Cliffs of Moher
Aillte an Mhothair · Co. Clare
Ireland's most visited natural attraction needs little introduction: the Cliffs of Moher run for around eight kilometres along the Clare coast, rising to 214 metres at their highest point near O'Brien's Tower. Standing on the edge with the Atlantic booming far below, the Aran Islands offshore and the light constantly changing, it is obvious why more than a million people a year make the trip.
What to see
O'Brien's Tower, the round stone viewing tower at the summit of the cliffs, was built in 1835 by local landlord Cornelius O'Brien for the Victorian tourists already flocking here. Below the visitor centre, the sea stack of Branaunmore stands off the cliff face, and in early summer the grassy island ledges host nesting puffins along with tens of thousands of guillemots, razorbills and kittiwakes — the cliffs are a protected seabird sanctuary within the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark.
Film fans know the cliffs from The Princess Bride ("the Cliffs of Insanity") and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Walking the cliff path
The Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk runs the full length between Doolin and Hags Head, roughly 14 kilometres of clifftop path with the crowds thinning dramatically ten minutes from the visitor centre in either direction. Walking in from Doolin or from the Hags Head side gives a far quieter experience — and arguably better views of the main cliffs themselves. Boat trips from Doolin pass beneath the cliffs for the full 214-metre neck-craning perspective.
Practical tips
The visitor experience operates timed online tickets, cheapest at off-peak hours — early morning and evening are also the best light and the smallest crowds. Doolin, the traditional-music village at the cliffs' northern end, and Lahinch and Liscannor to the south make good bases. Stay behind the barriers: the edges overhang and gusts are sudden.
Where it is
52.9715°N, 9.4309°W
Nearby stops
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