The Cliffs of Moher

One of last stop in Ireland took us to the magnificent Cliffs of Moher. The cliffs are one of the most visited places in Ireland, and our group would agree that you just can’t go to Ireland and not see this most amazing and natural landscape. They are located in County Clare just outside of the small town, Burren (where we had lunch).

They soar as high as 700 feet into the air out of the Atlantic Ocean and are on the western side of the country. The cliffs cover almost five miles of coastline.

The Cliffs of Moher provided the most beautiful natural geography I’ve ever seen. There are steps that will take you to the northern edge of the cliffs, and steeper ones that will take you to the southern edge. We did exactly the opposite of what our tour guide told us to do: “take the easier route and do not go beyond the signs.” We chose to take the more difficult climb (which was not hard at all), and I’m so glad. We also went beyond the “Do not trespass” sign,

where the views were even more majestic. Believe me when I say, we weren’t the only ones. People were taking pictures of the sign, and then crawling past it to see the most amazing scenery. We were very close to the edge of the cliffs, with just a walking path.

The natural beauty of the cliffs will take your breath away. Ireland, in general, was pretty cold and windy, but we all noticed that on top of the cliffs the winds were calm and it was warmer.

Not sure if that was some sort of anomaly or just a natural occurrence. As you turn away from the ocean and cliffs, cattle and sheep are grazing in the beautiful, green valley leading up to the cliffs.

As we looked over the side down into the ocean, we saw many birds flying. I googled them when I got home, and discovered that the cliffs are home to one of the major colonies of cliff nesting seabirds in Ireland and are a protected species.

Our stay at the cliffs was brief – only an hour visit, and we all agreed we could have spent more time there not only just marveling at the magnificence of the cliffs, but to visit the interpretive/visitor center. There just simply wasn’t enough time. I would have liked to make our way further down the southern edge and then over to the northern coastline, as the views are plentiful. Also, there are boat tours where you can view the cliffs from the ocean. That must be fabulous as well.

The visit to the Cliffs of Moher was a highlight of our trip to Ireland, and I strongly recommend everyone see them!