So where do you start with the Wild Atlantic Way? The route is 2500km long that stretches though nine counties and three provinces from Donegal to County Cork.

You could potentially spend up to two weeks exploring the route, though most people tend to pick parts to stop off rather than going the whole way.

I met plenty of people along the Wild Atlantic that either drove their caravans or hired one so they could explore the whole of the route as opposed to stopping off at hotels, hostels or guest houses. I can’t imagine the overall cost would be that different.

Slieve League

First stop Slieve League, I was driving from Derry and it takes less than 2 hours and having planned to stay for a few days in Donegal it was on the way.

Slieve League is the second highest sea cliffs in Ireland and it’s three times the height of the Cliffs of Moher.

When you get here you’ll pass the Cliff Centre and from you can either drive to the main viewing area of the cliffs or go to the car park and walk, where you will see some beautiful scenery before you reach the cliffs.

And then you can hike however high up and however long you like. Just when you think you’ve gone as high as you can you see someone else further up. It feels like it’s never ending. I can’t imagine what trekking Mount Everest would be like.

I hiked up higher than I normally would have. It’s worth it for the views but jeez your calves will take a battering but then it gives you an excuse to sit, and admire the view and surroundings while you recover, before trekking back down.

Donegal

What a beautiful little place Donegal is. Generally when people talk about visiting Ireland, they mention Dublin like others do with London when visiting England.

Donegal is in the north west of Ireland and is full of history and cultural heritage.

With only a couple of full days I had to pick and sacrifice places to visit. Quite frankly it was criminal that I didn’t give more time to Donegal, but as we always say there’s always a next time.

Staying in Ardara, I was a short drive away to Narin beach in Portnoo. This is one of the smallest, secluded places I’ve been to in Ireland that just happens to have a big beach.

It was so peaceful, so blissful. Walking up and down the beach. I basically had the beach to myself. Throughout the time I was there I only saw two other couples, one of which had a couple of dogs with them. It was one of those times where you just forgot about everything going on around you in life.

Ireland is underrated for their beaches. And I’ve been to places such as Brazil, the US, Portugal and Italy which have some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

If you’re into history then head over to Glencolmcille, an old folk village which is perched on a hillside overlooking Glen Bay beach.

You essentially have a view of a living museum. A glimpse of what daily life was like over the last few centuries for locals. Where each house is built to mirror one another with the same artifacts and furniture.

You can wonder through the village at your own leisure or join one of the tour groups to learn how the ancestors lived, cooked, the tools they used etc.

Typically you won’t spend more than a few hours here. Even after spending time in the village you can wonder off and walk around Glen Bay beach.

If you’re looking for an off the beaten track a good option is Assaranca Waterfall (pronounced Eas a’ Ranca).

It’s also referred as Ardara Waterfall. It’s easily accessible though one of the more quiet waterfalls you’ll come across.

It was raining when I went, though if anything it made the waterfall seem more impressive as the water gushes down with speed compared to normal weather condition.

One of the appeals of coming here for people is how accessible it is for people with mobility issues. The waterfall is basically next to the car park.

As I said before, it was frankly criminal to only spend a handful of days here as there’s more to see in Donegal. There is a lot to list here, but one example is not far from Assaranca Waterfall is the Maghera cave and beach but with it pissing it down with rain I didn’t fancy trekking though and risking falling over with the horrific balance I possess.

Achill Island

You will find Achill Island (pronounced Ah-cool) off the west coast of Ireland in County Mayo. I drove here on the way to Galway after leaving Donegal. It involved taking a fair bit of a diversion. I say a fair bit, the diversion was a lot more out of the way than I anticipated but boy was it worth it.

If there’s one region I wish in hindsight I could have stayed longer for it’s County Mayo. One approach I take compared to my earlier days of travelling is to not pack too much in, and appreciate what I see and just let it be. Anything I miss out on can be revisited another time if the chance presents itself.

Anyway back to Achill Island. Beaches, mountains, cliffs and more. Even though it doesn’t take long to drive around. You can spend a couple of hours or a couple of days here. I would suggest staying a night is ideal.

What feels like the end of the island is Keem Bay which has a small beach but good to sit above the beach and enjoy the views. I’m pretty sure there was more people in the car enjoying picnics and BBQs than there were on the beach. I guess that was their way of enjoying the craic.

With the limited time I had before driving to Galway (more on that in a separate post) I drove all the way up to Minaun Heights.

Minaun Heights is in the centre of Achill Island. At more than 450m high, the drive up feels like an eternity. But at least it’s easy to drive up to and a lot of the scenery on the way until you say the best views when you arrive.

You get a panoramic view of the island and I’ll throw it out there, I think one of the best sunsets to experience in Ireland would be here (speaking of all the places I visited).

Although I only gave myself a few hours on the island I would like to think I spent them wisely. It’s definitely getting added to the “come back to visit again” list.

Cliffs of Moher

Well what to say about the Cliffs of Moher that you don’t already know?

It’s one of, if not the most popular places to visit in Ireland.

With my hire car I drove from Galway to County Clare where the Cliffs are located in about 90 minutes. Of course there are plenty of day trips you can do to the cliffs from near enough anywhere in Ireland.

We go to the cliffs for the stunning views and to admire the rocks in all their height and glory.

And do you know what? It didn’t disappoint.

The hike up is less than 10 minutes. There’s a good amount of space to get those Instagram-esque pics, and you’ve got great views as well from O’Brien’s Tower if you want different angles.

Usually I would have written more but I’ll let the photos pique your imagination on this one.

Dingle

Dingle is small port town in the southwest of Ireland.

I decided to add this to my itinerary late on, and I’m glad I did. It was the perfect place to stop for a night before spending the day on the Ring of Kerry (more on that in another post).

Dingle is a cute little place that you would want to go to if you were looking to get away, chill and recharge.

You only need a day here. You can go for a walk along the harbor, grab some fish and chips which is a big thing in Dingle (without bias I’ll always say Brighton has the best fish and chips but Dingle does them good). And end the day in one of the famed hardware pubs.

You also have the Ring of Dingle, which is so small that you could drive it in a couple of hours at most and that’s including stopping off several times.

It’s 30 miles long and should ideally be done clockwise. You’ll see plenty of cyclists. In fact if you’re going to cycle the route you will probably need the day. The Ring of Dingle is essentially a loop within the Wild Atlantic Way.

So that’s one way to spend over a week on Ireland’s largest route.

As I mentioned earlier, if you want to explore the Wild Atlantic at its fullest, then you’re probably going to need around 2 weeks, maybe more depending on your pace.

For such a small place, Ireland has so much to see and do. One of places I was gutted to sacrifice seeing was Downpatrick Head. I think part of me subconsciously left it off on purpose to give me an excuse to come back. I remember a few of locals plus an Irish friend of mine looked at me in near borderline disgust for not stopping off.

There are so many great things about the Wild Atlantic Way. Not to mention the beautiful places, you are spoilt for choice. That in itself is the only issue you have, choosing where you’re going to stop off.