Above: this is a picture taken from the coastal walk which goes from the front of the house around a loop taking in an old Napoleonic Martello Tower that you can see in the near distance, built to keep Napoleon’s army at bay.
The Burren National Park is approximately 1500 hectares of limestone hills, grassy farmland and beautiful coastline. The area of outstanding natural beauty was bought by the Government for nature conservation and to secure public access to one of the loveliest areas of Ireland. It contains examples of all the major habitats within the Burren: Limestone Pavement, Calcareous Grassland, Hazel scrub, Ash/Hazel Woodland, Turloughs, Lakes, Petrifying Springs, Cliffs and Fen as well as the amazing coastal seascapes of Galway Bay and the Atlantic.
The word “Burren” comes from an Irish word “Boíreann” meaning a rocky place. This is an extremely appropriate name when you consider the lack of soil cover and the huge mass of exposed Limestone Pavement. However it has been referred to in the past as “Fertile rock” due to the large variety of mixture of herbs and floral species that thrive here. The warm seas and air associated with the North Atlantic drift add to this variety and it is not unusual to see wild palm trees surviving on the West Coast of Ireland.
The hills of the Burren are very accessible with loads of walking paths of varying difficulty from easy up and down paths that can be done with family of all ages to more grueling hikes that will push you to your limits, especially if you want to get back for last orders (see the Burrennationalpark site for great walks) The limestone means that most of the walks are relatively dry no matter what the weather so they are great to do all year round. The stunning views change with the seasons and the weather; it’s hard to say whether the Burren is more beautiful on a sunny summer’s day or during a winter storm!
As well as great walking there is surfing, swimming, fishing, climbing, canoeing, sailing, kite-surfing and a huge range of other activities to get involved in. There are loads of beautiful castles to visit - these range form ruins to castles which have been transformed into amazing hotels. The pubs in the area serve the best Guinness in the world and also some of the best food in Ireland with the Burren area now becoming a gourmet centre especially for sea food so good that it was recently featured in the National Geographic Travel Magazine.
Whether you come for an active adventure holiday, a relaxed weekend away or a cultural break with the family the Burren and in particular New Quay is a perfect place for you.