Things to do in Clare

What to do

Any weather Best on a dry day

Clare outings near your base

From Doolin, start with the cliffs, cave or a confirmed island sailing. They use different meeting points and need different amounts of the day. From Lahinch, make beach time or a surf lesson the local activity and add one inland visit on another day. From Ennis, keep the friary and old streets for a town visit, then use Corofin for a national park outing.

The northern Burren makes another useful group: Ballyvaughan, Aillwee and the Fanore coast. Poulnabrone and Caherconnell are an inland archaeology group. Select one group for the main day instead of treating every Clare sight as a stop on one loop. If the holiday only has one full day, choose the cliffs and one nearby activity, leaving the island and Loop Head for a longer stay.

A rainy-day plan

Book a guided underground tour at Doolin Cave or Aillwee that suits your group's access needs. Choose the nearer cave, and check visitor access before you go. Aillwee's outdoor attractions depend on the weather as well as the cave booking. Lahinch Leisure Centre is a different indoor choice for a beach holiday, while the Courthouse Gallery in Ennistymon suits an art stop.

Kilfenora's Burren Centre and Lisdoonvarna's Spa Wells Heritage Centre provide indoor local history. The cliffs exhibition can explain the place, but fog can hide the view, and severe weather can make a cliff visit unsuitable. If the cliffs plan is unsuitable, move it to another day and use an indoor visit in the same part of Clare. Do not cross the county merely to collect every rainy-day option.

With children

For younger children, choose one main activity and a shorter outdoor stop. Lahinch can combine the swimming pools with sand time when conditions suit. Doolin Cave has an underground tour and an outdoor nature trail. Choose the parts that suit the group. Caherconnell's sheepdogs provide an alternative to another archaeological monument, but the visit still needs to match the operator's arrangements.

For older children interested in walking, ask for national park trail advice in Corofin. The park has trails of different grades and lengths, so choose one that suits the group. At the cliffs, use the designated visitor paths and keep children with the group. An island day adds a boat journey and return deadline, so choose it as the main activity. It should not be squeezed between a cave booking and an evening departure from Clare.

What to skip on a short visit

Choose one cave unless geology is a main interest. Pick a single island rather than trying to combine several crossings. Leave Loop Head out of a short Doolin or Burren visit unless the western coast is a priority. Leaving these out gives you more time at the places you visit. A visit to Clare does not need to include every kind of coast and every underground attraction.

For car-free travel, use Irish Rail to Ennis and use route 350 for the coast. Corofin's park shuttle is seasonal, and inland sites need their own transport. Choose return journeys that leave enough time at the attraction before buying tickets. If the connections force a rushed visit, choose a guided outing or a more local day. Leave some days for the village or town where you stay.