Kinsale

Ireland

Kinsale sits where the Bandon River meets the sea, 25km south of Cork City via the R600. This historic port town of 6,000 has earned itself the title of Ireland's gourmet capital, with narrow streets packed full of restaurants and seafood bars. The massive star-shaped Charles Fort guards the harbor entrance, one of Europe's best-preserved 17th-century fortifications. The colorful harbor buildings make for some of Ireland's most photographed scenes, while nearby Old Head offers cliff walks above the waters where the Lusitania went down in 1915.