Ireland’s Atlantic coast
The West of Ireland has something for everyone – a unique landscape that will leave all who embrace it with a lasting memory
Stunning scenery and rugged terrain in the south-west of the Emerald Isle – ideal for a Land Rover adventure
Planning an adventure in your Land Rover this summer? A couple of hours in a ferry across the Irish Sea will give you access to the Wild Atlantic Way. It is being sold as one of the 'longest signed coastal routes in the world', totalling 1700 miles. Covering specifically signed and branded, narrow tracks and roads that hug the entire west coast of Ireland. From the picturesque town of Kinsale in Cork to the stunning coastlines of Kerry, Clare, Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal, it has something for everyone.
You can join this amazing route pretty much anywhere along the west coast of Ireland, or complete it in either direction from north to south or south to north; the rugged Atlantic landscape is just waiting to be explored. Planning ahead is important and you should try to research what you want to see and explore before departing on your trip. You could easily spend a month hugging this rugged coastline, so if you are limited as to how much time you have, be selective and choose the areas you wish to see the most.
The theme of our trip was to visit the homes and birthplaces of some of Ireland's most famous explorers who just happened to grow up along this coastal route. From Arctic explorer to ancient navigator and one of Australia’s most famous pioneers we were looking forward to experiencing the environments that inspired them.
At the wheel of a 2002 Td5, we started our journey in the fishing town of Kinsale in the south and gave ourselves just under a week to travel from here to North Mayo. We selected specific areas of interest along the route and by doing so this allowed us to cover nearly two-thirds of the entire journey. Our first taste of the Wild Atlantic Way in Cork presented us with some spectacular coastline driving that certainly got us excited about what lied ahead.
There are plenty of quaint fishing villages along Cork's coastline, some of the areas that we chose to visit included the busy port at Baltimore, Mizen Head, with its great views of the Atlantic, the touristy village of Glengarriff and the beautiful Beara Peninsula, before arriving at the start of the next phase of the trip in the busy town of Kenmare. At this stage you will have now crossed into County Kerry. With the largest mountain ranges in Ireland and spectacular lakes this is an adventurer's
playground. It's no surprise the locals are so proud of their county.
We decided to stay in a campsite in Killarney, one of Ireland’s most famous tourist traps, and after spending the following morning exploring the local lakes we continued heading north.
En route to the Dingle Peninsula we decided to set up camp early and choose a perfect remote spot at the end of Inch Beach. This would be our first waterside campsite and we decided to spend the day relaxing here. The views from Inch Beach and of the surrounding mountains, with the Dingle peninsula in the distance, are spectacular.
After a hearty breakfast the following morning we then headed in the direction of Annaschull to visit a pub in the village that was once owned by one of Ireland's most famous Arctic explorers, Tom Crean. After an enjoyable pint of the black stuff and keeping with the explorers' theme we then headed for St Brendan’s port located on the Dingle peninsula. Head into the colourful fishing port of Dingle town, the port is just a couple of miles from here and well signposted. It is believed that it was from this area that St Brendan the Navigator, an Irish monk, set out for America in the 6th century, long before Columbus (who is believed to have used some of St Brendan’s historic maps when he 'discovered' the Americas).
In 1976 British explorer Tim Severin built a replica of Saint Brendan’s boat and from Saint Brendan’s port, Severin and his crew sailed the replica boat 4500 miles from Ireland to Newfoundland, taking in Iceland along the way. Housed in a museum in Craggaunowen, County Clare, the replica boat can be seen by taking a little detour along the route.
The Dingle peninsula is literally on the edge of Europe and is home to the UNESCO World Heritage site, the Skellig Islands. These spectacular islands were recently used as a backdrop for one of the scenes in the latest Star Wars movie. After this it was time to leave Kerry and make our way towards Listowel and Tarbert, where we caught the car ferry that would take us across the estuary of Ireland's largest river, the river Shannon.
