Cliffs of Moher
Stand where Clare falls into the Atlantic.
The Cliffs of Moher are the headline act of Ireland's west coast: a dark wall of sandstone and shale that runs for about eight kilometres and climbs to 214 metres near Hag's Head. On a clear day the Aran Islands float offshore and the whole of Galway Bay opens to the north.
A paved clifftop trail links the visitor centre with O'Brien's Tower, a round nineteenth-century viewing folly built by local landlord Cornelius O'Brien. Beyond the railings the Doolin–Liscannor coastal walk continues for the surefooted, with the cliffs falling away unguarded — stay well back from the edge in wind.
This is one of the busiest viewpoints in the country, so arrive early or late to have the light and the ledges more to yourself. Puffins nest on the sea stack of Branaunmore and the grassy shelves below from spring into summer.
Getting there
The visitor centre sits on the R478 between Liscannor and Doolin, about 1 hour 15 minutes from Galway and 30 minutes from Ennis by car. Seasonal buses run from Galway, Ennis and Doolin, and the walk can also be reached on foot along the coastal trail from Doolin or Hag's Head.