Coastal Ireland is a completely different country from Dublin. Fewer tourists, more space, and more of that feeling you actually go to Ireland for – when sky, ocean and green hills merge into one.
1. Cobh and Cork
Cobh is a small town 25 minutes from Cork that stays in your memory from the very first look. This is where the Titanic set sail on its last voyage in April 1912. This is where millions of Irish emigrants departed in the 19th century. And this is where those colourful houses rise in terraces up the hillside.
Cobh: the photo spot (Deck of Cards Houses)
The most famous view of Cobh is from the rise above the town, where you get a panorama of the colourful houses and the harbour. Locals call this neighbourhood Deck of Cards – for the bright facades that look like stacked dominoes.
To see the full view, you’ll need to climb over a fence. Be careful – and be aware that you might be asked to come down.
Cobh Cathedral (St Colman’s Cathedral)
Above the town rises the Gothic St Colman’s Cathedral – a Neo-Gothic 19th-century building with a bell tower visible from anywhere in Cobh. Inside: stained glass windows and an organ with 4,568 pipes.
Entry to the cathedral is free. The best exterior lighting is in the evening, when the town is already dark and the cathedral is lit by floodlights.
Titanic Trail and the waterfront
Titanic Trail is a walking route through Cobh that passes the house where the Titanic’s first officer spent his last night, a cross honouring the victims of the disaster, and the Cobh Heritage Centre museum. The route takes about 1.5 hours and covers almost the whole town.
Cobh’s waterfront is a classic Irish spot for a slow stroll: ice cream shops, old Victorian buildings and a view over Cork Harbour.
2. Drombeg Stone Circle
Between Cobh and Killarney, if you take a short detour off the main road, lies one of the least known but most atmospheric places in Ireland – Drombeg Stone Circle.
This is a Bronze Age stone circle built around 1100 BC. Seventeen stones standing in a ring are aligned with the point of sunset on the winter solstice. Ireland’s Stonehenge – only much quieter.
Come at sunset – that’s when it becomes truly mystical. The stone circle in warm orange light, fields all around and silence. Free entry, almost no tourists.
3. Killarney National Park
Killarney National Park is one of Ireland’s oldest and largest national parks. Lakes, heather moorland, the Macgillycuddy’s Reeks mountains and a forest where the oaks remember the Celts. You could spend a full day here – or two.
Ladies’ View
The Ladies’ View viewpoint on the road to Kenmare is one of the most photogenic spots in Killarney. From here you look out over three lakes – Upper, Middle and Lower – surrounded by mountains. The name came about after the ladies of Queen Victoria’s entourage were enchanted by this exact view during their visit in 1861.
Muckross House
Muckross House is a 19th-century Victorian mansion on the shore of Muckross Lake, surrounded by beautiful gardens. Walking through the park and gardens is free, and so is parking. You’ll need a ticket to go inside the mansion.
Nearby are the ruins of the medieval Muckross Abbey (Ross Castle) – a 15th-century Franciscan monastery among ancient trees. Make sure to go inside: the inner courtyard with its enormous yew tree and the view up to the tower are wonderfully photogenic.
Muckross House – information and tickets
Gap of Dunloe
Gap of Dunloe is a narrow mountain pass cutting through the Macgillycuddy’s Reeks. The road through the gorge is one of Ireland’s most beautiful: steep rock faces, dark tarns and a silence broken only occasionally by the sound of hooves.
You can take a horse tour – local guides take visitors along the route for a fee. Hugely atmospheric and unforgettable, especially with children.
Where to eat nearby
On the road between Killarney and the Gap of Dunloe, stop for lunch at Manna Café & Bistro – fresh food, a homely atmosphere and a lovely garden.
Manna Café & Bistro on the map
Or just grab a coffee and something tasty at LUNA coffee + wine – a cosy spot for a break.
LUNA coffee + wine on the map
4. Dunquin Pier
Dunquin Pier (Dún Chaoin) is one of Ireland’s most dramatic piers. It’s carved right into the cliff and descends steep stone steps to a tiny harbour where local fishermen once launched their leather narangi boats. This is where boats leave for the Blasket Islands.
Standing here, you see the Atlantic Ocean in all its severity: waves, the Great Blasket Islands on the horizon and the feeling that there is nothing beyond this but America.
