Ireland’s Wondrous Wild Atlantic Way: A Traveller’s Guide
7-Day itinerary and pictures of the world’s longest scenic coastal drive
Carving through ancient terrain which has been forged over millions of years, this drive covers the best part of 2,000 miles of empty road, with the serenity only interspersed by the friendliest people greeting you whilst driving past.
“Wild mountainous country, magnificent in every way” Oscar Wilde
Whether stunning jagged cliffs, beautiful bays, sandy coves or awe-inspiring islands, every stage of this drive incorporates a magnificent meeting of land and ocean. This unspoilt territory is also a fascinating tour of Irish cultural and linguistic history, within its sections through beautiful countryside and enchanting villages.
I drove from Kinsale in the south to Derry in the North, stopping wherever I could and taking photos along the way. All the photos here are mine. Please do feel free to use these (or the ones on my instagram account) with a credit to this blog.
What is the Wild Atlantic Way?
The Wild Atlantic Way ( Slí an Atlantaigh Fhiáin in Irish Gaelic) is a 1600 mile (2600 kilometre) signpoasted coastal route, starting at the town of Kinsale in County Cork and ending at the northern tip of the island (or vice-versa), covering the entirety of the beautiful west coast of Ireland.
These roads existed for decades before the route itself was formalised a few years ago. It comprises 15 signature points, over 180 discovery points, and countless more hidden gems off the trail. I drove from South to North, which is the better option for Ocean views given that cars drive on the left in Ireland.
There are any number of variations to the Wild Atlantic Way, my trip is only what I managed to fit into seven days. With 15 signature stops and over 180 discovery points, it’s impossible to fit everything in. It’s your own voyage, this is just a suggestion and its wise not to pack too much into each day. For each day, I have recommended things which I would have liked to do, including tips from locals, but didn’t have a chance to and have saved for a second trip.
Logistics/Before Starting
When planning my drive before leaving, I put pins into an Offline Map — I used My Maps to do this and booked the Bed and Breakfasts before I started the trip. For navigation, I generally followed the ubiquitous and reassuring Wild Atlantic Way signs. As a back-up, I had Google Maps (to provide alternative route options when roads were closed).
Weather is unpredictable on the Wild Atlantic Way so make sure you pack for all eventualities and have them close-to-hand in your vehicle. My go-to fabric is merino wool, for its temperature regulation qualities and comfort.
There were many petrol stations on the route so I never worried about running out of fuel. I drove on eco mode in order to temper the deletrious impact I was making to the environment by driving almost 2,000 miles. I arrived in Dublin by car ferry from Holyhead, and visited my friend Tara and her lovely family in County Offaly before starting the road trip.
Day One: County Cork
Day One started at Kinsale, a colourful harbour town which doubles as a little haven of gastronomy.
I had a fish lunch before driving to the Old Head of Kinsale, which is the first signature stop signposted on the Wild Atlantic Way. It has a fascinating history with both a 3rd century castle and 17th century lighthouse sharing the small peninsula, together with the tragic events of the RMS Lusitania being torpedoed in 1915, killing 1198 passengers and crew.
Frustratingly, the peninsula itself cannot actually be visited, given that it is a private golf course which opened in 1997 and does not allow visitors to explore the land. My personal feeling was that this should be removed from the signature points for this reason alone, as this start happens to be the only bittersweet segment of a journey which is otherwise amazing until the very end.
From here, I drove to the southwest tip of Ireland: Mizen Head. This stunningly rugged set of cliffs was the first highlight of the trip, and has tremendous historical significance. The breathtaking walks around the old fog signal station take about an hour, and I enjoyed visiting the signal house built by Marconi, from where he sent the first telegraphs across the Atlantic.
As dusk set in, I enjoyed the golden hour whilst driving along the serene Beara Peninsula loop, which connects County Cork to County Kerry. The night ended at a pub in the small village of Adrigole, on the beautiful southern coast of the Beara Peninsula. That first Guinness goes down an absolute treat.
Further Options:
- Brow Head
- Sheep’s Head Peninsula
- The lovely town of Bantry for a lunch
Day Two: Beara Peninsula to Kerry
On Day 2, I drove through the Beara Peninsula to make my way to Dursey Island, a serene drive with few vehicles but a lot of rugged landscape.
I boarded the only cable car in the whole of Ireland to Dursey Island, crossing the Dursey Sound on a ten-minute trip on a fascinatingly rickety gondola.
