Cliffs of Moher

Natalie, aka “my personal guide of Ireland”, absolutely fell in love with the Cliffs of Moher when she visited last year. As she would tell you it’s her favorite place in the world, so of course we had to visit on our trip to Galway. I definitely wanted to go after seeing how beautiful this place looked from seeing her photos.

If you’re staying anywhere near Galway during your visit to Ireland I highly recommend making a trip out to the Cliffs of Moher.

To get to the cliffs from Galway you have to take a bus. You can catch one at the bus/train station that is there in Eyre Square. If I remember correctly it takes about an hour/hour and a half long bus ride to get there.

Before you make this trip pack a lunch if you don’t want to pay for food at the expensive cafe that they have at the Cliffs, which is what we did.

If you plan and time your trip right there are times of the year that puffins actually nest at the Cliffs of Moher. Their breeding season is from April to late July, which is the best time to see them. I also read something that said they hunt during the afternoon, so if you’re going during this time of year and really want to see them make sure you go early in the morning.

You’ll arrive in the parking lot, and you’ll have to buy tickets to the Cliffs for €7 before you can walk up the path to them. Even on a cloudy day it is such a breathtaking place to visit in Ireland. Definitely make sure you check the weather before you plan which day of your trip exactly that you’re going to the Cliffs. Obviously you don’t want to go when it’s raining, but it’s actually worse on the days when the fog is low because you won’t be able to see off into the distance, which is the best part.

Once you get to the edge awaiting there is one of the most beautiful sights you’ve ever seen. You’ll see vertical ridged rocks with deep blue ocean waves crashing against the bottom of them leading up to the tops of the cliffs covered in long grass and sprinkled with wildflowers. The sights were just breathtaking, and I could not get enough of them.

Thankfully the wind was not as strong as it was at Dun Aonghasa that way we could see past the hair in our faces. There are two trails to walk along the side of the cliff one is protected by a low fence or you can walk closer to the edge without any fence. There was this urge to get up close and look over the edge because you don’t want to miss anything. Your stomach turns upside down, but you have to get as close to the edge as possible out of curiosity and of course to get great photos.

We spent about two hours walking along the edge of the Cliffs taking it all in. It’s such a grounding and calming experience to be in a place as beautiful as this one.

Trips to places like these always help me clear my mind to see my path, even if it’s just a little bit, more clearly than I did before I started the journey. That might sound cheesy, but it’s so true! I’m always ready to get home and work harder than I did before, so I can go on more trips and make my life about the things I love. THIS is why traveling is SO important for me!

We arrived in the afternoon, and that’s most likely why we didn’t see any puffins during our time along the Cliffs because we visited at the beginning of June when they should be there nesting.

Another way that you can go and enjoy the Cliffs is by boat. They have boat tours from the very bottom of the cliffs. I didn’t know about this until we saw the little boats chugging along in the water. The next time I visit the Cliffs of Moher I would love to see it from the point of view of the water.

The weather was pretty nice on the day we went (for Ireland at least), and we got very lucky because the rain started right as we were arriving back at the gift shop of the Cliffs. This is another reason I would advise you to go earlier in the day because the weather can change so quickly in Ireland. If it’s raining find a place to chill inside the visitor’s center at the base of the Cliffs and wait it out for a bit if you can. There is also a museum inside you can check out while you wait or after you visit the Cliffs.

Any activities you’re doing while traveling in the UK I recommend frequently checking the weather for rain and cold temperatures to dress appropriately, and be prepared with rain jackets, scarves, ear warmers, or anything like that. As long as the temperatures were in the upper 50s (Fahrenheit) and we were walking around being active, I was warm enough just wearing a long-sleeve shirt underneath and pullover for most of the trip.

Overall this day was amazing and can mostly only be explained with photos of this magnificent place. If you get the opportunity I defnitely recommend going to see the cliffs.

If you need a recommendation of where to stay in Ireland I’m going to tell you Galway all the way. It’s such a sweet little city. Galway isn’t very big so it’s walkable, and it’s located close to lots of stuff to do during your stay. Within the town itself you’ll find amazing food, pubs, and a super fun night life basically every night of the week cause the Irish know how to party.

Seeing the Cliffs was definitely worth the ride, but I do wish we had found something close by to do as well to extend our time there. If you’ve been and had an adventure in town definitely share your experience in the comments. Eventually I want to go back and make a whole day of it.