Wild Atlantic Way: Dingle to the Burren on Ireland’s West Coast
Some roads are pretty. Some roads are dramatic. And then there’s the Wild Atlantic Way, where the land just runs out and the Atlantic takes over. We started our drive on the Dingle Peninsula. One look at those cliffs and you’ll understand why Hollywood keeps coming back here.
A Road Fit for the Movies
The Dingle Peninsula is where Star Wars: The Last Jedi came to film, out on the headland at Sybil Head (Ceann Sibéal). And it’s not the only one. Ryan’s Daughter and Far and Away were shot on this peninsula too. Standing out there with the wind in our faces, we got it. It’s dramatic, it’s wild, and it looks like nowhere else on earth.
The Wild Atlantic Way itself runs more than 1,600 miles (about 2,600 km) along Ireland’s west coast, from Donegal in the north to Kinsale in County Cork. We didn’t do all of it. We had a date with Dublin a few days later, so we picked our favorite stretch and took our time with it.
A Cuppa With a View
No road trip of ours is complete without a coffee stop, and on the Dingle Peninsula we found a café with a view we’re still thinking about. Here’s our challenge to you: if you can find a café with a better view than this one, you let us know. We’ll wait.
The Magic of an Early Start
You’ve heard us say it before, and we’ll keep saying it: get up early on a road trip. That’s when you find those quiet moments you can have all to yourself. An empty road, the light coming up over the water, and not another soul around. Those are the moments we travel for.
Across the Shannon to the Cliffs of Moher
Heading north, we hopped on the car ferry across the Shannon Estuary, from Tarbert in County Kerry to Killimer in County Clare. It’s a quick, easy crossing (about 20 minutes) and a lovely little break from driving. Ours was smooth as glass on a beautiful morning.
From there it was on to the Cliffs of Moher, and friends, they are incredible. The cliffs rise from about 400 feet to more than 700 feet straight out of the Atlantic. If they look familiar, that’s because they played the Cliffs of Insanity in The Princess Bride. Inconceivable, right? Try to get there early, especially in summer, as this a very popular site in Ireland.
Out to Inis Mór and the Wormhole
Next up: Inis Mór (Inishmore), the largest of the Aran Islands, out in the Atlantic off the Galway coast. We’ll be honest, the ferry crossing out was not the smoothest we’ve ever had. Hang on to your coffee.
It was worth every wave. One of the most dramatic places on the island is a natural formation called the Wormhole (Poll na bPéist in Irish). It’s an almost perfectly rectangular pool cut into the limestone, so neat that you’d swear someone built it. Nobody did. Waves and erosion shaped it over thousands of years, and it’s totally natural. It has even hosted the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series.
A word of caution: admire the Wormhole from the rocks, don’t swim in it. The waves and currents there are no joke, and the walk in is over rough, jagged limestone, so wear proper shoes.
A 3,000-Year-Old Fort on a Cliff
Tell us there’s an ancient fort on top of a hill and we’re racing up for the hike. Dún Aonghasa sits right on the edge of a cliff about 330 feet above the sea, and parts of it date back roughly 3,000 years, to around 1100 BC. Standing inside those stone walls with nothing but ocean in front of you is something we won’t forget.
The ride back to the mainland was much kinder, and gave us a chance to just sit and enjoy that beautiful blue water.
So Much More Than Cliffs
The Wild Atlantic Way isn’t only jagged coastline. There are waterfalls around every other bend, peaceful little inlets begging you to pull over, and ancient stone dwellings and historic sites everywhere you look. Give yourself time to wander off the main road.
Ending in the Burren
We ended our Wild Atlantic Way drive in the Burren, a name that comes from the Irish for “rocky place.” And rocky it is: a huge, moon-like landscape of bare limestone that started life as the floor of a warm, shallow sea millions of years ago, then was lifted up, scraped by glaciers and shaped by the weather. It’s strange and beautiful, and a fitting end to a drive full of wonders.
Have you driven the Wild Atlantic Way? Which stop would you put first: the Dingle Peninsula, the Cliffs of Moher, or the Aran Islands? And do you know a café with a better view? Tell us in the comments, we read every one!
Watch the full Wild Atlantic Way drive on our YouTube channel and ride along with us from the Dingle Peninsula to the Burren. If you enjoy traveling with us, please subscribe, give the video a like, and let us know in the comments where we should go next.
Follow along day to day on Instagram and Facebook @twogaygrandpastravel, and catch our podcast Travel Your Heart on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Travel Your Heart,
Grandpa Bobby &
Grandpa Scott
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