Wild Atlantic Way
Discover the Wild Atlantic Way
2,500km of spectacular coastline
Explore Ireland’s amazing Wild Atlantic Way
Explore Ireland’s amazing Wild Atlantic Way which has 2,500km of spectacular coastline all along the West coast of Ireland.
There are more than 180 Discovery Points on the Wild Atlantic Way – from the Inishowen Peninsula in Co. Donegal right down to Kinsale in Co. Cork – with a huge range of activities to take part in and a variety of sights to see.
2,500km of spectacular coastline
Explore Ireland’s amazing Wild Atlantic Way
Try your hand at some water sports – from sea kayaking, surfing, Stand Up Paddle Boarding to canoeing, coasteering and open water swimming. Or just explore some of the best beaches in the world as you travel the vast expanse of the Wild Atlantic Way route.
And it’s not just water-based adventures that awaits; the Wild Atlantic Way has endless walking, hiking and cycling routes, family activity centres, museums and heritage experiences to keep the whole family entertained.
After dark, the Wild Atlantic Way comes alive with the sounds of craic agus ceol (fun and music), storytelling sessions and the tastes of some of the best food in the world.
Enjoy exploring the Wild Atlantic Way and discovering the secrets it has to offer.
Find out more about West Cork
Cork Wild Atlantic Way
West Cork hosts the first (or the last, depending on which way you travel!) stop on the Wild Atlantic Way – the historic and picture-postcard village of Kinsale, which is a haven for food connoisseurs, as is the entire region of West Cork.
West Cork is steeped in Irish culture – from fine food and drink to its music and conservation of the Irish language. It’s dramatic coastal landscape, historical treasures and spectacular islands means it is a magnet for overseas and Irish tourist alive.
A must-stop on the Cork Wild Atlantic Way is the Irish-speaking Cape Clear Island which is Ireland’s most southerly island and is accessed by a 45-minute boat tour from the beautiful villages of Baltimore or Schull in West Cork.
The tallest rock lighthouse in Ireland and the UK
Fastnet Rock Lighthouse
Fastnet Rock Lighthouse is one of the most impressive tourist attractions in West Cork and along the Wild Atlantic Way and is the most southerly point of Ireland. This awe-inspiring landmark is the tallest rock lighthouse in Ireland and the UK and most visible monument in West Cork.
Known as ‘Ireland’s Teardrop’, as it was the last structure seen by Irish emigrants aboard ships travelling to the United States, it is a historically symbolic structure for the people of Ireland.
Fastnet Rock – or simply Fastnet – is known as An Carraig Aonair (lonely rock) in Irish – and it and its lighthouse has impressed visitors for thousands of years. The lighthouse replaced an earlier one that had been built on Cape Clear Island in 1818.
Cape Clear Ferries runs daily tours out and around the Fastnet Rock and the company’s Fastnet Tours were featured in National Geographic’s “The Best of Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way”.
There are also stunning views of the Fastnet Rock Lighthouse from Cape Clear Island and visitors can often expect to see pods of whales, dolphins and other marine life when on the tour.
Come visit West Cork, Cape Clear Island and Fastnet to make your journey to the Wild Atlantic Way complete.
