Loop Head Peninsula stretches 25 kilometres west from Kilrush to the most westerly tip of County Clare, where the Loop Head lighthouse stands above sheer Atlantic cliffs. This is one of the finest coastal drives in Ireland, passing through tiny farming villages, past extraordinary sea stacks and blowholes, and along cliff edges where the only sound is wind and guillemots. The headland here carries none of the infrastructure that the Cliffs of Moher attract — no ticket barriers, no visitor centre — which means you park informally and walk to the edge on your own terms.
The drive out along the southern shore of the peninsula and back along the northern shore makes a rewarding loop. Stop at the cliffs at Kilbaha, where a blowhole called the Bishop's Quarter turns Atlantic swells into dramatic jets of spray. The lighthouse itself is open for tours in summer, and the views from the top take in the full sweep of the Atlantic and, on clear days, the outlines of the Blasket Islands far to the south.