| Status | Starts | Group size | Leader | Duration/price Inc. flights from/to UK | Duration/price Exc. international flights | Single supp. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A spring visit to the far west of Europe combining the fabulous flowers of the Burren, a natural rock garden, with an exploration of this lovely coastal part of Ireland, including a two-night stay on the beautiful Aran Islands.
-
- After meeting at the airport, we will drive to our hotel in County Clare, around an hour's drive.
- Accommodation: Lisdoonvarna, 3-nights on full board basis.
-
- The Burren, from the Gaelic An Bhoireann meaning a stony place, is a plateau of carboniferous limestone. The area is renowned for its rock formations and its relics of ancient civilisations, but is best known for its unique and rich combination of Mediterranean and Arctic-Alpine flora. Here can be found together such gems as spring gentian, pyramidal bugle, fen violet and mountain avens.
- We explore a beautiful limestone lough and discover stunted yew and hazel scrub, perhaps seeing wood white butterflies (the Burren is home to 80% of Ireland’s butterflies), and look out from the hilltops over a very distinctive landscape.
-
- This morning we take the ferry to Inishmore, the largest of the three Aran Islands and home to some excellent limestone flora, where we pay a visit to Dun Aengus prehistoric stone fort. We will then continue to our hotel on Inisheer, the smallest and most eastern of the Aran Islands.
- Accommodation: Inisheer, 2-nights on full board basis.
-
- In the morning we pay a visit to the Cliff of Moher for seabirds, before taking a ferry to Doolin and our hotel back at Lisdoonvarna.
- Accommodation: Lisdoonvarna, 1-night on full board basis.
-
- Early afternoon we transfer to Shannon airport where our tour ends.
All prices are per person and include:
- Services of the naturalist leader
- Return ferry crossing to/from Inisheer
- Accommodation
- All meals
- Guided activities
Accommodation
On the mainland we stay at a good standard of hotel located between Lisdoonvarna and Doolin, the gateway to the Aran Islands, and on Inisheer we stay at a small family run hotel. All rooms at both hotels are en suite.
Meals
All meals are included. Breakfasts and evening meals will be taken at our hotel.
Birds
Burren’s seabird colonies are rich in puffin and other auks.
Flora
The Burren is a natural rock garden, renowned for its unique mix of Mediterranean and Arctic-Alpine flora, and also rare ferns.
Insects
Flower rich fields and stunted yew and hazel scrub provides habitat for 80 per cent of Ireland’s butterflies.
Scenery
Our tour takes combines the Burren’s spectacular cliffs, amazing limestone pavements and megalithic tombs with the Aran Islands unique landscape of tiny, gateless fields surrounded by high stone walls.
Archaeology
We have opportunity to visit some of the Burren’s many archaeological sites, featuring megalithic tombs, portal dolmens, ring forts, round towers and castles.
Ferry
Return ferry crossing to Inisheer is included.
The price excludes travel to and from Shannon airport.
We meet at Shannon Airport at around 1430 on Day 1, and aim to get back to Shannon Airport at around 1400 on Day 8.
Ground transport
Ground transportation is by minibus, with driver. We will be on foot during our stay on the Aran Islands.
