Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business In the northwest corner of County Clare, the Atlantic meets a landscape unlike anywhere else in Ireland.
Together they form the Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark, a UNESCO Global Geopark, and a highlight of the Wild Atlantic Way touring route. You can see the cliffs in an afternoon, but the region rewards a slower pace: an evening of traditional music in Doolin, a morning walk on the limestone, a cave visit on a rainy day.
The cliffs are among the most visited natural sights in Ireland, and for good reason. They stretch for about 14 km between Hag's Head and the area south of Doolin, reaching their highest point of 214 metres just north of O'Brien's Tower.
The Burren is quieter but just as memorable. Its name comes from the Irish for a rocky place, and the limestone, laid down some 325 million years ago, was scoured clean by glaciers. Water drains underground through caves, so the surface looks bare, yet the cracks shelter an extraordinary mix of plants, with Arctic-alpine and Mediterranean species growing side by side.
Most visitors arrive at the official visitor centre, built into the hillside so it barely interrupts the view. From there, paved paths lead north and south along the cliff edge behind a low stone wall.
O'Brien's Tower was built in 1835 by Sir Cornelius O'Brien as a viewing point for visitors. Photo: Berthold Werner, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
For a quieter approach, walk the Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk, which runs for about 18 km between Liscannor and Doolin. The southern section from Liscannor climbs to Hag's Head, the southern tip of the cliffs, where a ruined Napoleonic-era signal tower stands on the site of the old promontory fort that gave Moher its name.
Moher Tower, a Napoleonic-era lookout, stands at Hag's Head, the southern end of the cliffs. Photo: Colin Park , Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Doolin is less a village than a scattering of small communities along the coast north of the cliffs, and it has long been known for traditional Irish music, with sessions in its pubs most evenings in summer. Above the village stands Doonagore Castle, a restored round tower house that is privately owned but makes a fine sight from the road.
Doonagore Castle, a restored round tower house, overlooks Doolin and the Atlantic. Photo: Jo and Steve Turner , Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Just north of Doolin, this show cave is visited for one remarkable feature: a free-hanging stalactite more than seven metres long, one of the longest known in Europe. The guided tour descends by steps into the chamber and lasts under an hour, and there is a farm nature trail above ground. Allow about one and a half hours.
Burren National Park covers a section of the southeastern Burren around Mullaghmore, a hill of folded limestone terraces that looks almost sculpted.
Mullaghmore's folded limestone terraces are the signature landscape of Burren National Park. Photo: The Banner, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
South of Ballyvaughan, Poulnabrone is the most famous monument in the Burren: a portal tomb with a thin capstone balanced on upright stones, set in open limestone pavement. Excavations found the remains of more than thirty people buried here in the Neolithic period, over five thousand years ago.
Poulnabrone dolmen is a Neolithic portal tomb set on the open limestone pavement of the Burren. Photo: Bernard Gagnon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
A short drive south of Poulnabrone, Caherconnell is a well-preserved ring fort of drystone limestone walls that was occupied in the early medieval period. A small visitor centre explains the archaeology, and sheepdog demonstrations are held on the farm in season.
Caherconnell is a medieval stone ring fort with walls built of local limestone. Photo: Ingo Mehling, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
The small village of Kilfenora sits at the southern edge of the limestone and is home to a tiny cathedral built around the end of the twelfth century, with a ruined chancel and several carved high crosses, some protected under a glass roof.
Kilfenora is known for its small cathedral and its collection of carved high crosses. Photo: Srleffler at English Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
South of Ballyvaughan, Aillwee is the most developed show cave in the region, with a guided tour through passages, past an underground waterfall and the bones of brown bears, which once lived in Ireland.
In a peaceful valley east of Ballyvaughan, Corcomroe Abbey is the roofless ruin of a Cistercian monastery founded in the early thirteenth century.
Corcomroe Abbey is a Cistercian monastery founded in the early thirteenth century. Photo: Andreas F. Borchert, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
The coast road from Ballyvaughan around Black Head to Fanore is one of the most striking drives in Clare, with bare limestone terraces sweeping down to the sea and views across Galway Bay.
Clints and grykes, the blocks and fissures of limestone pavement, cover much of the Burren. Photo: Barry Hunter , Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
The Burren has a strong local food movement, and the Burren Food Trail links farms, smokehouses and cafés across the region.
Doolin and Ballyvaughan have the widest choice of pubs and cafés, while Lahinch and Ennistymon to the south offer more options, including bakeries and seafood places.
Popular dishes to try in Cliffs of Moher and the Burren
Doolin is the most popular base, ideal if you want to walk to the cliffs, catch an Aran Islands ferry and enjoy traditional music at night; it has guesthouses, hostels and self-catering cottages. Lisdoonvarna, a former spa town a few kilometres inland, offers more rooms and is central for both coast and limestone.
Kilfenora is small and quiet but central. To the south, the surf town of Lahinch has a long sandy beach and lively summer atmosphere, while neighbouring Ennistymon is a characterful market town with cascades on the River Inagh.
Where to stay in Cliffs of Moher and the Burren
May and June are the most rewarding months. Days are long, the Burren's wildflowers are at their best, including spring gentians and orchids, and the cliffs are busy with nesting seabirds.
Winter is mild but wet and windy, with short days. The cliffs can be dramatic in storms, but paths may close and ferries stop running.
Shannon Airport, near Ennis, is the closest international airport and about an hour's drive from the cliffs. Galway, with rail and bus links to Dublin, lies to the north.
To explore the inland Burren, however, you really need your own transport, as buses are scarce away from the coast.
Walk the coastal path from Liscannor to Hag's Head and on to the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience, then continue to O'Brien's Tower.
Visit Doolin Cave in the morning, then drive inland through Lisdoonvarna to Kilfenora for the cathedral and high crosses.
Start at Aillwee Cave or Corcomroe Abbey, then walk a trail in Burren National Park around Mullaghmore.
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