If you’re going to be visiting Ireland in the near future and you want to see all of the most beautiful scenic sites, the Ring of Kerry and the Cliffs of Moher should be high on your list of must-see attractions. The Ring of Kerry, located in County Kerry, is a tourist route that runs through Killarney (lake pictured below,) Waterville, Glenbeigh, and a few other Kerry cities. Along the way, you’ll see sites like the Derrynane House, Ross Castle, and the Gap of Dunloe, just to name a few. You can drive the Ring of Kerry or see it on a tour bus, if you prefer. There’s also a walking path known as the Kerry Way, and even a cycling path if you want to get some exercise while you take in all of the scenic views.
Meanwhile, the Cliffs of Moher are an attraction located in County Clare. If you watched the movie The Princess Bride, you may recognize the Cliffs of Moher as the Cliffs of Insanity from the movie. The cliffs are among the most popular tourist spots in Ireland, and with their fantastic views, no trip to the island is complete without seeing them. If you’re more interested in birdwatching than the views from the cliffs, you can do that too. The area around the cliffs is home to Atlantic Puffins, hawks, ravens, gulls, and other species of birds.
One of the best ways to experience both the Ring of Kerry and the Cliffs of Moher is to take a tour that includes both. For instance, you can find a three-day rail tour option that begins in Dublin and covers the Ring of Kerry on the second day and the Cliffs of Moher on the third, along with other interesting and scenic stops like the Blarney Castle. A bus tour is another good option. Tour buses have their own route around the Ring of Kerry; they travel counter clockwise while other vehicles are expected to travel clockwise. This means that the tour buses won’t be holding up traffic if you decided to travel by car, and it also means that if you decide to take a tour bus, you won’t be held up by extra vehicle traffic if it happens to be a particularly busy day for travelers to view the route. Many multi-day private bus tours include both of these attractions in the itinerary.
Even if you don’t take a tour, taking the time to drive up to the cliffs and see the views for yourself, as well as taking the time to circle the Ring of Kerry, stopping to see the sites along the way, are definitely experiences that you want to have while you’re in Ireland. Make sure to take lots of pictures, because you’ll want to capture those scenic views to remember once you’re back home.
O’Brien’s Tower – Cliffs of Moher – Built in 1835 by Cornelius O’Brien
From the viewing platform on the roof you can view the Aran Islands, Galway Bay, Aill Na Searrach and Hags Head. On a clear and sunny day you can see Connemara with the distinctive Twelve Pins mountain range to the north and County Kerry to the south.
