WORLD-CLASS BICYCLE TOURS

Cycling The Burren Countryside's

 

Spellbinding Landscapes

 

 

Ireland's Burren Country  

 

A mystical  week in a uniquely Irish landscape - Illusion and reality constantly toying with your senses  

 

Explore Fun Loving Galway - Sail to the Aran Islands - Miles of Sandy Beaches - Ancient Tombs - A Stone Fort - the old Ireland reaching back 4000 years  to its Celtic beginnings

 

.Explore the unique limestone region of the Burren and discover its enchanting array of geological wonders. The route has been devised carefully so that you miss none of its unspoilt charms, from its stacked hillsides and stark limestone pavements, to its disappearing streams and hidden orchids; the Burren is an enigmatic landscape that must be seen to be believed. You will also call upon the far-flung Aran Islands; again your eyes may deceive you here as slippery boulders become seals before disappearing into the sea. Indeed, this spellbinding tour plays along the edge of reality and illusion and its many images will be hard to shake off.

Tour Profile: 12-30mi/19-31km per day on quiet, deserted roads over a rolling country side with some challenging hills rewarded by spectacular views.

 

Highlights:

• Galway with its musicians, artists, actors, pubs, cafes, shops and nightlife.

• The Aran Islands and the ferry trip with wondrous coastal views.

• The Many secluded white sandy beaches coaxing for a swim.

• The Burren National Park

• The resort town of Lahinch - one of Ireland's most popular resorts

• Opportunity for surfboarding in the Atlantic Ocean

• The Cliffs of Moher - Listed in the top 28 for the  new "7 Wonders of Nature"

• Dun Aengus with its ancient fort and spectacular seaside cliffs rising 300 ft from the sea.

• Megalithic tombs dating back 4000 years

• A spectacularly haunting landscape.

• The friendly, colorful, Irish Personalities you will meet all along the way.

 

Click to See:  Tour Price - Departure Days - What's Included - Reserve this tour

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 The Itineraries:

   

7 DAY TOUR

9 DAY TOUR

 

This is a Self-Guided Inn Tour - With a Choice of 7 or 9 day tour itineraries as described below  - Days 1 through 5 share the same itinerary:

 

Day 1 - Sunday – Arrive in Galway City

The tour begins in the historic city of Galway, the "City of the Tribes". On your first day you get to sample some of the atmosphere that has made Galway a Mecca for musicians, artists, actors, young people and tourists alike. The cobbled pedestrian street that runs through the heart of Galway city is lined with bohemian cafes, traditional pubs and craft shops. You can also explore the banks of the River Corrib and the many picturesque canals that pass through the City. Of course Galway's real appeal is its vibrant music scene night time is the best night to enjoy its many bars and traditional pubs.

 

Day 2 - Monday – (Approx: 25 miles)

In the morning, one of the cycling team will be transferred to Coole Park, Gort. Coole Park was once the home of Lady Augusta Gregory, dramatist, folklorist and co-founder of the Abbey Theatre with Edward Martyn of Tullira Castle and Nobel prize-winning poet William Butler Yeats. Coole Park, in the early 20th century, was the centre of the Irish Literary Revival. Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, John Millington Synge and Sean O' Casey all came to experience its magic. They and many others carved their initials on the Autograph Tree, an old beech tree still standing today. Although the house no longer stands, one can still appreciate the surroundings that originally drew so many here and you will cycle the nice quiet country roads to the Burren National park, The Burren region is internationally famous for its landscape and flora. A visit to the Burren during the summer months will leave a person amazed by the colourful diversity of flowering plants living together within the one ecosystem. Arctic-alpine plants living side by side with Mediterranean plants, calcicole (lime loving) and calcifuge (acid loving) plants growing adjacent to one another and woodland plants growing out in the open with not a tree nearby to provide shade from the sun.

 

Day 3 - Tuesday – (Approx: 30 miles)

This morning your cycle takes you on the delightfully remote Moy Road that brings you through the heart of The Burren. The word "Burren" means "rocky place" and here you will see acres of beautiful, though sometimes haunting, and limestone pavements. This striking landscape comes to life in spring with beautiful wild flowers that are unique to this region of Ireland. These wild flowers are used to create the fragrances available at the Burren Perfumery & Floral Centre. This area is dotted with a number of ancient tombs and stone forts that can be visited en route to Kilfenora, Kilfenora has it all…. the Pope as Bishop, a 10th Century Cathedral with 12th Century high crosses. From here you will cycle to Ennistimon, Ennistimon is hidden in a recess among the hills. It lies on the southern edge of the Burren, two miles inland from the Atlantic.

 

Day 4 - Wednesday - (Approx: 20 miles)

Today you will cycle from Ennistimon to Lahinch, With it's one-mile stretch of golden beaches, Lahinch is one of Ireland's most popular resorts offering visitors great variety, with spectacular scenery, varied entertainment, and it’s popularity for surf boarding in the Atlantic Ocean. From here you will cycle to Liscannor, Liscannor is a picturesque fishing village in Co. Clare, overlooking the bay on the rugged West Clare Coast and just 3 km from Lahinch. Next stop, The Cliffs of Moher. The cliffs are listed in the top 28 in the global online campaign for the New 7 Wonders of Nature., they are 214m high at the highest point and range for 8 kilometres over the Atlantic Ocean on the western seaboard of County Clare, The cliff-top maritime grassland and heath, and a 200 metre zone of open water, directly in front of the cliffs to protect part of the birds' feeding area. The designation covers 200 hectares and highlights the area's importance for wildlife. Your day ends in Doolin.

