Doolin | Ireland Travel Guide

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Ahhh… Doolin. Undoubtably one of my favorite places we had the pleasure to encountering while in Ireland. We spent three days (two nights) in Doolin. One of those days was dedicated completely to hiking The Cliffs of Moher.

Hidden gem by the sea that in-and-of itself is a joy to visit – one of Irelands greatest stops.

The Famous Cliffs of Moher

Walking the paths along the Cliffs of Moher was one of the greatest experiences of my life. There were moments during our walk that I couldn’t believe this life belonged to me. I wrote all about the experience, what to expect, and how to plan your trip, in a separate post.

Read More: The Cliffs of Moher & The Burren Way

Where We Stayed | Doolin Hostel

I mentioned the Doolin Hostel in my previous post, but I thought it only fitting to discuss it here as well.

We loved our stay at the Doolin Hostel.

I think the term hostel scares some people off but everything about our experience here was perfectly satisfactory (and we stayed in a few hostels during our trip that were less than ideal… so that’s speaking from experience).

The Hostel was in the perfect location and the staff was extremely friendly and helpful; especially when it came to advice for our coastal trek.

Where You’ll Love to Eat & Drink

The Moher Cottage is a delightful little shop located just outside the town center. During our visit, the mama cow on the premises had just given birth to a baby 5 days earlier, so that was a wonderful surprise!

The shop itself has delicious coffee and great local items for sale. If you are looking for gifts or unique items to bring home this is the place to go. I bought my Puffin apron at The Moher Cottage – one of my most cherished souvenirs.

The Ivy Cottage

Perhaps breaking one of the cardinal rules of travel, we ate at the Ivy Cottage twice during our trip. To say I loved this restaurant is clearly an understatement.

Between the true cottage ambiance and delectable food, Ivy Cottage is a must while in Doolin.

Doolin Cafe

Next we have the Doolin Cafe. This was also an adorably place, located inside a quant little cottage a short drive from Doolin. You will find that a lot in Doolin.

Explore shops & Listen to Local Live Music in the Pubs

Visit the Doolin Caves

A fun endeavor underground – my Mom adores exploring caves. Naturally, this means any time a cave spelunking experience presents itself we are there. I’m not sure a lot of people traveling to Ireland add cave excursions to their list of things to do; it’s certainly not a common attraction. However, Doolin Caves were a nice pit stop on our way out of town. As home to the Great Stalactite (longest stalactite in Europe), it’s just one more thing you can add to the things you’ve seen in your life .

In addition to spelunking, the Doolin Cave has a short farmland nature trail with cute farm critters and unique local Burren foliage.

Learn more about the Doolin Caves – Here

To sum it all up, plan on staying in Doolin, Ireland for at least 3 full days. If you aren’t convinced from the information I gave you here, check-out my post on the Cliffs of Moher. That will sell you on Doolin, I’m sure of it!

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