If it's not already this site should be on your bucketlist!
One of the most visited sites in Ireland, the Cliffs of Moher is a must if you are in the Ballyvaughan area. The cliffs lay just outside the town of Doolin about a 30 minute car or bus ride from Ballyvaughan. Named for a fort that use to stand at the farthest end of the cliffs known as Hags Head, the Cliffs of Moher are absolutely breath taking. They stand a ghastly 702 feet tall at their highest point just north of O'Briens Tower. There are over 30,000 birds that live on and in these cliffs including Atlantic Puffins! Although I did not personally spot any puffins there were plenty of gulls, ravens and smaller finches.
It cost €8 a person. This includes parking, access to the paths and the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Centre, which is quite unique. The visitor centre in built into a hill just as you enter the parking lot. It is eco-friendly complete with solar panels and geothermal heating system. The visitor centre has some cool interpretive exhibits, two cafe's and of course a gift shop.
Besides the cliffs themselves there is O'Brien's Tower. This tower was built in 1835 by Sir Cornelius O'Brien. If you take the path to the right you can go right up to the Tower. You can even go in the Tower if you choose to for a fee. I found the views from across the tower on the path to the left were more to my liking. At the bottom of the cliff that O'Brien's Tower sits on there is the Branaunnmore sea stack. Sea stacks are rock that is eroded into a column.
The Cliffs of Moher has been a popular place for movies such as The Princess Bride (1987), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009), Leap Year (2010) and many more. They have also been used in Maroon 5's music video for "Runaway". Due to this they get around 1.5 million visitors a year! Although the cliffs are very beautiful they are also very treacherous. There is a memorial that you will come across if you take the path to the left and it is a good reminder to stay safe near the edge and to follow the rules of the park. There is also a rag tree-fence, which is an old Irish tradition. I go over this tradition more in my post about St. Brigid's Well.
Overall this is definitely something that should be on your list of things to do. It is absolutely breath taking and no photograph can do it justice. Try to avoid going at peak times to avoid large crowds and on misty days or you may not have a view! Make sure to have a good wind breaker as it is normally quite gusty and of course your camera.
Find out more information about the Cliffs of Moher here: