Ireland's dramatic coastal geography, battered by rough Atlantic seas into a series of soaring cliffs and jagged outcroppings, has captured the human imagination since the area was first settled. Among these cliffs, some -- literally -- stand out from the others. A jaunt around the western periphery of the Emerald Isle reveals rock formations that stretch to dizzying heights.
Croaghaun
- The country's highest cliff was carved by thrashing Atlantic waters from the rock of Achill Island, one of Ireland's westernmost promontories. The enormousness of the 2,192-foot Croaghaun cliff face is not evident from the landward side, where the mountain seems to rise smooth and green from Achill's verdant inland. Visitors must either approach by boat, hike around to the bottom or actually summit the mountain to view the cliffs properly. Predictably, the views from Croaghaun's lofty heights are are breathtaking, encompassing a large swath of coastal western Ireland. Visitors cannot reach the cliffs by car. Begin a walking approach from the parking lot at the Keem beach or hail a boat ride from the Keem docks.
Slieve League Cliffs
- County Donegal's Slieve League cliffs enchant with the scope of their almost 2,000-foot elevation and in more subtle ways. When the sun sets, it streaks the vast panel of west-facing rock with shades of of red, amber and ocher that scintillate as the light moves across variations in the geology. Visitors to the cliffs, if they're brave enough to approach the edge, catch terrific views of the Atlantic Ocean, the Sligo Mountains and the boats skimming across Donegal Bay. A walking approach affords the finest views. Leave your car at the visitors' parking lot and trek the few scenic miles to the cliffs. Adrenaline-seekers looking for the most epic vantage point may venture beyond the trail's marked viewpoint onto the stomach-fluttering ledges of One Man's Pass, which loops around to become Pilgrim's Path -- the footpath that climbs west and up to the highest point of the cliff face.
Cliffs of Moher
- Just over 700 feet tall, the Cliffs of Moher -- the third-tallest in the country -- may not have the sheer elevation of Croaghaun or Slieve League, but they make up for it in the quality of your experience. A designated UNESCO Geo Park, the Cliffs of Moher stretch for 5 miles along the seam of the Atlantic Ocean and County Clare. Notably, the Cliffs of Moher were Ireland’s 2011 national submission for the global online campaign to establish the "New 7 Wonders of Nature." If you're not paralyzed by heights, walk the paved footpaths to the highest point -- near O'Brien's Tower -- and check out the massive colony of seabirds that nest in cavelets in the predator-free safety of the vertical rock face.
More traveler-friendly than some other sites, Moher has a visitor center that looks something like a space-age hobbit house built directly into the grassy hillside, providing welcome shelter from the coast's constant rain. The center's restaurant gives you a warm, dry spot to check out views of the cliffs and Liscannor Bay.
Warning
- Ireland's terrain, in general, is made very slippery by constant rainfall. Watch your footing near the cliffs as though your life depended on it -- it certainly does, in these circumstances -- and never walk cliff faces alone.
