Obscure villages and colorful coastal towns: some of the most beautiful places in Ireland lie along the Wild Atlantic Way. Discover Charlie Chaplin’s favorite holiday destination, stay in an idyllic location on a fjord or learn to sail and surf in the country’s ‘adventure capital’. How many of these Irish towns and villages do you already know?
Allihies, Cork
Allihies and its idyllic surroundings. Photo: jm whalen / CC BY 2.0
This quaint colorful village is one of the historic highlights of the Beara Way.
The parish of Allihies has been an important location for copper mining since the Bronze Age.
The Allihies Copper Mine Museum tells about the copper industry that produced hundreds of millions of kilos of copper in the nineteenth century.
Dingle, Kerry
Few fishing villages are as picturesque, colorful and vibrant as Dingle.
This hostpot on the Dingle Way features sloping streets, hip coffee shops and one of Ireland’s best distilleries.
Dingle is one of the best destinations on the Wild Atlantic Way to find great sea food, but you’re also in the right place for an evening of live music.
Leenane, Galway
Located on Ireland’s only fjord, the inhabitants of this village are fortunate to have a phenomenal view.
The village consists of only a few streets, but the Killary fjord is 16km (10 miles) long.
Daily boat trips depart from Leenane (April to October) through a nature reserve that is indistinguishable from Norway.
Leenane is also a stop on the Western Way hiking trail through Connemara.
Westport, Mayo
Like Leenane, Westport is on the route of the Western Way trail through Connemara and Western Ireland.
This ‘adventure capital’ of Ireland is a great base for visiting County Mayo.
This small town in Ireland offers a wide variety of outdoor activities.
Adventurous travelers flock to this destination for perfect surfing beaches, scenic horseback riding routes and the popular hiking trail to the top of the Croagh Patrick pilgrimage mountain.
Wesport’s varied activities and wide range of restaurants and pubs make it one of Ireland’s coziest towns.
Dunquin, Kerry
You may have already seen the Dunquin pier on postcards.
The unknown village of Dunquin is secretly one of the most beautiful places in Ireland and one of the most photogenic locations along the Wild Atlantic Way! It is also located on the Dingle Peninsula further south than Dingle Town.
You can hardly find a place more Irish: Dunquin is one of the few villages where Gaelic is still the official language.
Bantry, Cork
View over Bantry. Photo: Gabriela Avram / CC BY 2.0
This modest town in Ireland is the start and end point of the Sheep’s Head Way in County Cork. This area attracts hikers, cyclists and… archaeologists!
Remains of Neolithic civilizations that left their traces here many thousands of years ago have been found in Bantry.
William of Orange also left his mark on Irish history after he and his troops came ashore in Bantry in the seventeenth century.
Ballyvaughan, Clare
With several hundred inhabitants, Ballyvaughan is not a bustling collection of pubs and hotels.
This is a typical Irish village, coincidentally situated against the imposing backdrop of the limestone hills of the Burren Way.
This is largest limestone landscape in Europe is one of the greatest attractions on the Wild Atlantic Way.
Check out the local farmers market on Saturdays for fresh produce from the area. Just outside the village, you will find Poulnabrone, one of the best examples of dolmen tombs in the world.
Waterville, Kerry
This modest and lovely seaside town may not immediately remind you of famous movie stars.
Still, Waterville was Charlie Chaplin’s favorite vacation spot.
The actor lost his heart to the overwhelming tranquility of one of the most beautiful places in Ireland, located on the Kerry Way.
He even traveled to Waterville every year in the 1960s to stay with his family at the Butler Arms Hotel, where overnight stays are still available.
