- Mountains and Hills Read More
While we do have some way-marked trails, for the most part, Ireland is rugged, and most of the time those who wish to hike up mountains and hills will be doing so off-trail. This is why travelling with a group and a guide can be a fun and safe way to discover wild Ireland.
Our main mountains regions include; Kerry – home to Ireland’s highest mountain Carrauntoohil in the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks mountains; Connemara’s Twelve Bens mountain range; Mayo’s Maumturk Mountains, Donegal’s mountains including the Blue Stacks; the Wicklow Mountains of the east coast; the Comeragh Mountains to the southeast, and the Slieve Bloom mountains in the centre of the nation. In Northern Ireland, the main mountain range is the Mourne Mountains south of Belfast.
Learn more about Irish lakes here.
- Islands and Coastlines Read More
We have an awful lot of coastlines here – after all, this is an island. The west coast, also known as the Wild Atlantic Way, has the best coastlines, as these are the most beautiful and wild. From Donegal down to Cork, there are amazing beaches to be found in each region.
As for islands, most of them are also off the west coast of Ireland, such as the Aran Islands, the Skelligs, Inisbofin, Clare Island, Achill, and others, but there are a couple of exceptions like Rathlin Island up north (home to a bird sanctuary often frequented by puffins – learn more about puffins here), and the privately-owned Saltee Islands off the coast of Wexford. Most islands are small and either uninhabited or only inhabited by small local communities. Most are connected by regular ferries, but not all ferries allow cars.
- Bogland Read More
Perhaps not the most exciting type of landscape, bogs are of great importance to the Irish ecosystem. They have already been greatly reduced in centuries past – these slow-growing places were used to cut bricks of turf which were burned for fuel – and are now being protected throughout the island. Bogs are characterised by rich, dark water-retaining soil, heather and hawthorn plants and undulating landscapes.
- Forests Read More
Like bogs, Irish forests have been depleted in the past, cut down for fuel, building works, and trade, as well as to clear space for agriculture. In fact, Ireland has one of the lowest percentage of forest coverage in Europe.
It’s slowly changing though as the population has taken an interest in preserving forests and planting trees, particularly native Irish trees. There are many places you can walk through Irish forests throughout the island.
- Lakes Read More
There are inland coastlines too. Lakes are sometimes overlooked when it comes to Irish landscapes and regions. Though we don’t have massive lakes, we do have quite a lot of them. In particular, you’ll find a good few in the northwest – in fact, the little-visited counties Fermanagh and Cavan are called the “Irish Lakelands.” There are lakes all over Ireland, and chances are you’ll get to see at least one.
We also have an interesting natural phenomenon here called a “turlough.” A turlough is a type of lake that only exists a part of the time (usually in the winter and spring or after heavy rainfall) and dries up later in the year, usually in summer.
Read Lakes & Loughs in Ireland for more information.
- Green Pastures Read More
Right, so this is probably the landscape that comes to mind when thinking of Ireland: undulating, sheep-dotted pasture land. And indeed, we have a lot of this. Though found throughout, it is most prominent in the Midlands and on the eastern side of the island where the climate is milder and suited to agriculture.
- Exposed Limestone & Basalt Read More
Once upon a time in ancient, long-ago millennia, Ireland was on the bottom of the seafloor. This built up silt, which over time and with the help of glaciers, created limestone landscapes. In some places – most famously the Burren – these limestone hills are left exposed, making some of the wildest and strangest places in Ireland.
In Northern Ireland, another strange landscape comes into focus: the 40,000 interlocking basalt columns of the Giant’s Causeway, created by a long-ago volcanic explosion. (Learn more about the Giant’s Causeway here).
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