We really had a wonderful stay in Waterville, which is a lovely friendly village, nestled in the Ring of Kerry, with spectacular views on the road from Kenmare. The town has everything you'll need, good restaurants and cafe's, a pharmacist, petrol station supermarket, a great butcher and a few gift shops, although some places were still closed when we were there. It's a nice place to amble around for an afternoon. We'd a lovely lunch in The Lobster and a refreshing walk on the stony beach afterwards. A few nice places locally for dinner such as the Smugglers Inn and O'Dwyers. Great access to the Skelligs from Portmagee and Caherciveen was also worth a visit.
Fiona's place is not a typical holiday home development mostly due to its fantastic setting which is about 2k out of the village down a windy road which ends at the banks of the Inny River, where it meets the sea. The house is comfortable, although for me the mattress in the front bedroom was too hard- my partner didn't mind it at all so horses for courses, as they say. It was lovely to have our dog with us and its a great space for a dog inside and out . All appliances are fairly self explanatory and the kitchen was really well supplied. I would note the lack of multi-channel TV and WI-fi did frustrate my partner but it didn't bother me in the least, because at the end of the day it's the location that earns this place 5 stars. The pathway at the end of the garden leads down to the sea and river, which becomes a private beach to walk the dog, when the tide is out. The sunsets over the water were sensational with the mountains reflected in the stillness. Waterville is a dark sky reserve, so on a clear night the mixture of the Milky Way and whistling birds in the silence was so restful and beautiful. We hope to return some day. Thank you Fiona and Peter for hosting our stay.