Things to do in  Wild Atlantic Way

Perched on the water’s edge against steep green hills, Kylemore Abbey boasts a dramatic setting in this rural area in West Ireland. It’s also famous for its Benedictine history: It became a sanctuary for nuns who fled their convent in Ypres, Belgium, during World War I. A community of Benedictine nuns continues to live at Kylemore Abbey today, working in the monastery and gardens, which are open as one of Connemara’s most popular visitor attractions.

Killarney National Park, with idyllic lakes and ancient woodlands backed by the serrated MacGillycuddy’s Reeks mountains, is an area of stunning natural beauty. The 24,710-acre (10,000-hectare) park is also historically significant, with two heritage buildings in situ: Ross Castle, a 15th-century fortress that’s also available for group bookings, and Muckross House, a stately Victorian estate.

Wild, beautiful, and sparsely populated, Connemara, extending from Galway to the Atlantic Ocean, is Ireland at its most rugged and elemental. The indented Atlantic coastline is interspersed with beaches and seaside hamlets, while the interior encompasses bog, mountains, lakes, and empty valleys where sheep outnumber people.

The lake-studded glacial valley known as the Gap of Dunloe (Bearna an Choimín) is wedged between County Kerry’s Purple Mountain and MacGillycuddy's Reeks mountain range. The rugged natural scenery along the 7-mile (11-kilometer) paved mountain pass made it a magnet for sublime-seeking, 19th-century, Romantic writers such as William Thackeray and Alfred Lord Tennyson, who waxed lyrical about its beauty. Despite its popularity, the landscape remains as unspoiled as ever.

One of Ireland’s finest stately mansions, the 65-room Muckross House was built for the Herbert family in 1843. Muckross House, Gardens & Traditional Farms sits on the shores of Muckross Lake and is replete with period furnishings and decorative objectives. Three recreated farms on the estate showcase the life of rural dwellers in the 1930s and ’40s.

Discover the natural beauty of the Wild Atlantic Way with a visit to Slea Head. Located on the western end of the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, Slea Head is a scenic lookout point with views of the Blasket Islands. This headland is also considered the most western point in Europe. It is a popular stopping point during a scenic drive along the coast.

The Blarney Castle and Gardens is most famous as the home of the Blarney Stone. Legend states that if you kiss the stone, you will never be at a loss for words. While people travel from all over the world to kiss the mystical stone (which involves hanging upside down from the castle’s tower), this 600-year-old fortress is also a draw for its lovely gardens and ancient stone formations called Rock Close.

Towering 702 feet (214 meters) above the Atlantic Ocean at their highest point and stretching for 5 miles (8 kilometers) along the water, the famed Cliffs of Moher define the raw beauty of the west coast of Ireland. They’re also one of the country’s most popular tourist attractions, with tours from Dublin, Galway, Cork, Limerick, Killarney, and Doolin.

A vision on the shores of Lough Leane, the 15th-century Ross Castle was built as a medieval fortress for an Irish chieftain named O’Donoghue, and was said to be one of the last strongholds to fall to the brutal English Cromwellian forces in the mid-16th century. The ruin has been restored, and features lovely 16th- and 17th-century furniture.

Famously used as a filming location in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the rocky peak of Skellig Michael sits amid the wind-whipped Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of South West Ireland, reaching a height of 712 feet (217 meters). This UNESCO World Heritage Site was a hideaway for hermit monks between the 6th century and the 12th century. The island is no longer inhabited, but you'll find the remnants of the old monastic settlement, including historic beehive huts, scattered across the island.

Ireland’s Ancient East isn’t the only part of the country where megalithic landmarks are found. Set in County Sligo in the northwest, the Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery is a dense concentration of tombs that date back almost 6,000 years. Over 35 passage tombs remain here, with an on-site exhibition offering context for exploring the stones and their surrounding landscape.

Dating from 1788, The English Market is among Ireland’s finest foodie destinations. Set inside a Victorian heritage building with a vaulted ceiling, the market is filled with vendors selling the finest and freshest of local produce, from grass-fed beef and smoked salmon to homemade jam, duck eggs, and fresh fruit and vegetables.