This trip is essential, Dursey Island is a stunning place with an air of tranquility which was quite surreal — a real Ends of the World vibe. Don’t forget to pack some food as there isn’t anywhere to get anything on the island, and make sure you visit the ruins of the Castle of O’Sullivan Beare (who had his throat cut in Madrid 400 years ago). There were also breathtaking views of the Beara peninsula.
I explored the island, getting a little bit lost on the way before returning back on the rusty cable car (which was built to transport sheep in 1969). I traced the stunning windy roads of the Beara Peninsula before making my way to the old market town Kenmare for a bite to eat. Re-fuelled, I drove along the beaches and bays of Kenmare Head stopping to have a walk on the beautiful Derrydane beach, considered to be one of the best in the country. As the sun started falling, I drove the spectacular Skellig Ring, gradually making my way to Bray Head, one of the signature stops of the Wild Atlantic. Unfortunately the fog descended as I climbed up to the abandoned signal tower, leaving only spooky scene but no view. The Bray Head loop walk itself has been cut due to a dispute with a local farmer.
I spent the evening at the charming fishing village, Portmagee.
Further Options:
- Ladies View
- Healy Pass Drive
- Village of Sneem (Iveragh Peninsula)
Day Three: Iveragh and Dingle Peninsulas, County Kerry
My plan for Day 3 was to check out the Cliffs of Kerry before moving on to the next leg of the journey. These 300m tall cliffs have some stunning views of the Skelligs and Puffin Island (a Summer home for the eponymous sea parrots), and were amazingly quiet, in comparison with some more famous cliffs featuring later on….
It was such a beautiful day, that I changed my plans, crossing the bridge to Valentia Island and taking a trip to Geokaun Mountain in order to get my legs into gear after a big fish supper the previous evening. Then I boarded a boat trip to the Skellig Islands. This is a pair of two stunning islands, with Little Skellig the home of around 5,000 gannets completing their mating month before flying to North Africa.
The boat then went to Skellig Michael (or Great Skellig), the ancient and mystical home of a monastic settlement founded by St Finan in the 7th centuary AD. Star Wars fans will know it as the island where Luke Skywalker lives in The Force Awakens and Last Jedi. Fans of Andrzej Sapkowski and the Witcher stories will know the name too. I felt very fortunate as the boat captain told us that, until the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it was almost impossible to get a slot due to the number of tourists from the other side of the Atlantic desiring their Jedi or Lord Vader pictures and selfies, and whom were suitably dressed for the occasion.
The actual history is more amazing though. This island was the home of a monastery built some time between the 6th-8th centuries, up to twelve monks living there and surviving from fish, vegetables in tiny gardens. They lived in beehive-like domes and later brought rabbits from the mainland. All around the island you can see the ancient steps and paths they carved into it.
I continued driving along the remainder of the Iveragh Peninsula and made my way to the Dingle Peninsula on what would ultimately become the most stunning single day of the trip, with sunset emerging as I arrived at a leg of the journey which has a large number of delights in a comparatively small area — the Slea Head Drive. The first late afternoon stop was the Cé Dhún Chaoin / Dunquin Pier view — I was lucky to capture this windy path which leads to the ferry for the Blasket Islands (Great Blasket Island is in the background), an essential stop given that this was the first image of the Wild Atlantic Way I was familiar with.
I then stopped by the alluring Coumeenoole Beach for a quick wander in the sand, before making my way to the beautiful Dunmore Head. Yet another location from the recent Star Wars trilogy but it doesn’t need George Lucas or Admiral Ackbar to inform you it’s a serene and otherworldly place. Again, I was pretty much on my own for this beautiful sunset. After snapping a picture or two, I put my phone down and just watched this sky….
I spent the evening exploring the harbour town of Dingle. Unfortunately we don’t know for sure if Fungie the famous bottle-nosed dolphin (and most well-known resident of Dingle) is still alive. The town itself has a lot of nice pubs and seafood places.
Further Options:
- Rossbeigh Hill Loop Walk
- Killarney National Park
- Carrauntoohil Mountain (tallest mountain in Ireland)
Day Four: County Clare
On Day 4, I started by weaving along the An Chonair route (Conor Pass), the highest mountain crossing on the Wild Atlantic Way, then following the coastal road up to the Tarbert-Killimer ferry crossing, a cute 20 minute car ferry which takes you from County Kerry to County Clare. At this point, there’s a decision to make — continue to the North or go slightly off the beaten track along the Shannon Estuary. I decided for the latter, and stopped by Carrigaholt Castle to see an example of a West Ireland tower house before finding my way to the lighthouse at Loop Head.