You will now be in County Clare and this section of the Wild Atlantic Way will once again treat you to a very unique coastal environment. The most interesting part of this coastline is the expansive Cliffs of Moher and the unusual stone landscape that gives the appearance of dried grey molten lava that's gradually made its way out into the Atlantic Ocean. We camped up beside the lively village of Doolin, in Burren National Park, with great views
“The rugged landscape is waiting to be explored"
“The theme of the trip was to visit the birthplaces of Ireland's most famous explorers"
from the campsite of the aforementioned cliffs.
We had now covered the entire south-west of this coastal journey and our next stop was Lahinch. Known as the west of Ireland's surfing capital, this coastal surfing town lies between Milltown Malbay and Ennistymon. After spending some time here checking out the surfers and having some lunch it was time to once again crank up the Land Rovers and navigate our way towards Galway, the next section of the Wild Atlantic Way.
After arriving in Kinvara near the Galway and Clare border I was aware that we were close to the home and birthplace of Robert O'Hara Burke another famous explorer. Burke is credited as being the first white man to successfully lead an expedition and cross the continent of Australia in 1860. Tragically Burke and William John Wills, his second in command, did not survive the return leg of the journey.
Having had the opportunity to trace part of their original route in Australia that took them from Melbourne to the Gulf of Carpentaria in the North West of Australia (in my Land Rover obviously), I was keen to see where he was born and visit the house he grew up in.
We eventually found the house near Craughwell and on reaching the walls of the stately manor I asked a farmer working in a nearby field if it was possible to get into the house. He said that it was now privately owned with no public access, but that you can still see the house through the large gates at the entrance. After a quick look around, I also managed to have a chat with one of the caretakers who explained to me that very few
people in the area knew who Burke and Wills were and what they had achieved, which I found very interesting given how famous they are in Australia.
Continuing on north you will have the option to visit the City of the Tribes, or as it's otherwise known Galway, before heading out along the coast again towards Bearna and the Irish speaking town of Spiddal.
You will now be almost half way along the Wild Atlantic Way, and as you traverse the County Galway coastline and the Connemara Gaeltacht, you can't help but notice that you are in the heart of an Irish speaking region with all of the signs written in the ancient Celtic language.
When in Connemara one coastal campsite that comes highly recommended is just ten minutes from Clifden town and two minutes from the small scenic village of Claddaghduff, nestled between the beautiful Atlantic Ocean and the majestic Twelve Bens mountain range, which forms part of the Connemara National Park. The campsite is called Acton’s and it’s an eco-park that offers superb Atlantic seascape views and a private white sandy beach. This is organised ‘wild camping,’ combined with the comforts of a modern park. The coastal location of the campsite is the perfect spot to explore Connemara.
After another great coastal camp along this route we once again packed up the Land Rovers and made our way through Ireland's only fjord known as Killary, this picturesque part of Ireland borders County Galway and County Mayo.
County Mayo really is a beautiful and inspiring part of Ireland, unspoilt and rugged. It’s a large county with Achill Island and the North part of the county offering some of the best coastal views. Achill Island is connectable by a bridge and is among the most remote and scenic areas in the country. The island's coastal road (Atlantic Drive) runs close to the cliff edge and provides spectacular views of the Atlantic. If you decide to spend a night on the island, you can set up camp beside the beach at Keel; you will be amazed by the great views of some of the highest cliffs in Europe.
Our experience of the Wild Atlantic Way was now sadly coming to an end, we would be finishing off our journey in North Mayo with a visit to the country’s most impressive sea stack Dun Briste; this magnificent natural tower broke away from the Atlantic in the 14th century.
This journey presented us with some amazing coastal views passing through very unique landscapes, pristine villages, incredible areas of archaeological significance and some cracking campsites while learning about some of Ireland's most famous explorers.
We had covered nearly two thirds of this coastal adventure, but unfortunately this time we would not get to travel along the remainder of the Wild Atlantic Way. We will be back though and very much look forward to experiencing the last third. If you are yet undecided as to where you might take your Land Rover this summer, a world of adventure awaits you along the Wild Atlantic Way.