SKELLIG ISLANDS
BECDEn route to Dingle, the remarkable Kerry Cliffs draw passers-by with the promise of stellar views of the Skellig Islands. Around 400 million years old, these unmistakable islands rise from the ocean like twin pyramids. Towering above the Atlantic, Skellig Michael is a renowned UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Its summit is crowned by a well-preserved sixth-century monastic settlement, complete with beehive-shaped stone huts (cleverly designed to keep out the elements), and walled gardens for growing a variety of crops. Fans of the Star Wars franchise will recognise Skellig Michael as Luke Skywalker’s hide-away in Episode VII: The Force Awakens and Episode VIII: The Last Jedi.
Boat tours focusing on the history and delicate ecosystem of the island run daily from the marina at Portmagee to Skellig Michael during high season, costing around £26 for children and £34 for adults. Close by, on Little Skellig, some 30,000 pairs of northern gannets nest on this inhospitable isle each year, making this one of the largest gannet colonies in the world.
Fn The Wild Atlantic Way website offers plenty of handy tips on driving the route, which might be useful to you.
› www.wildatlanticway.com/info-pages/ travel-tips
n The quality of the road surfaces can vary from smooth Tarmac to rough gravel, so you should take your time. The route passes mainly through rural areas, view. From here, the road leads to the ferry crossing in Tarbert, where you catch the Shannon Ferry, which runs every half-hour to Killimer.
Beyond Killimer, the unmissable Cliffs of Moher loom on the horizon. More than 350 million years old, these shale and sandstone rock formations stretch 8km along County Clare’s awe-inspiring coastline, rising 210m above the Atlantic Ocean.
With a hair-raising cliffside walking trail, the area is a haven for wildlife, home to razorbills, peregrine falcons and puffins.
After the cliffs, the traditional village of Doolin beckons. Just 5km north, it makes an idyllic pitstop, with a handful of traditional pubs, complete with roaring woodfires, serving steaming bowls of Irish stew and creamy pints of porter.
This is also a handily located jumping-off point for adventurers with little time, keen to explore the ancient churches and prehistoric forts of the Aran Islands, just offshore.
Otherwordly landscape
so you can expect to encounter farm machinery, cattle, sheep and working dogs. The Wild Atlantic Way really can’t be rushed, so don’t expect to cover more than 65km per hour.
n Fuel stations are few and far between in rural areas, so fill up at any opportunity to avoid running out. Some outlets don’t accept credit cards.
Beyond Doolin, the karst (limestone) landscape of the Burren National Park extends as far as the eye can see – eerie, desolate and otherworldly. And just a couple of kilometres off the Wild Atlantic Way, a 5000-year-old megalithic burial tomb – Poulnabrone Dolmen – bursts up from the lunar landscape. Three gigantic vertical portal stones support an angled capstone, looking rather like a doorway to Ireland’s ancient past.
After Galway, the Wild Atlantic Way cuts through wind-carved Connemara to Clifden, offering magical panoramas of the ocean. Passing through the coastal town of Westport, the road continues on its way north to reach the mesmerising sights of Sligo.
Here, 500m vertical walls of limestone jut out of the soft rolling hills at Benbulben, Ireland’s own Table Mountain. The giant formation, carved out by wind and rain, is the setting for many great folktales, from the fianna, bands of conquering Celtic warriors, to
Tír na nóg, the fabled land of eternal youth, and the tragic romance of Gráinne and Diarmuid.
Aurora borealis
n You might want to invest in a sat nav that gives the best routes for caravans, or check the next section of route on Google Maps before you start, to ensure it can be tackled by them.
n Pack a hooded mackintosh, stout shoes and plenty of layers. This coastal route can be pretty windy; don’t bother with umbrellas!
Heading into County Donegal, there’s no end to the jaw-dropping drives, but those in the know head to Glengesh Pass, which snakes down the bed of a wild emerald valley. Explorers seeking natural wonder stop at Malin Head, the most northerly point in Ireland, home to the Five Fingers Strand dunes, stunning sunsets and nature’s lightshow – the aurora borealis.
On clear nights, visitors fill flasks with coffee, buy bags of steaming, vinegary chips, and stake out the heavens in search of the Northern Lights.
Alternatively, luxury private cottages, boasting huge windows perfect for scanning the skies, can be hired for around £200 a night.
After Malin Head, the road rolls on to the village of Muff, on the border with Northern Ireland, and the end of the spectacular Wild Atlantic Way.
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› sligocaravanandcamping. ie/strandhill-park
Rosses Point Caravan & Camping Park
Sligo, Co Sligo
› sligocaravanand camping. ie/rosses-point-park
Lough Arrow Adults-only Touring Park (7)
Ballynary, Riverstown, Co Sligo F52 K793
› lougharrowcaravan park.com