The Aran Islands

The Aran Islands are a group of three islands located on the west coast of Ireland in Galway Bay. They are one of the most popular tourist attractions in Ireland.

The three Aran Islands are Inishmore (the largest island), Inishmaan and Inisheer.

You can get the ferry to the islands or the plane to Inishmore, which is a fantastic experience. We also suggest you perhaps get the ferry out and the plane back for visa versa as they are both fantastic experiences.

Ferries are also available to the Aran Islands from Doolin in County Clare (Seasonal April 1 - Oct 31st).

When you are on Inishmore why not rent a bike and cycle to an Iron Age fort called Dun Aengus. The fort sits on the edge of a 100 metre cliff with stunning views out into the Atlantic Ocean. Dun Aengus itself is a series of concentric circular walls, the innermost; the citadel encloses an area approximately 50 meters in diameter with 4m thick walls of stone.

It has to be said that the Aran Islands, famous for its native Irish speakers and cheesy Irish sweaters (aka jumpers), is a little touristy now but is still a stunning place to visit. The trick is to get out of the villages where you are constantly being sold something or other and enjoy the isolation of an island stuck out in the Atlantic. For less commerical islands there are plenty of other islands to visit. However no other island has the stunning view of Dun Aengus!