A small island in Glengarriff harbour, fifteen kilometres up the bay from Bantry, given over almost entirely to an Edwardian-era ornamental garden of considerable beauty. The microclimate of the sheltered bay — frost-free, mild and damp — supports a startling range of subtropical plants, from tree ferns and palms to rhododendrons that flower into November. The Italian garden at the heart of the island, with its long pool and clock tower, is the photogenic centrepiece, but the wild gardens and the walled garden are the parts most worth lingering in.
Reached by ferry from Glengarriff pier; the crossing takes ten minutes and usually passes a seal colony on the rocks halfway across. Allow half a day in total — the gardens deserve at least two hours, plus the bus to and from Bantry.