Skellig Michael ©Arian Zwegers/Flickr
You may have heard about, or even seen the most famous attractions in Ireland, the Ring of Kerry, the Giant’s Causeway, the Cliffs of Moher… The big cities such as Dublin or Belfast have loads of attractions to offer as you can see in the video below, but there is more to see than what you have already heard about.
Ireland is full of hidden gems you have to see if you have the chance. Here are my favorite less known places that are absolutely magical. No traveler should come to the country and not visit some of the below treasures of the Emerald Island.
Skellig Michael, Co. Kerry
The monastic settlement of Skellig Michael is one of the ancient wonders of Ireland. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and only a few hundred visitors are allowed to see it in a day – if you are lucky, you are one of them. The stone huts are dating back to as early as the 6th century AD. It may seem to you that the unearthly place is in the middle of nowhere, but there were actually monks living at the mysterious foggy outpost.
Skellig Michael ©Arian Zwegers/Flickr
Torc Waterfall, Killarney National Park
One of the great attractions of the Killarney National Park, the Torc Waterfall is beautiful, free to visit and very easily accessible, three reasons to put it on your must see list for Ireland. It is located 4 kilometers out of Killarney, in the valley of a river called the Devil’s Punch Bowl – one more reason to see it.
Aran Islands, Co. Galway
One of the main appeals of Aran Islands – besides its beauty – is that they still speak Gaelic on the islands. Do not miss the wonderful Iron Age fortress called Dun Aengus. It is highly recommended that you take or rent a bike and take a tour around the island. The other Islands of the group get only very few visitors, so you can have all the gloomy, mysterious island countryside of Ireland all to yourself!
Glendalough, Co. Wicklow
The valley of two lakes, Glendalough, is located in the Wicklow Mountains and it is a breathtaking glacial valley. Hermits founded the monastic settlement of Glendalough in the 6th century which was perfect both for their love of isolation and their – apparent – good taste for fine scenery.
Glendalough ©Sean MacEntee/Flickr
You definitely must visit some of these hidden gems of Ireland if you can… there are other wonderful less known places too and I have only collected my favorites. If you would like to add something to the list, please let me know in the comment section.
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Tags: attractions, hidden gems, Ireland