Whenever I thought about Ireland, I pictured the rolling green pastures speckled with cows and sheep.  The countryside of West County Clare lived up to these expectations.  When researching the Cliffs of Moher, I came across the Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk that runs from the village of Doolin past the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Center to the village of Liscannor. While I knew I wouldn’t have time for the whole route, I knew I had to include part of this walk in my itinerary.

I arrived in Doolin the morning before and spent a lovely afternoon on Inis Oirr (see previous post).  To make sure I had enough time to complete the walk and make it back to my lodging to check out and catch a noon bus to my next destination, I planned to take the first local bus from Doolin, which was scheduled to leave at 8am in the morning.  I am someone who is always early to events – especially ones that have a specific timed start, so I arrived at the bus stop a good 15 minutes before its estimated arrival time.  As I waited, I wandered up and down the small town center to look into the tourist shops along the strip. Nothing was open at that time of day, but I enjoyed seeing what the offerings were.  Later in the day, when I would be back at this very bus stop for my trip to Killarney, I figured I could pop into a few before heading out – so I thought….. 

So I waited. The proposed bus time came and went, and no bus was to be found. A few other people joined me at this time, but no one else seemed phased by the lack of bus. It’s hard to remember that Americans are impatient. We are used to things running on time to maximize all the things that “need” to be done in a day.  Ireland reminded me that other countries don’t operate with “getting things done” as a priority.  I know that learning to slow down would do me good, but considering that my travel plans later in the day felt tight as they were, I didn’t feel like today was the day to learn this lesson. The bus arrived about 30 minutes late. 

On the short 20 minute bus ride to the Cliffs, I started calculating my time frame.  As I said before, I didn’t know exactly how long the walk was. From reading a bunch of different blogs posted, I had decided that the walking distance was about 6 miles from the visitor center back to Doolin, but I had nothing definite (there are now more accurate distances online – I found that the whole trail from Hags Head to Doolin is 15 km/9.3 miles, and from the Visitor Center to Doolin is about 8km/5 miles).  

The Cliffs of Moher Visitor Center opens at 9am and offers information about the history and geology of the area. Named after the ruined fort “Mothar”, which was demolished in the early 1800s,  the Cliffs of Moher were established as an UNESCO Geopark in 2011, signifying the uniqueness of this landscape. 

Just outside the Visitor Center is O’Brien’s Tower. This observation tower was built in 1835 for Cornelius O’Brien as one of the first tourist destinations in Ireland. Now, almost 200 years later, the views of the Aran Islands, Galway Bay, and Twelve Bens mountain range still bring tourists to this viewpoint. After taking in O’Brien’s Tower and the views from the highest point on the Cliffs (750 feet above the sea), I turned right to begin my walk back to Doolin. 

As soon as I started my walk, the fresh ocean air started to calm me down. This is why I love being out in nature. I knew I had to walk a little faster than originally planned, but I also knew that I had to enjoy the beauty of the place.  The coastal walk provided magnificent views down the coast line of the rocky granite cliffs decorated with vibrant green grass and colorful wildflowers. The coastal walk weaves through local farm lands where sheep and horses are within arms reach.  Everywhere I looked, I saw beauty.  This walk was probably the most magical experience I have ever had, and considering that I started before the Visitor Center even opened, I had the whole trail to myself. 

Ireland is known for its rain, so I wasn’t surprised that for part of my walk, I was caught in a rain shower. Still, I was lucky that it was light and quick. The sun rays coming out through the clouds and the wet vegetation just made all the colors of the landscape more intense. 

The views along the walk are 360 degrees. Of course there are the views of the weaving edges of the cliff with the striations of granite layers, but there are also the man made rock formations of walls and bridges, historic stone structures in the distance, and rolling farm lands. As the trail gets closer to the village of Doolin, the cliffs subside and the ocean crashing against the rocky shoreline becomes the main focus.  At the end of the route, the trail moves away from the ocean, and the colorful collection of the shops in the historic village of Doolin complete the visual journey.  

A word of warning about safety.  In just the last year, three people have accidentally fallen off the cliffs because they have gone too close to the edge. Because of this, there are some temporary closures along the route, but I hope that the trail reopens for people to enjoy the complete walk. Here’s advice for taking photos from a safe distance: Instead of going to the cliff’s edge for photos, use the vegetation as the foreground to give depth to your photos. Caution signs and fences are there for a reason. Please heed the caution signs and stay back from the edge. I would also advise against completing this walk in high winds.  

If I was to plan this trip again – and I would love to – I would stay another night in Doolin so that this could be the only real plan for the day.  The coastal walk wants to be a leisurely one, so let it be. Let the sea breeze blow through your hair. Let the sheep come say hello. Let the vibrant colors wash over you. Let time stand still and just be.

In the end, while I would’ve just made the bus, a lovely couple from the Netherlands – who knew how to take things as they come – offered to give me a ride to my next transfer point. Here is what I need to remember: people are kind, there can be a plan B, and a schedule shouldn’t ruin an experience.