The Burren Way — five days through the Irish moonscape

To use the term ‘unique’ for Ireland’s Burren region is definitely not an exaggeration. With rocks, plateaus, rare plants, animals and butterflies, this karst landscape — as the approximately 250 square metre (647 sq km) limestone area is also called — is a masterpiece of nature. The Burren Way is a great option for exploring this exceptional region on foot.

From the Cliffs of Moher deep into the Burren National Park, the 143-kilometre (89 mi) Burren Way takes you through ‘An Bhoireann’ — the stony place — in five challenging sections. The stages of the official Burren Way are between 23 and 34.5 kilometres (14.3–21.4 mi) long. Of course, you can also divide the route into more than five stages if you’d prefer. As you can see in the overview, there’s also an option to end the walk after stage four.

As the Burren Way starts in Lahinch and ends either in Tubber (stage 5) or Corofin (stage 4), you should plan your arrival and departure in advance. For example, you can get to Lahinch from Dublin by train and bus via either Galway or Limerick. You can then leave the destination of the fourth stage via Limerick again by bus in the direction of Dublin. There’s also a bus stop in Tubber with a connection to Gort, served by Clare Bus (clarebus.ie). From Gort, you can catch a bus back to Lahinch or Dublin.

If you want to walk the Burren Way but would like some help with the planning, there are a number of local operators who can take care of your travel arrangements, accommodation and luggage transport. This way you can keep your mind free for hiking. If you plan the hike yourself, you'll find lots of friendly places to stay each night.

Hiking in Ireland is fantastic throughout the year. The mild climate allows you to set off in almost any season. Whether it's spring, autumn or summer, every season in the Burren brings new and different spectacles of nature. In spring, the flowers stretch out of the crevices towards the sun, and in autumn, the setting sun covers the karst landscape with a magical light.