The steps down to the pier are very steep and can be slippery – wear proper footwear.
5. Cliffs of Moher
Cliffs of Moher are Ireland’s most famous cliffs, and one of those places where photos don’t lie. Vertical drops of up to 214 metres above the Atlantic, stretching for 8 kilometres along the coast – the scale is hard to grasp until you’re standing at the edge.
The alternative viewpoint: without the crowds
Before heading to the main visitor centre, it’s worth stopping at the wild viewpoint a little to the north. The same cliffs, but no ticket booths and almost no one else around.
Out of season you can park anywhere here for free. In season locals set up paid parking – but it’s still incomparably quieter than the visitor centre.
Cliffs of Moher Visitor Centre
💶 Price: €15 per person (paid on entry to the car park)
The best view is along the path to the right of the entrance (towards O’Brien’s Tower). The cliffs look most vertical from there and there are slightly fewer people.
Doolin Ferry: a boat tour
This genuinely deserves a separate mention: boat tours run from Doolin along the Cliffs of Moher – and the view from the sea is entirely different from above. Below the cliffs lies the famous Ailwee Cave, which was used as a filming location for Harry Potter. Incredibly atmospheric and unforgettable.
Doolin Ferry – tickets and schedule
Where to get coffee before boarding
Before getting on the boat, stop at Sean Nós – a café right by the pier in Doolin, with great baking and excellent coffee.
Sean Nós on the map
6. Kylemore Abbey
Kylemore Abbey is perhaps the most romantic place in Ireland. A 19th-century Gothic castle sits right on the shore of a lake in the Connemara mountains, reflected in the water so perfectly it looks unreal.
The monastery was founded by Benedictine nuns who came from Belgium after the First World War. Today it’s an active convent, with Victorian walled gardens and a small chocolate workshop.
💶 Entry ticket: €18 (adult)
Kylemore Abbey – tickets and information
The best photo of the abbey is from the car park. If you don’t want to pay for entry, the view from outside is already worth the stop.7. Killary Fjord
Killary Fjord is Ireland’s only true fjord. It stretches 16 kilometres between the mountains of Mayo and Galway and looks exactly like a Scandinavian fjord – only with Irish green slopes.
Stop at the viewpoint with the coordinates below – one of the most peaceful and beautiful panoramas on the entire coast. Mussels are farmed here, so in winter you’ll see platforms moving along the fjord for harvesting.
8. White Cliffs of Ashleam
Achill Island is Ireland’s largest island, connected to the mainland by a bridge. The white Ashleam cliffs on the southern shore are among the least visited and most striking places in Mayo. Chalk cliffs above the Atlantic, a green meadow on top, and not a crowd in sight.
9. Keem Beach
Keem Beach is one of Ireland’s most beautiful beaches and probably the most celebrated in Mayo. The beach hides at the bottom of an amphitheatre of cliffs at the far western tip of Achill Island. Turquoise water, white sand and cliffs all around – it looks like the Caribbean, only colder.
The road to the beach is narrow and winding. In winter and the shoulder season it’s quiet and wonderfully atmospheric. In summer, it’s best to arrive early as the car park fills up fast.
10. Mullaghmore
Mullaghmore is a small fishing village north of Sligo, known for its enormous waves: surfers come from all over the world for Mullaghmore Head.
On the hill above the bay stands Classiebawn Castle – a gloomy 19th-century tower with a crenellated roofline. It’s private property, so you can’t go on the grounds, but admiring it from the side is perfectly fine. The ideal spot for a picnic with a view.
11. Slieve League
Slieve League is Ireland’s highest sea cliffs and among the highest in Europe: 601 metres above sea level. Three times higher than the Cliffs of Moher – and far less visited. This is where you understand what Irish scale really means.
Private cars are not permitted beyond the car park – only the shuttle bus from the Slieve League Cliffs Centre or vehicles for people with reduced mobility. It’s about a 20-minute walk from the car park to the cliff edge. Slieve League Cliffs Centre – information and tours
Ireland’s coast is the colourful rooftops of Cobh, the vertical cliffs of Donegal, and everything in between: fjords, stone circles, monasteries above lakes and wild beaches you’ll want to come back to. Get a car, give yourself time, and go.
Don't just read about it – go!
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