The Wild Atlantic Way is a 2,500km driving route along half of Ireland’s coastline; it’s far too much to tackle in one go, so is divided into more manageable sections like the southwest Cliff Coast Ireland.
Sure, you’ll see the famous Cliffs of Moher with thousands of day-trippers, but Ireland’s Cliff Coast has so much more to offer it deserves a more leisurely visit. Take time to drive off the beaten track, visit local pubs and enjoy hearty classic fare like an authentic Irish stew (see video below). Here are five of my favourite things in the magical Cliff Coast Ireland stretch of the Wild Atlantic Way.
Stay & Eat Wild Honey Inn (Co. Clare)
Guests in the sunny front parlour really do say ‘top of the morning to you’ at this comfortable B&B where the spacious, cosy rooms look out over an ancient garden. There’s the best soda bread and Irish butter in the Michelin-starred Wild Honey Inn bar/restaurant and the omelette Arnold Bennett is my favourite breakfast ever.
Drink & Eat Curtin’s Roadside Tavern (Co. Clare)
Ireland’s craft beer scene means there’s a lot more than Guinness to try in the pubs, like the delicious Burren Brewery Gold, Red or Black brewed at Curtin’s Roadside Tavern. Perfect alongside a bowl of cider apple, capsicum and roast garlic soup with wonderful heavy local bread.
See The Burren (Co. Clare)
This surreal moonscape inspired Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. The Burren is desolate yet enchanting, dotted with strange succulents and grasses as well as Bronze Age and early Christian sites. Ideally you’ll walk it, but there’s also a wonderful single lane driving track along the edge of The Burren National Park.
Drive Loop Head (Co. Clare)
South of the Cliffs of Moher lies Loop Head, a virtually deserted peninsula where each bend in the road opens up more gasp-worthy vistas than the last. Allow time to lie on spongy grass on cliff edges and soak in views of secluded bays, pounding waves, sea stacks and blow holes.
Irish Pub & Music McMunns of Ballybunion (Co. Kerry)
Take the car ferry across the Shannon to Ballybunion and McMunns, a classic old pub opposite 16th century castle ruins. Stroll the cliff walk for great views of the bridged sea stack, then enjoy simple pub fare and live music by resident musician songwriter Mickey MacConnell of ‘Only Our Rivers Run Free’ fame. Although you’ve crossed into Co. Kerry, this is the eastern tip of the Cliff Coast Ireland.
Updated 03 Apr 2025
