We wake to find yesterday's sunshine is history. It's drizzling while we eat breakfast in the busy pub-cum-B&B, but at least it's not heavy enough for us not to ride on the climb out of Bantry, going north.

Ouch - a hill first thing in the morning. Unfortunately there's no escape from the N71, but it's not too steep and traffic is light.

We're pretty wet when we get to the top. There's a pub here and our bikes get parked outside. Indoors, our wet clothing is set in front of the heat of a log fire while we have a pot of tea and wait for the sky to clear. 

That doesn't happen and an hour later we're cycling down in the grey wetness, back to the coast and then swerve left along the road leading to Glangariff.

This is the Beara Cycling Route. We get to Adrigole and find a shop open. On its gable is a mural of Healy Pass. What to do? 

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A campsite nearby doesn't have any cabins and we don't like the idea of putting our tent up in the rain, so  decide to head up the pass. 

It's a quiet route and there are just one or two cars that pass us in the time it takes us to crest it.

Healy Pass is a real gem of a route and its a crying shame the wet weather takes the edge off its splendor. No photos along the climb that twists its way over to the north side of the peninsula.

We failed to spot the Youth Hostel and the manager of a pub at the bottom of the hill kindly phones around and finds us a room. 

We're soaked through and cold. Thankfully it's just a ten-minute ride away, to a modern bungalow set back off the road.

We walk up the gravel drive, lock our bikes outside and our 30-something host switches on the heating system and we hang out our wet stuff on a radiator in the bedroom. Later, her husband drives us down tiny lanes to a gourmet restaurant - the only one in these parts open - that is over 20 minutes away and then collects us once we'd done eating. He won't accept any money. That's the Irish for you.

The bed is nice. There are no other guests in this small place.