I have been traveling through Ireland and Scotland for the last week. So far, it’s been everything I thought it would be and more! One of my favorite parts of the trip, though, was seeing some of the great coastal wonders of the island, like the Cliffs of Moher and the Giant’s Causeway.
Cliffs of Moher
Located in West-Central Ireland in Co. Clare, these cliffs were featured in part of the popular movie The Princess Bride.
The Cliffs of Moher are very scenic, and worth checking out if you have an interest in natural wonders or geology. It’s very windy, and can get cold, especially with the all-too-common rain that comes through. If this does become a problem, know that there are other things you can do here:
- The visitor’s center is built into a hill, allowing for it to be quite large without harming the natural scenery.
- Inside the visitor’s center there is a cafĂ©, a small museum, a gift shop, and a restaurant.
- Outside the visitor’s center, you will find several shops/ gift shops.
Of course, the main attraction is the Cliffs themselves. Every time I looked at them, the lighting and scenery was different because of the changing cloud cover and weather. I can’t do the view justice here in writing, but I can talk about my own experience there.
My Experience at the Cliffs of Moher
We were staying in Galway when we went to the Cliffs of Moher, so the drive took about an hour and a half. This meant that, combined with the three or more hours that we spent at the cliffs, we spent the entire day here.
I’m traveling with my family on this trip, so there are a lot of additional considerations, such as ease of access for those who have trouble walking great distances. There is disabled parking right up by the entrance to the visitor’s center/ shops. From there, you can go right around to view the cliffs, which have both ramps and stairs to access. There is a bit of walking regardless, but you won’t have to go too far to see the cliffs.
The viewing tower you’ll see upon arrival is nice, but not necessary if you want a good view, so don’t worry about the extra walking if you can’t do it.
We stopped in at the restaurant there for lunch, and there were a lot of options. I chose the fish chowder and was not disappointed. It comes from local suppliers and was very good!
Giant’s Causeway
Unlike the Cliffs of Moher, which I admittedly didn’t really know about until the day before visiting, I was very excited to visit the Giant’s Causeway well before going!
Located in Northern Ireland along the Antrim Coast, the Giant’s Causeway is a beautiful example of the majesty of nature. The hexagonal basalt columns that form all around this coastline create a true marvel! It almost feels alien, like something you would see in a sci-fi movie with an artificial planet. But it isn’t artificial, it’s as natural as any other rock formation!
Legends about the Causeway tell that a giant named Sam McCool (Sam Mac Cumhaill) who lived in the area threw parts of the coast together to cross to Scotland and challenge a rival giant. After realizing that his rival in Scotland was far bigger, he returned, tricking the rival into thinking he was an infant when said rival followed him. If the ‘infant’ giant was that big, then Sam must be even bigger! This rival then fled back along the Causeway to Scotland, destroying it as he went.
The Causeway was also used as the backdrop for the home of House Greyjoy in Game of Thrones. In fact, there are a lot of locations across Northern Ireland that were used for filming the show!
Just like the Cliffs of Moher, there are special accommodations for people who can’t walk very far. There are buses about every 15 minutes to bring you from the visitor’s center down to the causeway.
The Giant’s Causeway is even colder and windier than the Cliffs of Moher, so make sure you’re well prepared for that!
My Experience at the Giant’s Causeway
Unfortunately, our drive to the Causeway took about 5 hours since we came from Galway. We left close to 11 AM, so the visitor’s center was nearly closed by the time we got there. (For advice on dealing with hiccups like this, see my post about it!) Still, we were able to get tickets and look around the center briefly before heading out. I also was unable to try the audio tours, so I can’t comment on them. That just gives me another reason to go back, though!
My mom and I spent well over an hour or two exploring. There are several walking trails that go up along the cliffs near the Causeway where you can get additional views of the North Sea and the beautiful coastline!
I spent some time climbing around along the largest parts of the Causeway, taking tons of pictures of myself (and having my mom take pictures of me) as I went.
Because of our long drive, we didn’t have a lot of time to check out anything else nearby. If you’re already in the area, definitely plan to see other things in the same day. Giant’s Causeway is definitely not a day-long excursion.
Conclusion: A Land of Natural Beauty
Everything about Ireland’s natural landscape is beautiful. The Cliffs of Moher and Giant’s Causeway are unique in their majesty, of course, but even the countryside is beautiful.
I have a special appreciation for natural wonders like these whose existence humans had no hand in making. Originally, these beautiful, natural formations were the source of folktales and legends. Now, we visit them to see them for ourselves and hear about their history and formation. While the scientific explanations aren’t as awe-inspiring as a legend, the natural beauty speaks for itself!
I’m sure there are many natural wonders of Ireland that I didn’t cover here, but I can only really cover the places I visited. When I return to Ireland (and I definitely will!), I’ll add more to this post.
