Cliffs of Moher Top Amazing Visit to Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way

Days 32-34, 2025 European Odyssey

Wednesday to Friday, July 30-Aug. 1, 2025; Killybegs, Galway and Cobh, Ireland.

For travelers who like to check off lists, there are unlimited choices. One of my sisters is on a quest to visit the highest elevation point in each state. (She knows she will never get to the top of Denali, but that didn’t stop her from reaching the top of a hill on a private farm in Iowa.) My other sister is seeking to visit every state capitol building.

I don’t really have a list, but now I am thinking it would be a kick to visit all the top sea cliffs of the world. As by definition they are on a coast, traveling by ship might make it possible. Second, by choosing a subjective list, like “top” or “best,” there is some flexibility.

The Cliffs of Moher on the west coast of Ireland rank at or near the top of many online lists of “best sea cliffs.” After visiting them Thursday I have to agree.

The vertical cliffs stretch for nearly 10 miles along the coast, reaching up to 700 feet above waves violently crashing along their base. Birds seemingly by the hundreds swoop through the air and then back to nests clinging to the cliff faces.

It’s the busy travel season so hundreds of visitors walked along the paved and gravel paths reaching out from the visitor’s center. Virtually any point along the paths offered a stunning view. As a result, despite the holiday crowds no one was pushing or shoving to get the best view. We were fortunate that the morning’s misty rain and fog gave way to peeks of blue sky.

The cliffs were the focal point of our all-day private tour from Galway, the fourth-largest city in the Republic of Ireland. During our 90-minute drive to the cliffs along Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way, we passed from County Galway to County Clair, through small villages and rolling farmland divided by ancient stone walls.

We stopped for photos at Dunguaire Castle and for a brief visit at Poulnabrone Dolmen, a large Neolithic portal tomb dating back to between 3800 and 3200 BC. There are 172 such dolmens in Ireland. I enjoyed lunch of an outstanding fish stew and Harp’s Lager at a busy Irish pub.

On Wednesday in Killybegs, I declared a ship day – a day in port but spent on the ship. I decided I would rather do a little painting than wander without a plan or preparation through the town or venture to its neighbor Donegal. It’s obvious I will be challenged on these months of frequent port days to stay ahead in planning what to see and do, while still setting a pace that doesn’t wear me out.

I didn’t need to plan for Friday’s scenic port of Cobh (pronounced “cove”). I believe I’ve been here four times before. The first time I toured the Blarney Castle (I did not kiss the stone) and the Jameson brewery (I did sample the Irish whiskey). I’ve also visited the pretty village of Kinsale, toured the nearby city of Cork and just enjoyed Cobh with friends. Today I walked the steep streets just blocks from the pier, thinking I might find a place to sketch the picturesque Deck of Cards houses. During our sail-in, I could see the colorful backs of those houses from the ship.

I didn’t find a good vantage point for sketching, but I did find that the very steep streets challenged my occasional sense of vertigo and my lack of confidence in my knees (one replaced). I took the long and more gradual way back to harbor, zig-zagging along the sloping streets.

Last time I was here I spent a fun few hours with friends at this bar, but today just settled for a photo. I did stop again for a delicious fish chowder and a cold lager. Perhaps I should make another goal to eat fish chowder in every Irish port.

My dining companions at our fixed dinner table might be thinking I have abandoned them. I enjoyed Canaletto’s Osso Bucco on Wednesday night and feasted at the Pinnacle Grill on Thursday with Kay, a single traveler from New Zealand who bravely responded to my invitation on social media to share a specialty dining meal. We hit it off, both having spent a good deal of time on Holland America ships. In fact, we booked a dinner together next week in Tamarind.