Burren National Park

We came by foot from Killinaboy village (4,4 km) than closed blue route (~8 km) and than we walked back to the village to catch the bus (4,4 km) but it was 100% worth it. From may there is a shuttle bus going from neighbourhood village, but in winter the only option is your legs if you don’t have a car. In winter it looks like Sahara Desert - sun was shining so bright and there was no green tree anywhere. But there also was almost no people, what was great and which made it easier to move between the rocks. Be careful - choose shoes with good soles, because 90% of the hike is rocks. It is often very uncomfortable to climb on them.

Amazing and great fun adventure through the cave and the falconry even better Totally worth the money Keep up the good work

Been to the Aillwee Burren Experience ( the cave) and then went to see the birds. It was amazing. Will definitely go back during the summer to explore more of the park.

Other-worldly with the rocky terrain. The hike can be a bit of a challenge and the stones can be slippery even when not wet so be conscious of the weather. Also very well marked. But the peaks of burren are gorgeous! I had luck parking near the trailhead too along the road.

Was a very lovely hike, we parked the car at the visitor center then caught the free shuttle bus to the trail head, the free shuttle bus is every half an hour and first come first serve, around 16 seats only. Was doing the blue trail ourself, luckily it was a dry day otherwise I guess it would be really slippery and one needing some good grip shoes! The staff st visitor center were friendly and helpful.

If you're in Clare the Burren is definitely worth a stop to see this unique landscape. There's no visitors center but there are many hikes, trails and historic sites to see within the national park

A fabulous place to visit, unique in the world. You have to go there to appreciate how other worldly it is. Very beautiful, amazing scenery.

At first glance, it seems very desolate but once you start hiking, it is full of beauty - wildflowers, striking vistas, and rare birds. We were there in late May and I would strongly recommend parking your car in Corofin and taking the free National Park shuttle from the visitor center (all parking spaces at the trailhead were full). We took the blue trail - it rained a bit, making the rocky trails slippery so good hiking shoes/boots and a pair of hiking poles are helpful. The goats on the cliff faces were considerably more agile than we were (see photo)!

The Burren is a rocky landscape region that you can visit right on your way to the Cliffs of Moher. There is even a little outcropping of rocks that they call the Baby Cliffs (looking similar to the Cliffs of Moher but on a much smaller scale). When you're in the Burren, you'll honestly feel like you're in a Brontë novel, with a moorish feeling to the vista around you. We were there on a particularly rainy, cloudy, and foggy day - which added to the brooding nature of this rocky karst environment. You can see the Burren as you drive by/through it just fine, but you'd be doing a disservice to yourself to not step out of the car and smell the petrichor earth around you and see it with your own eyes and not through a window. You can stay longer in the Burren or make it a quick stop on your way to the larger cliffs, but you should definitely make the stop - however long you make it.

Beware of limestone and grass in rain - you may land in the mud. Beautiful landscape in western Ireland!

Nice stop on the way back to Dublin from Cliffs of Moher. Nothing too amazing about it, but it was cool to see the rock formations and some nice photos were taken.

I have to admit it's really hard to appreciate the Burren in a torrential downpour which is unfortunately how I experienced it a few weeks ago on a bus tour to the Cliffs of Moher. It's what is known among geologists as a karst landscape which basically means soluble bedrock has built up over time into a fractured puzzle of an expansive rock field. The feeling is lunar in its desolation but with signs of life in the flora and fauna found within the cracks. The expansiveness is what makes it impressive as these rock fields appear to go for miles into the horizon. Our guide had us stop at one of the key markers in the Burren, the Poulnabrone Dolmen, which is a portal tomb dating back to 4200 B.C. (see photo). It looks like a mini-Stonehenge, and you have to walk over the rugged-faced rocks to get a close-up look at it. Definitely slippery when wet. There is an eerie quality to the landscape, but I'll have to come back on a sunny day to appreciate it fully.

At first glace, this vast area of rocks & grass isn't very thrilling. It kind of looks like it just rained rocks one day. At the same time, this land explains the need for rock fences all over the country. At some point, somebody had to "clean" up the land in order to make suitable farmland. It's pretty cool when you think about it. This space isn't as visited as the cliffs of Moher. There is no gift shop or bath rooms. Just a bit of grass, maybe a cow or two, and rocks of all shaped and sizes as far as you can see. Very Scenic.

Meh, I was not as much of a fan as my husband. I think it can also be a little underwhelming after seeing the Cliffs of Moher (a relatively short drive away). Still, it's a very unusual sort of 'moonscape'-looking piece of earth. Worth going to see if you are in the area, but don't hold your breath for something super dramatic. Still, from where I sit now, in foggy San Francisco, I would rather be in the foggy Burren than here.

Certainly beautiful and expansive with unique geological formations, though I wouldn't spend much time here or attempt to hike around in the area due to the craggy, porous, limestone landscape. It's more of a "hmm, that's pretty" and move along type of deal.

I love the burren. Some people may be disappointed as in todays world of theme parks and neon signs simple pleasures like the Burren may be lost. I personally love it. I visit a few times a year and drive right up the middle on my bike to Cassidy's pub - a local landmark and a must if you plan on visiting the Burren. You can sit you back and take in the landscape while having a nice pint sure. If you are visiting Co. Clare and like myself enjoy of bit of scenery, then you will like the Burren.

There's a difference between and among just driving around the region known as "The Burren" in Co. Clare, following roads known as "The Burren Way" (with the hiking man icon), and the actual Burren National Park, which you should access by making the first and only right turn in Killinaboy when heading north from the town of Corofin. There are no brown tourist signs indicating "Burren National Park this way," nor does the park's website tell you that the road is the L1112, so we missed it at first and drove many kilometers up and around the park, and back down again, apparently entering it from the back (north) end, instead of coming up from the south, where we would have seen the "lay-by" (pull-over) to park the car and read the signage regarding the marked trails. Other than that, you would not know that you're in the park; you're driving narrow, lonely country roads through the stereotypical private, walled grazing lands of The Burren, with a smattering of farm houses and tiny villages with some schools, churches, and the occasional pub. But when we got to the trail heads' lay-by, we were able to use the effective signage and choose a trail length & difficulty level considering the weather, time already lost to driving around, and the age of our kids, and we were pleasantly surprised by what would otherwise have been experienced as just "meh" from the roadway, as somebody noted. Taking the easiest, "Orange" trail, we walked through flowering meadows dotted with black boulders large and small, spontaneous ponds known as turloughs, and secluded wooded glades of small trees and ferns with a close canopy and beautiful moss-covered tree trunks, stone fences long abandoned and covered over, little frogs that jumped out of our way...... "Mind the poo!" became our trail-blazing cry as we dodged the manure of large herbivores that also use the trail. It was a drizzly day of mud and daisies, and we loved it. And it was free. According to the park's website, they have started this month a "hop-on hop-off" bus service that takes you to various trails, but we have no idea where this would pick you up. We certainly never saw any formal entrance to the park.