Where to stay in Clare

Pick your base

Lahinch or Doolin for the coast

Lahinch suits a coastal holiday with plenty to do. One person can book surfing while another walks the promenade, and the leisure centre gives families an indoor option. Stay near the promenade to keep the beach and town activities close by. The Old Course and Castle Course are separate golf options, so make sure you book the course you want. You can stay in the same town even if some of the group want golf and others want the beach.

Doolin has trad music for the evening and ferries for an island trip. Fisher Street and Roadford are two parts of the village. The ferry pier is its own destination. For a single island outing, Lahinch remains a reasonable coastal base if you have transport. Sleep in Doolin if you want both a ferry trip and an evening of trad music.

Ennis and Corofin for a trip without a car

Ennis is a good base if you arrive by train. Irish Rail lists it on the Galway to Limerick route, and route 350 serves the Cliffs of Moher. Spend time in Ennis itself for the friary's carved stonework, its cloister and the old town streets. Stay near the town sights if you want to walk to them. Some rural addresses also use Ennis in their postal address.

Corofin is a base for the national park. The Burren National Park Information Point provides maps and advice, while the seasonal shuttle connects with the park trailhead. Bus Eireann route 333 serves Corofin, according to the park's travel information. Check the bus and seasonal shuttle connections before you go, so the village arrival connects with the park transfer. Outside its operating season, use confirmed onward transport or stay in Ennis and arrange a guided outing. Do not treat the information point as the walking trailhead.

When to stay in the Burren instead

Ballyvaughan suits the northern, bay-facing part of the Burren. Pair its pier with Aillwee, then give inland archaeology its own outing. Kilfenora is another useful village to investigate for the cathedral and Burren Centre. Corofin serves the national park. Each village serves a different part of the Burren. Choose by the sights you want nearby.

Pick a Burren base when limestone walks, caves and archaeology occupy most of the visit. Keep Lahinch if you want the beach every day, and Doolin if the ferry is the reason for travelling. A short stay does not need separate rooms in every village. For a longer trip, a northern Burren stay followed by Lahinch can separate walking and beach days. Make the move after the last northern outing, rather than returning to the same sights from both bases.

Getting between the towns

Route 350 links Galway, Doolin, the Cliffs of Moher and Ennis. Use the operator's current stop list for intermediate villages and the travel date. You can use the route to move between bases. Fitting several sightseeing stops between buses is harder. For a car-free move, choose one destination and travel there with luggage. Leave cave tours and cliff walks for a day when luggage is stored.

A car gives more freedom for Aillwee, Caherconnell and the Burren's inland sites. Use the visitor entrance for each site. The national park advises visitors to begin in Corofin because the walking trailhead has no visitor facilities. At the cliffs, use the official visitor entrance. Do not choose a Doolin or Liscannor room on the assumption that a continuous cliff path will take you to the visitor centre.

Rain, children and a short stay

For a family beach break, Lahinch offers the simplest local mix: sand when conditions suit and the swimming pools when they do not. Doolin Cave is a guided underground visit, while Aillwee combines a cave with outdoor attractions. Cave tours may not suit children who dislike enclosed spaces or people who need easier access. Some parts of these attractions are outdoors.

For one night in Clare, stay around one group of sights. Lahinch can serve a beach visit and the cliffs; Doolin can serve village time and a confirmed island trip; Ennis can serve the friary and a bus outing. Leave Loop Head and Kilkee for a west Clare stay if the trip is already centred on the Burren. Save those places for another visit instead of crossing the county every day.