The Wild Atlantic Way
Explore the magical Wild Atlantic Way and take the World’s greatest road trip with our bite sized guides.
From Innishowen the most northern part of Ireland, to Kinsale the gorgeous foodie destination in the south, the Wild Atlantic Way is a trip of a lifetime. With 2,500 km of road it is the ultimate Irish road-trip.
This western coastal route is the gift that keeps on giving, where you will drive from dramatic sea cliffs to wild landscapes and then onwards to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world (yes, I’m being bold but seeing is believing!). Traditional culture, just-off-the-boat seafood, the cutest villages and the best craic - this road-trip has it all!
With so much to take in on this spectacular route, you need to take your time to fully appreciate it’s natural splendour. We explored the Wild Atlantic Way in sections and at our own pace. We feel that in order to truly experience a place you need to submerge yourself there rather than merely catching a glimpse from a car window. Pull over, go for a swim in the turquoise waters, take a surf lesson, stop at that cute roadside bar and order a plate of oysters - get involved! Ireland hooks you in and doesn't let go... let her cast her net.
We will be producing a series of 3 to 5-day guides for each section of the Wild Atlantic Way so you can take the journey at your own pace and in whatever order you want.
Donegal
“Up here is different” goes the official slogan of the most northern leg of the Wild Atlantic Way.
Start or finish your road trip in Donegal, the wild child of Ireland, with our 5 day guide and discover why National Geographic named it “the coolest place on earth.”
Donegal is landscape on an epic scale. Home to Europe's highest sea cliffs, hauntingly beautiful wilderness and the longest stretches of coast in the country, Donegal truly is different.
Guide coming soon.
Sligo
Situated on the Surf Coast, Sligo is a landscape carved by legends and seeped in mythology. It’s the burial ground of a warrior queen and home to many modern day surf legends. The home of big wave surfing in Ireland and rich in culture. Check out our 3 day guide to discover that Sligo has everything from the original Coney Island to a lively festival scene.
Immortalised by WB Yeats, Sligo was the famous poet’s ‘Land of Heart’s Desire’. One glance at Ben Bulben, Ireland’s own Table Top Mountain and
one of the most distinctive landmarks on the Wild Atlantic Way and you'll understand why!
Guide coming soon.
Mayo
An area of unrivalled coastal beauty, Mayo is home to the spectacular Dún Briste sea stack and Ireland’s biggest island, Achill. Here you will find wide, windswept spaces and the unmistakable Croagh Patrick, Ireland’s sacred mountain that guards its southern shores.
Check out our 3 day guide and swim in a tidal pool, stay in a lighthouse on an island once home to the Pirate Queen and explore the oldest Neolithic fields in the world. Mayo offers adventure and a spellbinding view into the world of our ancestors.
Guide coming soon.
Galway
Beaches made of coral, the only fjord in Ireland and the desolate beguiling beauty of the Aran Islands. Galway is the cultural heart of Ireland! Check out our 5 day guide to lose yourself in the dramatic landscape of
Connemara National Park and hike the majestic Twelve Bens or Maumturk Mountains. Swim in turquoise waters at Glassilaun Beach and join a trad’ session in the colourful, lively City of Tribes.
Guide coming soon.
Clare
One of the most unusual landscapes in the country, the limestone karst terrain of the Burren does not fit the common idea of ‘Ireland.’ Setting Clare apart from the rest of the country, the silver pavements and hills of the Burren explode with colour in spring and summer when some of the world’s most unique flora bloom. At the edge of the Burren, the majestic Cliffs of Moher, one of the Natural Wonders of the World, rise from the sea -you might know them as the Cliffs of Insanity from The Princess Bride.
Clare is raw, untamed natural beauty, but it is also famous for its culture. Check out our 3 day guide and pop by the world’s most famous parochial house for a cup of tea with the real life Mrs Doyle and lose yourself in a night of traditional music in the villages of Lisdoonvarna and Doolin. You might even find yourself in the middle of a Matchmaking Festival!
Guide coming soon.
Kerry
The Kingdom of Kerry is home to Ireland’s oldest national park, the highest mountain and the first international dark-sky reserve. An area renowned the world over for its natural beauty and vibrant towns, Kerry has everything from bars that double up as hardware stores to a superstar island. Check out our 5 day guide to Kerry to discover show stopping drives and perfect stargazing spots and see why National Geographic called it “the most beautiful place on earth.”
Guide coming soon.
West Cork
From Kinsale to Dursey Island, check out our 3 day guide to the most southern section of the Wild Atlantic Way. The Mediterranean of Ireland, West Cork has lush landscape different from the rest of the Country. With colourful villages and breath taking peninsulas, outstanding restaurants and Ireland’s only cable car, West Cork is one of the last bastions of ‘old Ireland.’
Guide coming soon.
Murder Hole, Donegal
“Ireland’s most spectacular beach”
Image used courtesy of with permission of Owen Kerlin