Cliffs of Moher, Republic of Ireland
Visited July 28, 2022
Visitor Center: Cliffs of Moher, Lislorkan North, Liscannor, Co. Clare, V95 KN9T, Ireland
Eireann Bus Stop at Cliffs of Moher: Moher Rd, Lislorkan North, Co. Clare, Ireland
60s degrees Fahrenheit, 10% chance of rain which held off; cloudy 8:30 AM-2:13 PM with a break for picnic lunch around 1:00 PM at Moher Tower at HagsHead
Restroom facilities are available in the visitor center and near the visitor center where the bus stop sign is.
Signs are posted that dogs are not allowed but there were a number of people on the trails with their dogs.
My brother and sister-in-law joined me to walk approximately 12 miles total from where we picked up the trail in Doolin (we added on another mile or so walking from our vacation "home" in Doolin) past O'Brien's Tower, past the visitor center, on to Hags Head and then back to the visitor center to catch the bus to return to Doolin. The bus cost 2.60 euros in cash, no credit accepted. The bus only comes twice after noon so check with the visitor center for times because the trail guide books are out of date. The shuttle has not operated since 2019 and that was listed in the trail guides, as well. Be sure to check where the bus is heading because a bus arrived shortly before the one we were expecting but it was heading south and east, not toward Doolin. The trail was more enjoyable between Doolin and O'Brien's Tower because we had the trail to ourselves except for a few runners who blew past me as I huffed and puffed along and a mom carrying a very young infant. From O'Brien's Tower to Nags Head, the tour busses had dropped many tourists. If I was to do this hike again, I would check bus schedules and see if there is a bus that could get me out to the Visitor Center before 9:00 AM and then walk back towards Doolin. The amount of people trying to share a trail that was often a single-file trail was a bit overwhelming and detracted from experiencing the beautiful space. During the entire walk, the wind was strong and was blowing from inland TOWARD the ocean which was a bit unnerving in some sections where we were so close to the cliff edge. We saw two kayakers down in the waters near the cliffs. Ocean kayaking is way beyond my skill level....very impressive. There were a number of fence gates to climb along the way.
The breeze was cool enough that I started with a baseball cap and switched to a knit cap, then added a scarf. I would recommend wearing long pants because there is vegetable matter to brush against especially on the narrow sections of trail and especially when giving way on the trail.
In the books, I had read about the Wild Atlantic Way but the signs on the section we hiked referred to the Burren Way.
Parking: is available near the visitor center and near the trail access in Doolin.
There was trash along the trails, especially near the visitor center and between the visitor center and Hags Head.
There were some mosquitos but not too bad considering I did not buy bug spray when I arrived in Ireland.
I saw a variety of wildflowers, cattle, horses, sheep, seabirds, and seals (from a distance).
For more information: https://www.cliffsofmoher.ie/, http://www.cliffs-moher.com/
Cliffs of Moher UNESCO site: https://www.cliffsofmoher.ie/unesco-global-geopark/burren-and-cliffs-of-moher-unesco-geopark/what-is-a-unescogeopark/#:~:text=The%20Burren%20and%20Cliffs%20of%20Moher%20is%20Ireland%E2%80%99s,iconic%20landscape%20of%20karst%20limestone%2C%20caves%2C%20and%20cliffs.
Nearby:
McDermott's Pub, https://mcdermottspub.com/
Packed with people after 6:00 PM no matter what day of the week you visit in July but at 4:30 PM, we had the place to ourselves on this day. Their fish and chips, Guinness stew, seafood chowder, and berry crumble are excellent. My brother enjoyed the prawn sandwich. They have a wide range of beers, whiskeys, and ciders. Live music daily during the summer. Very limited parking available but we walked from the house where we were staying.
Do not turn left here.
Do go left and uphill here not right toward the colorful buildings
Do not go this way (although there is a small area to park to the far left of this picture if you are driving)
Walking up the incline (view to the right)
Ignore the shuttle bus signs at the bottom of this sign and posted along the walk. The shuttle bus has not been in operation since 2019 according to the clerk at the Moher Cliffs Visitor Center.
Started with a baseball cap but the wind grabbed at the bill on it.
Small opening to the left for walkers.
Could see the Aran Islands for the first few miles of our walk.
One of many gates to step over on the trail.
Looking back--the wind was blowing us TOWARD the ocean. This pic does not capture how high that fall into the water is.
Switched to the knit hat so the wind would not grab it and to keep the wind out of my ears.
Looking back: Narrow path and very little between us and being blown into the ocean below.
For this first part of the walk, the only sounds were of seabirds and wind.
Not a great pic--but saw a few seals along our walk.
Another step over the fence area
Narrow trail but the bank to the right eased our fears of being blown into the ocean.
Scarf added due to the wind
The yellow flower is ragwort.
When you crest these stairs, you have entered the tourist zone.
Tourist Center
See all those buses in the lot?
One of the areas where there was choice of paths to take between the visitor center and Hags Head
Tower at Hags Head
At Nags Head, we have water to the left and to the right.
Lunch break at Nags Head
Returning to the Visitor's Center from Hags Head
Wait here for the bus
Tunnel between visitor center and bus stop (as viewed from the bus stop)
Toilets available inside the tunnel
Inside McDermott's early before the crowd
Seafood chowder and brown bread and McDermott's
Berry crumble at McDermott's