At first, the lighthouse seemed a little underwhelming, but behind it were some of the most breathtaking cliffs and rock formations scythed into the land. The Loop Head walk itself took around 30–40 minutes, and is one of the most off-the-beaten-track signature stops on the Wild Atlantic, but certainly worth it as an absolute overwhelming encounter with nature — sight, sound and scent.
After this, it was only a short drive to a place I almost missed and hadn’t been in my plans — the Bridges of Ross. These natural bridges were formed over 300 million years ago, amazingly two of them collapsed over the last few centuries and only one remains…. This is one natural wonder in the ancient South West Clare river delta which was formed 320 million years ago.
I then made my way towards a little Brontë county, parts of the coastline including the Kilkee cliffs where Charlotte Brontë spent much of her honeymoon.
‘Such a wild iron-bound coast with such an ocean-view as I had not yet seen and such battling of waves with rocks as I had never imagined” Charlotte Brontë, 1854
A few more interesting tower houses decorated the scenery as I followed the coast up to the famous Cliffs of Moher. This was probably the only stop in the entire trip which appears to have a fair few other tourists, but it didn’t detract from the beauty of the place in any way.
There are a number of walks around the Cliffs themselves, so you could easily spend the best part of the day in the area.
In the evening, I stayed in Doolin, enjoying and even taking part in some Irish folk shenanigans in one of its centre pubs, which had been granted the James Joyce Pub Award for being an “authentic Irish pub”.
“A good puzzle would be to cross Ireland without passing a pub” Ulysses
Further Options:
- Doolin Cliff walk
- Doolin Cave and the largest stalactite in the Northern Hemisphere
Day Five: County Galway, Connemara and Mayo
Although Ireland’s ancient East may have the lion’s share of the castles, the Wild Atlantic West is no slouch with a number of castles and tower houses worth stopping by. On the approach to Galway you can visit Dunguaire castle (built 1520), this became a popular subject during Ireland’s 20th century literature renaissance.
A morning snack in the City of the Tribes (Galway) was followed by a tracing of the Connemara coast up to Derrigimlagh, a bog which was the centre of not one but two technogical milestones — Guglielmo Marconi’s first commercial transatlantic wireless transmission, and the first non-stop transatlantic flight by John Alcock and Arthur Whitten-Brown. They crashed into Derrigilmagh Bog, thankfully surviving the experience!
From here, I drove the Sky Road, a panoramic drive which is a highlight of Connemara and has an upper and lower segment which gives both a zoomed-in and a panoramic view of the terrain. I then made my way to the fairytale nunnery in the forest — Kylemore Abbey. This home to Benedictine order of nuns “The Irish Dames of Ypres” who moved back to Ireland from Ypres after their monastery was destroyed in 1920.
Autumnal colours accompanied my drive all the way to Killary Harbour, Ireland’s most famous (only true) fjord and the borderlands between the clans of O’Malley and O’Flaherty. I stopped by the Aasleagh Falls and met a friendly grey horse, before continuing along the coast through Louisburgh, stopping at Newport for afternoon tea.
One of the more frustrating parts of my trip was taking a detour to drive to the tip of Achill Island to visit Keem Bay (which has been named amongst the best beaches in the world). Unfortunately the only road approaching the Keem Strand was blocked as they were filming a new Brendan Gleeson/Colin Farrell film (The Banshees of Inisherin, out 2022). The weather also took a turn for the worse this evening as storms battered my car, and I wasn’t able to actually see the lovely beaches and cliffs of the island. I decided to drive straight to Rosses Point which would be my stop for the night.
Further Options:
- Burren National Park
- Clifden for lunch
- Diamond Hill trails
- Céide Fields — the largest Stone Age monument in the world.
- Downpatrick Head
Day Six: Counties Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal Part 1
I left the picturesque Rosses Point village of Sligo quite early to make my way to Glencar Waterfall, a remarkable waterfall which is the subject of a fair amount of literature:
“Where the wandering water gushes
From the hills above Glen-Car, In pools among the rushes
That scarce could bathe a star…” The Stolen Child, WB Yeats
I just hung about to listen to the waterfall for a fair amount of time before hopping back into my car. This stretch was amongst the most picturesque so far, and I cut inland to visit the fantastic Gleniff Horseshoe and Eagle’s Rock which are both a very close distance from the waterfall. These roads were completely empty save for groups of sheep amboling around.
