Last Updated: 2026-10-20 20:24:01
The Burren
Grey limestone pavement stretching to the sea, with flowers growing out of the cracks.
A rock garden the size of a county
The Burren, from the Irish Boireann, meaning "great rock", is a karst landscape of glacier-scoured limestone in north-west Clare. At first glance it looks bare, but the cracks in the pavement (called grikes) shelter an extraordinary mix of plants: Arctic-alpine, Mediterranean and woodland species flower side by side, including spring gentians and more than 20 kinds of orchid.
People have lived here for at least 6,000 years, and the hills are scattered with tombs, ring forts and early churches. Part of the area is protected as Burren National Park, and the wider region is a UNESCO Global Geopark.
Don't miss
- Poulnabrone dolmen, a portal tomb more than 5,000 years old and one of Ireland's most photographed monuments.
- Aillwee Cave, with underground waterfalls and the bones of long-extinct brown bears.
- The Burren Perfumery and tea rooms near Carran.
- Mullaghmore, a folded limestone hill in the national park with waymarked loop walks.
Quick facts
Where: North-west Co. Clare
Region: Wild Atlantic Way
From Dublin: about 3 h by car
Base: Ballyvaughan, Kilfenora or Doolin
Best time: May and June for wildflowers
Good for: walking, botany, archaeology
Local tip
Drive the coast road from Ballyvaughan around Black Head towards Fanore at sunset, when the low light turns the limestone silver and the Aran Islands sit on the horizon.
Nearby
Cliffs of Moher · Aran Islands · Galway City · All destinations