The Burren

The Burren is a strange, beautiful landscape in County Clare, a vast expanse of bare grey limestone pavement cracked into blocks, seemingly barren yet home to an extraordinary mix of Arctic, alpine and Mediterranean wildflowers growing in its crevices. Scattered with ancient tombs and forts, it is a place unlike anywhere else in Ireland.

What you actually see

• The limestone pavement - the vast cracked grey rock, seemingly lunar.
• The wildflowers - the rare mix of Arctic and Mediterranean flowers in spring.
• Poulnabrone dolmen - the ancient portal tomb on the rock.
• Caves and forts - the Aillwee Cave and the stone ring forts.

When to go

Late spring, especially May and June, for the astonishing wildflower display; the rock landscape is striking year-round. The bare stone can be bleak and slippery in wet weather.

Honest expectations

It is a subtle landscape whose wonder is the flowers and the strange rock rather than a single dramatic view, so a little knowledge deepens it. The pavement is uneven and slippery when wet, so tread carefully. It is spread out, so a car helps.

Nearby

The Cliffs of Moher are on the same coast; Galway is an hour to the north.