Cliffs of Moher
I have been looking forward to visiting the Cliffs of Moher since I decided to come to Ireland and today I finally went and they were definitely worth the wait. They were absolutely magnificent, beyond my imagination, awesome, they just blew me away!! The photos I have taken just don’t do justice to this place, you just have to be there to fully appreciate the enormity of the cliffs and the sheer height is so immense, it really can’t be captured in a photo but I tried my best.
The cliffs are on the road from Doolin to Liscannor and you wouldn’t know from the road if you didn’t know they were there, especially if driving from Doolin, all you see is the sea and the grassy banks, the wonder they hide is quickly revealed once you take a walk up and over the grassy banks, you will stand with your mouth open at how awesome these cliffs are.
On the Liscannor side there is a huge carpark and visitor centre where you have to pay 6 euros to park and use the centre facilities, but I didn’t want to pay as I’m on a budget (and I’m tight) and trying to see as much free things as I can, so I decided to walk up from the Doolin side, only I cheated and parked in the layby on the mountain road.
I clambered over a few fences and touched an electric fence at some point which wasn’t as bad as I thought they were, just didn’t see it and reached out to stop myself falling lol, anyway it was only a short distance of clamouring then through the field and I was on the path with everyone else, a few more steps and WOW there they were in all their splendour.
Nature is just so wonderful, all encompassing, we are lucky to be able to marvel at it whenever we get the chance, it is such a shame that there are so many humans hell bent on destroying it through deforestation, pollution etc. etc. Nature is not only for us to enjoy, we are one with nature, it is one with us, we are part of a never ending circle of life where everythig is constantly changing and the sooner we appreciate this and work together to preserve it, the better. I have always loved the outdoors and nature in general but on this trip I am beginning to feel more of a spiritual tranquillity when I am at one with nature, it could be just sitting on the beach watching the waves crash against the rocks or it could be camping and waking up to the sounds of the birds or on one occasion the cows, whatever the occasion it gives me a huge sense of peace.
The cliffs are located on the edge of the Burren and are part of the UNESCO Global Geopark site. The cliffs start from 120 metres (390 feet) above the Atlantic Ocean and rise to the highest point of 214 metres (702 feet), which doesn’t sound that high but believe me it is high, while I was looking over the edge my legs were feeling all shaky, now height doesn’t bother me at all but this did make me feel a bit queasy, probably because there is a risk that you could be blown over the edge or you might slip whereas if I am paragliding (which would be higher) I am in complete control of the height and it feels totally different.
The cliffs stretch for about 5 miles but I only walked to the midpoint where a tower has been built so you can climb it to see the views, I could see the Arran Islands quite plainly from the cliffs but I didn’t go up the tower, another 2 euros, when I come back one day I will go up the tower and the visitor centre which is supposed to be fab. I will definitely be coming back, there is so much I have seen but also so much I haven’t.
It is the most visited attraction in Ireland and there were lots of people there on the day I visited, which was great because you can ask people to take pics of you on the edge of the cliffs and you take photos of them, it was a really fun experience with everyone really in awe of what they were seeing! Beautiful!
It is estimated that some 30, 000 birds live at the cliffs which represents over 20 different species including Atlantic puffins and Razorbills.
You can take a bus trip there if you are not driving, they go from most major cities in Ireland, or you can also get service buses from all the towns and villages surrounding the area. Once there you can take a ferry to see them from the sea and you get to see some of the fantastic caves which I didn’t get the chance to unfortunately, never mind I will do it when I come back. There are a few ferry companies taking people from Doolin pier and from Liscannor, where you can also get the ferry to the Arran Islands which I missed too.
There is no doubt in my mind that I will be coming back to this place sometime in the future, it is absolutely stunning and I love it so much!!