Clare & The Burren (7 nights) Guided Group Tour

This tour takes you on a journey of discovery through the wonderful West of Ireland region bounded by Galway Bay to the north and the estuary of the River Shannon to the south. The highlight of the tour is the unique and enigmatic Burren, a 500 square kilometer area of limestone layered fields where underground rivers carve out honeycombs of caves through the soft rock. Massive boulders sit atop the vast limestone pavements, and ancient drovers’ roads traverse a landscape that is dotted with prehistoric dolmens, tombs and stone forts.

The Burren is one of Europe’s richest botanical areas, Clinging to the soil that has collected in the fissures in the rocks is an amazing variety of wild flowers, with Alpine and Mediterranean species flourishing side by side.

Just to the south of the Burren is another of Irelands’s great geological wonders – the towering Cliffs of Moher which rise vertically from the ocean to a height of 650 feet along a 5 mile stretch of the coast. The cliffs are a bird watchers’ paradise – from the cliff tops you can watch puffins, guillemeots, razorbills and choughs as they wheel and dive below you.

The Loop Head peninsula jutting like a long protective arm shielding the waters of the Shannon estuary from the open ocean is a quiet and peaceful haven where wonderful vistas open up around every turn. Inland the countryside is a pretty mosaic of lakes, stone-walled pastures, and market towns. The village of Bunratty is home to Bunratty Castle and also the Bunratty Folk Park.

For lovers of Irish traditional music, the towns of Doolin and Lisdoonvarna are particularly renowned for the nightly sessions in the local pubs.

Overall the terrain on the cycling routes ranges from easy to mederate, with the great majority of the cycling on country roads and lanes that carry minimal volumes of traffic. The average daily mileage on the core routes is 35 miles. Optional extensions of around 20 miles are available on most days.

The tour is most conveniently accessed from Shannon Airport. Ennis, start point for the tour, is 15 miles from Shannon Airport, while

Outline itinerary:

• Day 1 (Saturday)
  On arrival in ancient Ennis, 15 miles from Shannon Airport, you can check into your hotel. Ennis, the county town of Clare, is one of Ireland’s most attractive, being surrounded by the River Fergus. The bow-ways (arched tunnel passageways that link the narrow medieval streets) are a particular feature. Dominating the town is the ruined 13th century friary in which there are some wonderful medieval sculptures. In the afternoon there is a bike a equipment fitting after which you are free to explore the town or to relax. There is a meet-and-greet and a short tour briefing before dinner at the hotel. Our accommodation in Ennis is the Old Ground Hotel.
  
  
• Day 2 (Sunday)
  After breakfast we set off crossing the River Fergus and pedaling west through the rolling Clare countryside. The first few miles is a gentle climb to the villages of Kilmaley and Connolly from where we turn off onto very minor country lanes that meander through a lake studded landscape towards the Atlantic coast in the distance. Lunch is taken in the delightful village of Creegh. Our destination in the afternoon is Kilkee, a beautifully sited resort town protected from the force of the Atlantic by a reef known as Duggerna Rock. Kilkee offers dramatic cliff walks and safe swimming in the ocean for the hardy (or foolhardy!). Kilkee Bay was rated the best diving location in Europe by the late Jacques Cousteau. We spend the nest two nights in the Stella Maris Hotel, overlooking Kilkee Bay.
  
  
• Day 3 (Monday)
  Today’s ride is a loop around the tranquil and exquisitely beautiful Loop Head peninsula. The cliff scenery is especially spectacular, and the coast is littered with sea stacks and wave-sculpted rocks. The Bridges of Ross are wonderful natural arches cut out of the rock by the power of the Atlantic breakers.
  
  From the picturesque whitewashed lighthouse at Loop Head itself there are wonderful views of Dingle to the south and the Aran Islands to the north.
  
  In Kilbaha, a tiny coastal village that is also our lunch stop, Moneen Church houses the Little Ark, a moveable church devised in 1852 by a local priest to enable mass to be celebrated on the foreshore between high and low water where harsh property laws (preventing the celebration of the mass) could not be enforced.
  
  
• Day 4 (Tuesday)
  Riding north from Kilkee the route follows minor country roads that basically hug the coastline. There are several sites of interest along the way. Spanish Point was named after the unfortunate Spaniards who died here in 1588 after their Armada ships foundered on the rocks. Those unfortunates who managed to struggle ashore were captured and executed.
  
  The resort of Lahinch has one of the finest links golf courses in the world, while its sweeping sandy strands offer some of Ireland’s very best surfing. You can hire a board and a wetsuit for a couple of hours.
  
  Continuing along the coast through Liscannor, there is a steady climb to the Cliffs of Moher – one of Ireland’s most awesome natural phenomena. From the cliffs it is a downhill run all the way to Doolin, renowned as the best location to listen to Irish traditional music sessions. From Doolin there is a short final stretch to Lisdoonvarna and the Kincora Hotel. Lisdoonvarna is a spa town and home of the famous annual Matchmaking Festival. Like Doolin, the town has several musical pubs for those looking for evening entertainment.
  
  
• Day 5 (Wednesday)
  Today’s route is a very definitely a highlight of the trip. We start by following the stunning Burren coastline north around Black Head, and then turning east to the coastal village of Ballyvaughan – a perfect lunch stop. Heading south from the village there is the chance to visit the Ailwee Caves, an underground maze with vast caverns connected by more than two miles of passages, before starting on a testing climb onto the top of the Burren Plateau. Here you can fully experience and appreciate the strange, lunar-like Burren landscape with its unique flora and its prehistoric dolmens and tombs. Poulnabrone Dolmen, perched on top of the plateau, is one of the most famous, dating from around 2500 BC .From the top of the plateau there is an exhilarating downhill run back to Lisdoonvarna.
  
  
• Day 6 (Thursday)
  From Lisdoonvarna we head south to the village of Kilfenora and the Burren Heritage Centre. The centre showcases the flora and fauna, the archeology, geology, legends and natural history of the magnificent limestone region. The route then turns east to the village of Carran. Close to the village is the Burren Perfumery. The perfumery, which produces a range of high quality natural aromatherapy products and fragrances by traditional methods, was established in one of the most unique floral landscapes in the world.
  
  Riding north from Carran we reach the shopres of Galway at Bellharbour. Close by, the Cistercian abbey of Corcomroe has some of the finest stone carvings in Ireland.
  
  Following the coast east brings us to the pretty fishing village of Kinvarra. The Galway hookers (traditional sailing boats) bobbing in the harbour provide a beautiful backdrop. Just outside the village is the imnpressive Dunguaire Castle. We stay in the Merriman Hotel in the centre of the village.
  
  
• Day 7 (Friday)
  The route south from Kinvarra takes us inland through the spectacular eastern Burren region. En route attractions include Coole Park and the massive 12th century round tower of Kilmacduagh. Close to Corofin, home to the Clare heritage Centre is Dysert O’Dea. This towerhouse was built in 1480, badly damaged by the Cromwellians in 1651 but repaired and opened to the public as an archeology centre in 1986. Around the towerhosuse there is a fascinating collection of ancient prehistoric sites. Bypassing Ennis, we follow backroads to Quin Abbey (15th Century) built by the ruling McNamara lords for the Franciscan monks before arriving in Bunratty, home to Bunratty Castle. The castle, built by has been faithfully restored and refurnished. In the grounds of the castle, Bunratty Folk Park is a fascinating recreation of 19th Century Irish life. Our final accommodation is at the Bunratty Shannon Shamrock Hotel.
  
  
• Saturday
  Departure after breakfast to Shannon Airport (5 miles) or to Limerick or Galway, or Dublin.

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