Why the Burren is Ireland’s Most Fascinating Landscape

The Burren — located in County Clare — is an otherworldly landscape.

But as unique as it is, it’s overshadowed by its neighbor — the Cliffs of Moher.

You see, the Cliffs of Moher are just a wee bit south of the Burren.

And you’ve seen these in photos (like the one below) and dreamed of seeing them in person. Am I right?

 

I thought so.

Hoards of tourists visit the Cliffs of Moher every day in good and not so good weather.

Sometimes you can’t even get a parking spot if you don’t arrive by noon.

But the Burren — just to the north and stretching inland from the coast — doesn’t see quite as many visitors although numbers are increasing.

However the great thing about the Burren is there are usually some spots to get a bit lost and have the landscape to yourself.

So what is the Burren?

And why is it so intriguing?

 

Where is the Burren?

The Burren is located in northern County Clare and extends from the coast to the east.

It’s a short drive from the Cliffs of Moher and towns like Killnaboy, Kilfenora, Corofin, Carran, Lisdoonvarna and Fanore are at the heart of this unique land.

Any of these villages make a great base as does the Doolin area and Ballyvaughan to the north.

Lahinch — a beach town to the south — also can make a good place to stay if you want some beach time to go with your rocky landscape.

Which leads me to the next question…

 

What exactly is the Burren?

I can tell you it looks like a moon scape.

Seriously this area —Bhoireann in Irish — is otherworldly. The word actually means place of stone.

And it’s limestone that makes up this unique place.

Some of this was formed by nature — glaciers and the heating and cooling of the earth.

But some of it was created by man as he stripped the land of the trees to farm. This land looked quite different back in about 6000BC.

The result is this one-of-a-kind region that is designated as a national park and a special area of conservation by the European Union.

It’s an interesting geology and as a result there are curious flora here.

You’ll find flowers that might be more common in warmer climates like the Mediterranean growing along with flowers that you’d find in alpine climates and even arctic climates. It’s quite unusual and way cool!

The other aspect to the Burren is that there is a unique history.

There are portal tombs and wedge tombs galore.

You’ll find early Christian sites.

And you’ll find stories from the famine years.

So it’s a place of fascinating natural history as well as the history of humankind.

And there are some caves in the area too. Whew!

That’s a lot.

 

What is there to do?

Well you can make the coastal drive along the R477 and see a bit of the Burren and what it looks like.

Or you can drive along the R480 inland and see this incredible landscape.

It’s really compelling to see this limestone next to green fields with cows grazing in them.

But the best thing to do is get out and walk around it.

There are certain walks both within the boundaries of the national park and outside of it. This is the best way to get up close and personal with this amazing terrain.

Plus by walking around it you’ll get to see the flowers especially in late spring and summer.

And you get to inspect the rock as well.

You can walk about anywhere as well unless it’s posted that they don’t want you to.

There are some guides available who conduct walking tours around the Burren so you can learn more about this special landscape and its inhabitants —  both past and present.

You can visit the caves at Doolin or Ailwee.

And there are some spots in the Burren where you can rock climb.

 

Is this a busy destination?

Yes and no.

Certain spots are busy.

The coastal road can get a bit overwhelmed at certain times of year and in good weather. It’s the most accessible place to see the Burren’s uniqueness.

Poulnabrone portal tomb is another much visited site as it’s easy to get to directly off the R480.

I even found the Mullaghmore walks to be a bit busy, but it was a holiday weekend so there were a few Irish there along with those of us from elsewhere. But it wasn’t overly so.

But some drives found me away from the crowds. So depending on when you go and what part of this region you visit, you can find some peace and quiet.

 

Should you go?

Hell yes!

Depending on who you are and what interests you of course.

But even a drive through this astonishing landscape will impress you.

It was my goal to explore it more and I have on this trip.

And I could have dug deeper still.

If you’re a science nerd or a nature lover or a history afficianado then you want to visit the Burren.

It’s truly awing.

One tip: explore the nooks and crannies by getting out on the lesser visited spots.

And definitely get out to walk.

The Burren is truly one of Ireland’s most unique and special destinations.