Returning back to the main Wild Atlantic Way, I visited Mullaghmore Head, the destination for surfers in Ireland. I didn’t hop on any boards as i) it was too windy for me ii) I didn’t have one. Then back along the coast to reach the beginning of Donegal, the “Forgotten County”. It shouldn’t be called that, because I’ll find it hard to forget some of the sights and colours in possibly the most scenic parts of all.
I knew I had to climb the Sliabh Liag (Slieve League) cliffs on the Atlantic Coast as soon as I heard the phrase . These are the highest sea cliffs in Europe, they are three times higher than the Cliffs of Moher and the views are spectacular, living up to the nickname “A Place Apart”.
The hardy sheep on the cliffs are the source of the wool for the famous tweeds of Donegal. The entire area is more quiet and serene than other well-known coasts in the area.
From here it was a very short distance to the well-concealed Silver Strand, Malainn Bhig. This absolutely gorgeous horseshoe beach was empty, and after a quick snack I returned back to the Wild Atlantic Way.
The road in the Forgotten County meandered on until reaching the ancient land of Glengesh, home of Irish myths and legends in a landscape carved millenia ago. From here it was a 10-minute trip to Assaranca Waterfall, yet another natural beauty which is the subject of poetry and prose.
The views of Donegal as the sun went down were stunning…
I finished this super-long and packed day by exploring the Caves of Maghera. Unfortunately the tide meant that I could only enter one of the caves, and got a bit wet in the process. Was it worth it…? Yes.
I spent the night at the small town of Ardara, enjoying yet another fish supper.
Further Options:
- Queen Maeve’s Trail and Knocknarea Mountain
- Glencolmcille Folk Village
Day Seven: Donegal’s Inishowen Peninsula and the Atlantic Drive
This final day was spent covering the northern parts of Donegal, and I made my way along the coast to Doe Castle, a fantasy-style castle built on a rock and adjacent to the strand.
From here started the last leg of the Wild Atlantic Way, called the Atlantic Drive. I went to the untouched Trá na Rosann, before making my way to Fanad Head, the scene of a sea battle between England and France which resulted in the capture of Wolfe Tone, the father of Irish independence. This is also the location of a stunning lighthouse. I stopped by at yet another giant strand, once voted the second most beautiful beach in the world by The Observer, Ballymastocker Bay…
The Royal Navy warship HMS Saldanha was sunk here after a storm… I followed the Atlantic Drive to the final peninsula — the Inishowen Peninsula, strolling around the colosseum-like Grianán of Aileách, a 2000 year-old hillside fort built on Greenan mountain. Then I followed the west coast, making my way to the Mamore Gap pass, a road with no other vehicles on it at the time…
I then made my way to northernmost tip of Ireland — Malin Head. This tip of Ireland has had an important strategic and communications role, and is the home of hundreds of basking sharks. The backdrops in this area are amazing, and rumour is that the odd whale can be spotted too. Sadly I didn’t see any. I did, however see a giant “EIRE 80” sign to warn war pilots that they were flying over neutral territory in World War II…
Finally, I drove through the East side of the peninsula and Kinnagoe Bay, crossing into Northern Ireland and spending the evening in Derry. The last stop of my Wild Atlantic Way trip was marked by visiting the murals which line the houses in the Bogside neighbourhood and tell stories from a painful chapter in Irish history. The city itself is one of the oldest in Ireland, with a history going back almost two millenia.
Further Options:
- Glenveagh National Park
- Horn Head
- Ards Forest Park
- Dunree Head
- Glenevin Waterfall
That’s It
Hope you enjoyed this guide. To plan my trip, I used a combination of the Signature points on the Discover Ireland website, the destinations on Ireland.com, and this Irish Road Trip guide. Of course, things were sometimes changed last minute based on weather and time.
These were the places I stayed:
Mossie’s B&B — Ulusker, The Moorings Guesthouse — Portmagee, Dingle Harbour Lodge — Dingle, Ceol na dTonnta — Doolin, The Driftwood — Rosses Point, Atlantic Lodge — Ardara, Rose Park House — Derry
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