Posted on June 04, 2010 by Fiona Hilliard

This week TripAdvisor released its list of the Top 10 Most Charming European Towns. Although many of the towns are well publicised for being cute as a button, there were a few surprises thrown in there. Kotor in Montenegro made the cut as did the lesser known Fontaine de Vaucluse in France.

Here’s the list – how many have you visited?

1. Bruges (Belgium)

2. Siena (Italy)

3. Sitges (Spain)

4. Dingle (Ireland)

5. Mittenwald (Germany)

6. Salisbury (England)

7. Fontaine de Vaucluse (France)

8. Cascais (Portugal)

9. Cesky Krumlov (Czech Republic)

10. Kotor (Montenegro)

Having been to a couple of the towns mentioned – Dingle and Cascais, I can safely say that the drives are almost as beautiful and as scenic as the destinations themselves.

Portugal has been grabbing most of the blog’s headlines recently, so I thought I’d devote a little time to Dingle.

Driving along the Dingle Peninsula on a sunny summer’s day you would be forgiven for questioning your whereabouts, even for just a second. Brooding mountains and glistening waters lead you to ask yourself whether you’re in Ireland or could you have taken a wrong turn and somehow ended up in Hawaii? Ok, so the lack of palm trees might be a dead giveaway but there’s something unmistakeably serene and magical about the landscape that gives it a real sense of the exotic.

The town of Dingle itself is a colourful (and indeed very charming) little fishing village. It knows it. Dingle has made the most of its dramatic hilly streets, with brightly painted shops, cafés and traditional Irish craft businesses plying their trade to tourists and day-trippers.

It is a picture perfect example of an Irish town that not only offers memorable scenery, but also an impressive array of visitor activities and attractions in the surrounding Dingle Peninsula including golf, fishing, hill-walking and surfing – see I knew there was another bonafide connection with Hawaii!

About the Dingle Peninsula:

The Dingle Peninsula is a 30-mile (48 kilometre) stretch of coastline that runs along the Atlantic Ocean from Ireland’s southwest coast.  It is characterised by a range of mountains that run from Slieve Mish to Mount Brandon, famous for being Ireland’s second highest peak. The coastline is peppered with dramatic sea-cliffs, sweeping sandy beaches, while the Blasket Islands are situated just to the west of the peninsula.  All in all, it’s a lovely drive, no matter where you choose to stop off.

How to Get to Dingle:

Drivers can visit Dingle via two main routes.  Both have their own merits. The N86 links Tralee to the south west coast of Tralee Bay, through Camp village and then continues on over the mountains to Annascaul, Lispole and Dingle.

Alternatively, you can take the R561 which runs from Castlemaine.  This route links roads from Kerry Airport, Killarney and the Ring of Kerry so is very convenient for those touring Co. Kerry. Along the way, you’ll pass the north side of Castlemaine Harbour, the sweeping sands of Inch and the cliff top road which joins the N86 to the west of Annascaul.