| Sat |
The meeting point for the tour is in
the town of Ennis, which is very close to Shannon airport. |
| Sun |
We start by heading towards West
Clare, cycling along quiet country roads through rolling green
fields to the Coast, where we stay the night at Spanish Point, named
for the ships of the Spanish Armada that sank here in 1588. We spend
the night in a hotel overlooking the Atlantic Ocean where
the breakers roll in. |
| Mon |
Cycling along quiet roads we
eventually come to the popular holiday town of Lahinch where we stop
for lunch. After lunch, we head for the
Cliffs of Moher that rise 660ft up from the Atlantic waves below.
These are the highest marine based cliffs in Europe. You can stroll
along the cliff face and watch the birds gliding in the updraft.
After visiting the cliffs we head to the village of Doolin. That
night we have a pub meal and enjoy the wealth of traditional music
for which the village is famous. |
| Tues |
In the morning we begin to see the first hints of the limestone
landscape of the Burren and visit the monastic site at Kilfenora and
its high stone crosses. Kilfenora is also home to the Burren
Heritage centre which provides excellent insight into the history
and formation of the Burren. Later we stop for lunch at the
matchmaking town of Lisdoonvarna. The afternoon's cycle is a
beautiful run where the road hugs the coastline with Galway Bay and
the Aran Islands on your left and the limestone cliffs of the Burren
on your right. There is a wonderful dolphin called Dusty on this
stretch of the coast who you can watch for! We for two nights in our
comfortable hotel in the seaside village of Ballyvaughan. |
| Wed |
This day can be spent doing a wide variety of activities. The
guide can organise a wonderful four-hour walking tour of the Burren
with a local man who is a very interesting character and a human
encyclopedia of the area. There is also an option short cycle to the
impressive ruins of a Cistercian Abbey. You can also visit the
nearby Ailwee Caves or spend the day relaxing in the attractive
village. |
| Thurs |
The cycle continues straight into the heart of the Burren where we
visit the Burren's most famous historical sight, the Poulnabroune
Dolmen, a small ancient burial site dating back to 2500 BC. Veering
off the beaten track we stop at the village of Carran for lunch in
old police barracks. In the afternoon we cycle through quiet
backroads to visit the Burren Perfumery which makes a wide variety
of perfumes using the local flora. The perfumery has a wonderful
slide show illustrating the beautiful and unique botany of this
region. We then descend through a limestone lunar landscape to the
pretty seaside village of Kinvarra where we spend the night. |
| Fri |
For our last day we head back to the
Burren through another limestone moonscape, passing through Lough
Buny and the impressive Mullaghmore before stopping for lunch in
Corafin. In the afternoon we visit a 16th-century Tower House and an
even old monastic sight. This is also the site of the famous battle
of Dysert O'Dea where the Irish Chieftains defeated the Normans and
kept them out of Clare for another 200 years. We then cycle back to
Ennis for a final farewell night on the town together.. |
| Sat |
After breakfast you make your way
home with a head full of memories. |
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