The Aran Islands
The Aran Islands are three windswept limestone islands in the Atlantic, off the west coast of Ireland. Life here changed slowly, so a day on the islands still shows you how traditional Irish life was actually lived.
- What it is
- Three windswept islands in the Atlantic ocean
- Geology
- Limestone
- County
- County Galway
- Wild Rover route
- Two Day Connemara Tour: Galway, Cliffs of Moher (including boat trip) and Aran Islands
- Listed price
- €210
- Getting around on the island
- Walking, or a traditional horse and carriage ride
Three islands that resisted the clock
The Aran Islands sit out in the Atlantic, built almost entirely of limestone and largely untouched by the modern world. That is the whole appeal. You come for a look at the past rather than a list of sights, and the islands reward slow days more than tight schedules.
How you get around
The islands are small enough to walk end to end, and plenty of people do. If you would rather save your legs, a traditional horse and carriage ride covers the rugged ground at an easier pace. Either way, the best of it is talking to the people who live there.
Reaching the islands from Dublin
The Aran Islands sit far enough west that they do not fit into a single day from Dublin. Wild Rover covers them on a two day trip through the west coast, which also takes in Connemara, Galway city, the Cliffs of Moher and a stretch of the Wild Atlantic Way. The listed price is €210, and the itinerary includes a boat trip.
Is it worth the two days
If you want one place in Ireland that does not feel arranged for visitors, this is it. If your trip is short and you only have a single day to spend outside Dublin, the Cliffs of Moher day tours make more sense, and you will see the Aran Islands from the cliff edge. Decide on how much time you actually have.
