Dzogchen Beara

A beautiful setting with great views,and a great coffee shop selling great coffee and amazing cakes and treats Highly recommend a visit

I attended the Contemplative Walking retreat over the June 2025 bank holiday weekend. It was a wonderful experience in a transcendentally beautiful location. The Temple feels not of this earth. The centre itself seems apart from the unruly bustle of the world; offering calm, peace & reflection. At first I felt isolated, but then realised that was part of the charm. The sense of stepping away from it all. The walks were scenic, of no great difficulty but each of significant value. The spiritual care centre makes for very pleasant accommodation, and I may try a cottage next as they offered unparalleled coastal views. Meditation was expertly guided without fustiness by our friendly guides John & Bob. They were capably assisted by Mau and the centre's cheesecake aficionado Niamh :) The food differed from my usual diet but I really enjoyed it; the packed lunches on walks were satisfying and tasty & I've developed a new fondness for tofu! I arrived back not fully appreciating how much I'd learnt and a sense of quiet resilience unfolded over the following days. I cannot recommend Dzogchen Beara highly enough.

This place is amazing so peaceful in the most wonderful location with outstanding views. We visited while on holiday and spent a good couple of hours walking around. We then had tea in the lovely cafe sitting outside with a view of the sea 🌊 😍

My wife and I just spent a week at Dzogchen Beara and left this morning with a deep sense of peace and gratitude. For anyone seeking true tranquility, this is the place. The ocean view is breathtaking and offers a different, equally stunning experience at every hour of the day. What truly sets Dzogchen Beara apart, though, is the people, warm, compassionate, and genuinely present. Their kindness adds a depth to the experience that words can’t fully express. I’m already looking forward to returning as soon as possible. The retreat has a meaningful history, beginning when Peter and Harriet Cornish purchased the land and dedicated it to spiritual practice and well-being. Their vision created a sanctuary that continues to support visitors from all walks of life on their path to inner peace. If you simply want to take a walk, have a coffee, and relax with a lovely view, the café is open to all and includes a small shop with thoughtful gifts and items. For those staying longer, there are dedicated meditation spots with stunning views, as well as a full schedule of Buddhist retreats and activities, all detailed on their website. Highly recommended.

A very peaceful, spiritual place. And tasty lunch from the cafe 🥰

I attended a 3-day seminar "The essence of meditation" at Dzogchen Beara at the beginning of September 2023. It was very helpful. The teachers were competent, very nice and the atmosphere with around 25 participants was absolutely pleasant. The center is beautiful. The meditation garden is a dream. The meditation rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows facing the sea. Meditating here is very special and moving. There is also a great cafe with delicious home-baked cakes. During my 9-day stay in nearby Castletownbere, I stayed here every day and felt extremely comfortable. I can highly recommend it. It is great.

This, to me, is one of the most beautiful and peaceful places in the world. We went there last summer and there was hardly anyone. We had the whole meditation garden to ourselves and it was the most peaceful experience to look out at the magnificent Atlantic Ocean from it. I wish to return again and maybe stay there as well this time.

Can't describe the sense of tranquility here. The incredible views, the grounds, the people, the cafe and the calmness that it provides is amazing. I sat in the silent meditation garden for a while after my lovely cappuccino and felt comforted by the warm sun on my face...and their resident ginger cat, Roxy. A must must visit if visiting near the Beara Peninsula

If you are driving the Ring Of Beara, you need to stop in here just for the experience of eating at a cafe high up in the mountain overlooking a beautiful landscape! The property is owned by The Tibetan Buddhists but they welcome all visitors. Their grounds are breathtaking and truly peaceful. There is a beautiful section overlooking a peaceful but stunning view intended for meditation. I'm not sure if it's actually used for meditation because we only saw people looking around and admiring the view. There is a section where you can donate money and light a candle which is pretty cool. It looks like they are constructing a temple in another part of their property too. It just seems very strange to me that this is located in Ireland where the majority of the population is Catholic. The cafe itself is nice. You can get tea, coffee and other drinks along with a few light desserts. Seating is pretty limited though.