Trifter

People often say that you will never appreciate the natural scenery and beauty of your own country. While in a lot of cases I’ve found this to be true, I have to disagree with the statement. Why? Simply because I appreciate the beauty of the landscape here in Ireland. We might not have a lot going for us, but we’ve certainly got a landscape that a lot of tourists from foreign lands love to visit and take in. Below is my selection of the 3 most beautiful natural wonders in Ireland.

The Cliffs of Moher

The Cliffs of Moher are located in the south-west of Ireland in County Clare. At their highest, the cliffs rise a staggering 214 metres (or 700 feet) above the wild waters of the Atlantic Ocean. In 2006, the Cliffs of Moher were the most visited tourist attraction in the whole of Ireland, drawing in almost one million visitors. The cliffs are composed primarily of shale and sandstone. They boast one of the most spectacular views possible in the whole of Ireland.

The Burren

The Burren is also located in the south-west of Ireland in County Clare, the same county as the Cliffs of Moher. The Burren is a karst landscape, meaning that it is formed primarily from exposed limestone. It is approximately 250 square kilometers in size. It, along with the Cliffs of Moher, shares a border with the Atlantic Ocean. Despite the rough landscape, there is a considerable amount of flora and fauna that survives in the lands and terrain of The Burren

The Giant’s Causeway

The Giant’s Causeway consists of approximately 40,000 interlocking basalt columns. In 1986, the site was declared a “World Heritage Site” by UNESCO. The tops of the columns form stepping stones that lead from the cliff foot and disappear under the sea. Most of the columns are hexagonal, although there are also some with four, five, seven and eight sides. The tallest of the columns are up to 12 metres in height. In places, the solidified lava is more than 25 metres thick.