Prior to our arrival in Westport, on Ireland’s Atlantic Coast, I’d never heard of the Wild Atlantic Way.
It’s the longest continuous coastal road in the world.
Stretching from Ireland’s far north coast in Donegal to the southern tip of the country in County Cork, the Wild Atlantic Way weaves through every corner of the coast. There are cultural highlights, adventure opportunities, visits to national parks–and all manner of traveling diversions for visitors. Here are a few reflections as we pack up and head back to Dublin.
We started our journey on the Wild Atlantic Way in Westport, after driving over from Kilbeggan. We check in to our B-n-B outside of town right on the water: Achill View B&B.
Our host, Margaret Cannon, was delightful. Her scones were delicious–just one part of the cooked breakfast she provided each morning. Choose from bacon and eggs, oatmeal or more traditional Irish dishes, including black pudding or white pudding. None for me, thanks.
Her BnB sits across the street from a pasture and you can see the ocean from the door. The path to the ocean is overgrown, but there are paths nearby at the “National Famine Memorial”, commemmorating the horrific famine of 1845-49.
Note: You have to pay Margaret in cash–so I drove down to the gas station, paid $9 per gallon to fill up and harvested some cash for our room.
Next, we drove down to the town of Clifden.
On the way, we pulled off to tour the incredible Kylemore Abbey. First constructed as a summer home, the main house boasts 36 bedrooms. Perfect for a summer party, eh? The real question is: how many bathrooms? HA.
Near the house is a giant Victorian walled garden. All manner of flowers and vegetables are grown here.
But not by the original owners. The Benedictine Order bought the property several years ago…and there’s a community on-site. But the tours are a vital part of the mission.
We also passed Connemara National Park, where we returned later to go hiking.
Along the Wild Atlantic Way, there are several loops for scenic drives. One, the “Sky Road” leaves from Clifden for about 20km along a peninsula. We stopped at Clifden Castle for a look and a walk in the rain.
Bring your rain gear!
Christy got the better end of our Sky Road drive….as I was concentrating on the left-side driving!
The trip back up the coast to Connemara National Park offered a nice hike and great views of the water. The weather cooperated!
Ireland’s coast is rugged and twisted. There are a hundred different spots to pull over and enjoy some spectacular views, beach walks and hikes up the nearby hills.
There also are countless cultural sites, as Ireland has a rich and varied history stretching back thousands of years—well before St. Patrick arrived on the scene in the 6th century (CE).
After Clifden, we made our way to Doolin for three nights. G-r-e-a-t traditional Irish music in this town. I wrote a story about our visit, including our trip to the Aran Islands by ferry.
In the story, I talk about Doolin’s heritage as the center of traditional Irish music. Our hostess at O’Connor’s Farmhouse, Bernice, gave us some recommendations…so we went to three different pubs for live music. All were less than a five-minute walk…across a skinny one-lane bridge.
We dedicated one day to exploring the Aran Islands by ferry. Christy booked a van ride with Joe Gill, whose family has been on the island for more than 300 years.
Joe drove us around the island to spot harbor seals, visit the ruins of 8th century churches and to a high point where we could hike up to a Bronze Age fort overlooking spectacular cliffs.
All along the cliffs, the flowers sprang up from the rocks.
We opted to do a boat tour (operated by the ferry) to see the giant Cliffs of Mohar from the water. Don’t miss it.
Additionally, we drove down the road for an up-close look at the Cliffs of Kilkee. Fabulous views. Just don’t get too close to the edge.
Next stop: the Dingle Peninsula. The port of Dingle is the first real fishing port we’ve seen.
There’s at least one boat-to-table restaurant in Dingle–and we tried it: The Fish Box. Dad owns the boat. Mom works in the kitchen. Son owns the restaurant and daughter works the front of the house. Christy had fish-and-ships with monkfish. I had black sole. Both dishes were expertly prepared. I’d never tasted black sole before–and I had to kinda pick it off the bones. But delicious. Christy said the batter was done just right–not to bready or greasy and the fish was delicious. Two thumbs up.
Tonight we opted for Fenton’s Restaurant….it’s been around for 40 years. Delicious. This time I had the monkfish with scallops and Christy chose the vegetarian dish. Both were scrumptuous. But the standout was the dessert: a chocolate toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream. I ordered the tiramisu. Both selections were over the top….and now I have to go lay down.
We missed out: Rather, we missed “Out of the Blue”, a seafood restaurant that’s notoriously hard to get into. We even tried to crash the gate when we arrived to see if there were cancellations. No luck.
Out Wild Atlantic Way tour today: “Slea Head Drive” included a visit to the Baskit Island Center, the observatory old church and many viewpoints along the way. Plus–a surprising clifftop cafe that just reopened. “Caifé na Trá”. It opens late (10:30 a.m.), but the views are spectacular.
We just scratched the surface of Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way….never mind the many stories throughout the country. Are you going to check it out for yourselves? I hope so. Tell me how it goes!
Getting there: We flew Aer Lingus on the nonstop from Seattle. Then, we rented a car…which has its own challenges (right-hand drive, narrow roads, $9.00/gallon gas). We liked that idea better than a bus tour.
Accommodations: Christy stitched together a collection of small hotels, apartment rentals and b-n-bs. It worked fine for us. There are lots of different variables for where to stay, of course.
Share this Post