 

Day 5 - Thursday - (Approx: 15-25 miles)

Today we go to the Aran Islands you will catch a ferry to Inis Mor, the largest of the Aran Islands. The Island is an extension of the limestone landscape seen in the Burren and the quiet roads of the islands are ideal for cycling. The small fields with their wild flowers and the maze of oddly-shaped stone walls are a joy to explore. On Inis Mor you can also visit Dun Aengus, one of Ireland’s most spectacular pre-historic sites. The stone fort, which attracts visitors from around the world, is situated on the edge of a 300ft cliff that falls sheer to the Atlantic Ocean below. There are also a number of secluded beaches that are ideal for swimming. You will then catch the last ferry to the mainland where you will spend the night in Doolin.

 

Day 6 - Friday - (Approx: 30-35 miles)

9 Day Tour - (Approx: 30-35 miles)

Today you will cycle to Lisdoonvarna, which takes you through the nice quiet country roads along the base of some of the remotest areas of the region. Sites of interest along this beautiful stretch of road include the ancient stone monuments at Cahercommaun, Gleninsheen and the famous Poulnabrone Dolmen. There is also a concentration of Megalithic tombs in the area dating back more than 4000 years. The magnificent portal tomb at Poulnabrone in the rocky heart of the Burren is one of the most easily recognised monuments in Ireland, but is only one very small piece of an extraordinary wealth of heritage to be found in the Burren.

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7 Day Tour-  (Approx: 20 miles)

Cycling northwards, you take the scenic coast road to Ballyvaughan via Black Head and Fanore Beach. The road follows the coast along limestone pavements that descend steeply to the restless sea below. On a clear day, the journey offers wonderful views across Galway Bay to the Connemara Mountains and the Aran Islands. Black Head is a wild, exhilarating place to stop-off on your journey north. So is Fanore, with its broad stretch of white sandy beach. The day ends in the village of Ballyvaughan.

 

Day 7 - Saturday   (Approx: 20 miles)

9 Day Tour - (Approx: 20 miles)

Cycling northwards, you take the scenic coast road to Ballyvaughan via Black Head and Fanore Beach. The road follows the coast along limestone pavements that descend steeply to the restless sea below. On a clear day, the journey offers wonderful views across Galway Bay to the Connemara Mountains and the Aran Islands. Black Head is a wild, exhilarating place to stop-off on your journey north. So is Fanore, with its broad stretch of white sandy beach. The day ends in the village of Ballyvaughan.

 

7 Day Tour -

Departure -  End of the Tour - After breakfast you will be transferred back to Galway City.

 

Day 8 - Sunday (Approx: 12 miles)

Your last cycling day will bring you along the coast road to Kinvara, situated in South County Galway, just on the edge of the world renowned "Burren" on Galway Bay. Often described in tourist guides and other publications as a "Picturesque Seaside Village", this is a description that not many will argue with, from here you will be transported back to Galway City for your final day and give you a chance to pick up some souvenirs before travelling home.

 

Day 9 -  Monday Departure  - End of the Tour.                                                                        Return to Top

 

Overnight Itinerary:   7 Day Tour: Galway - Kinvara - Ennistimon - Doolin (2) - Ballyvaughan

                                   9 Day Tour: Galway - Kinvara - Ennistimon - Doolin (3)- Ballyvaughan -  Galway

 

 

SELF-GUIDED INN TOUR

 

CHOICE OF 7 OR 9 DAY TOUR ITINERARY

 

Tour # IRB-33002/7 - 7 DAYS - $950

 

Accommodation in 2* star hotels and in B&Bs                                     Return to Top

 

Single Supplement $100

 

Includes all breakfasts

 

 

Tour # IRB-33012/9 - 9 DAYS - $1140

 

Accommodation in 2* star hotels and in B&Bs

 

Single Supplement $150

 

Includes all breakfasts

 

DEPARTURES -                                                                                 Return to Top

Every Sunday  from April 1 to Oct 21                                                                                        

 

WHAT'S INCLUDED:

• Self Guided
• Best Quality B&B, Hotel Accommodations
• 6 or 8 Nights, as selected, Bed & Breakfast
• High Quality 24 Speed Bicycles
• Luggage Transfers
• Pick up from Bus/Train Station and transferred to accommodation 1st & last day
• Pick up from accommodation on last day and transferred back to bus/train station.
• Ferry tickets Aran Islands

DOSSIER - On the first day of the tour you will be given maps, road book, fact sheets and tourist information.

 

EXCLUSIONS : The insurances, the transfers from and to the airport, the beverages, the lunches and dinners, items of a personal nature such as, telephone and laundry.

 

IN CASE OF BREAKDOWN - We do not intervene for flat tires. However, should any breakdown occur that prevents the completion of the days journey we will make repairs on the road. A phone number will be provided. All other types of necessary repairs that do not make cycling impossible will be repaired at the hotel each night.

 

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