a stormy weekend, I was alone as I pulled into the tiny car park at the top of the lane out from the village. I let the rain shower pass, and then stepped out into glorious sunshine with a biting wind.

Walking out from this tiny car park, it’s only 300m or so to this huge pillar. Beacons like this have to be somewhat unique, so that when sailers spotted them they would know where they are. Apparently, one of the names it’s known by is “Lot’s Wife” - after the biblical woman who turned into a pillar of salt.

While wandering around this viewpoint several other people came and went, despite the strength of the wind and earliness in the season. I stayed and watched one or two small boats resolutely push through the choppy water, the gulls diving along the cliffs, and the sea foam blowing up around me so it fell like snow.

At this early point in the year, this was a peaceful place to stop by to drink in both the views and my coffee. I can imagine that during peak summer times it could be overly busy.

Something of a “snap and go” viewpoint, I feel conflicted in whether I “recommend” visiting. Our outdoor spaces suffer enough from high footfall in photogenic places, which this certainly is. In these high-use areas, being aware of our impact is key - strive to leave nothing behind and take care of the environment.

I’s a simple walk to a pretty place, and if that interests you then I hope you’ve a wonderful time.