In the Republic of Ireland you can trace the full Atlantic edge, from the bays and islands of Cork and Kerry to the cliffs and headlands of Clare, Galway and Mayo. One day might take you from the Skellig coast and Valentia Island to the high passes above Killarney. Another might start on a quiet strand in West Cork, cross the mountain roads of Beara or Connemara and finish listening to music in a harbour pub. Routes through Donegal bring you to places like Malin Beg, Silver Strand, Bunbeg and Dungloe, where roads run out at coves, piers and long, empty beaches.

You can walk tidal causeways to islands like Omey, watch the weather roll across bog and lough on the N59, or stand on cliff edges at Downpatrick Head or along the North Mayo and Sligo coasts while the Atlantic throws spray into the air. Towns and small cities such as Galway, Westport, Sligo and Killarney give you live music, busy pubs and good food after days spent outside. Inland, quiet valleys, old castles, stone circles and monastic sites keep the historical side of Ireland very close to the surface, so even the drive from one coastal stop to the next comes with plenty to explore.