The Burren

From Archaeology to adventure, from geology to botany, discover the pristine beaches, the limestone mounts. Uncover magical caves, hidden churches and sacred wells. Visit the wild Burren and be amazed, be captivated, be free.

The limestone region of the Burren is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is world-renowned for its stunning and unique beauty. Stone walls criss-cross bare and rugged stretches of limestone rock. Ballyvaughan village lies at the heart of the Burren and enjoys spectacular views over Galway Bay.

The Burren, or the Rocky Place reveals a lot in its name.  The Burren is made up of limestone, a porous young rock substance formed at the bottom of the sea. Over time due to the plates of the planets movement (Plate tectonics), this limestone has risen from the sea bed to form much of the Irish landscape. Here, however the limestone is bare, barren exposed stone, making this place quiet unique. The plateaus of limestone were exposed to glaciers, several ice ages, over the millions of years of its formation. As these glaciers melted, this melted water moved above the rock and below the ice to erode intricate patterns, many of which have geological classifications. It is these patterns in the stone that make ‘the Burren’ so unusual, often described as a moody place due to how the light reflects on the grey stone. Thus you will find a dry, arid, moonlike landscape of limestone.

Here at Treacy’s West County Hotel, Ennis we are located 25 minutes drive from The Burren making us a good option for a hotel near the Burren. Our focus is to make your stay as exceptional as possible. Our attention to detail and sublime service together with our 152 elegantly appointed bedrooms and our 20m swimming pool, sauna steam room and gym offer all the essentials for an enjoyable stay. Book today.

 

See what travellers have to say:

 

Wonderful

The burren way has dozens of cool things to see. some of it is just great scenery and others are old ruins or pre-historic sites. this particular house/castle is large and impressive.

 

The Whole of the Burren is rugged but such a beautiful terrain

Very rugged part of the country, but everything is so beautiful, natural, and peaceful it is very difficult not to fall in love with this coastal part of Ireland. Our lodgings were in the small but scenic town of Ballyvaughan. Everything, pubs, eats and groceries were only a few steps from you. So enjoyable I would do it again.