Published May 22, 2026 in Photography Guides
The South Burren Coastline - a wild, rocky side of the Wild Atlantic Way
A story posted in the Burren Stories, a section of the The Burren Light & Land photography project.
As you drive along the coast from Ballyvaughan and carry on your journey along a very narrow road leading to the Black Head lighthouse, you are feeling it. That sense of Burren. There are no trees, only rocks, some of those standing in balanced as if dropped there by a superior being. There is little grass all the way down to the ocean, just layers or rocks upon rocks. In the cooler months, it is quite bleak. As the warmer months roll in, look closer. You will see plenty of micro worlds thriving in grykes. Several varieties of orchid abound, along with bloody cranesbill, a rarer blue gentian, and sea thrift.
In the previous article, The North Burren Coastline — Castles and Towers, from Black Head to Kinvara, we looked at the disseminated landmarks along a gentler, more populated section of the West Atlantic Way; this one will delve into the rugged south coast, from Black Head to the Cliffs of Moher coastal pathway.
The otherworldly Murrooughtoohy
Murrooughtoohy is simply epic — not just for its name, which took me long enough to learn how to spell, but for its incredible sense of scale. Right there in front of your eyes, the Burren hills reach out to the ocean, it looks bare and wild, somewhat lunar. The view along the road and from the viewpoint at the top of the headland are quite impressive!
Perhaps 'austere' would be a right word to describe it. There are several floors however which can't be seen from the road, it's all very 'rocky' and the eye can't see the drops. If you dare to go beyond the obvious and that roadside wall at the viewpoint and down for a walk onto the rocks, you will be surprised to see such much thriving life between grykes, so many wildflowers and little bushes trying to make and provide a living for the insect world around them. In the spring and summer months the evenings are very long on the West coast, I love to get there and scout for wildflowers. If you carry on further down almost to the ocean, you will find a larger patchwork of rock and prairies full of tiny specs of colours dotting the land: wildflowers in bloom. You would never see this from the road! Just as much as the rugged, vast clints relentlessly licked by the ocean waves.
The illustration image was shot in summer, my favourite time as the sun sets right on the left side of the image. Also because in the winter, night falls pretty fast and it's a job to get back from the shore to the road! But really, from a photography standpoint, if you love rocks, erratics, leading lines, this place does the trick any time of the year with a bonus in the warmer months when wildflowers are about. I recommend bringing a telephoto for compositions framing distant walls and erratics, and a wide angle lens, which is wide enough for the area.
Fanore beach, jewel of the Burren
I have visited Fanore in all kind of weather. From sun splitting stone days without a drop of wind, to the most ferocious winter storms with a red warning and wind gusts to throw you off balance. The settings are equally impressive, but for different reasons! I love Fanore beach as it is the only beach in the Burren boasting such beautiful golden sand together with wonderful rock formations of clints and grykes as well as some of the most intricate stone erosion work I've seen to date on either side of it - so intricate that I like to compare it to a form of lace! Tidal water recedes leaving the most wonderful rill marks, tidal pools form around rocks, sand ripples abound all offering great foreground opportunities.
In addition, the river Caher coming down from the Burren hills finds a way through the sand dunes to end up in the ocean. It meanders down, leaving stunning shapes as it carves it way through the beautiful sand. These are the ones I used here in this shot, looking south west towards dwellings disseminated along the coast.
Fanore is a huge playground for landscape photographers. Literally, just get there an explore! I tend to prefer spring and summer times as the sun rises above the ocean as opposed to behind the hills, giving more opportunities for a great sunrise with better light, but it's really a matter of preference and of what your goal is going to be. Pack a ultra wide angle for those water pools and rill marks, and a macro lens for abstract close ups. Discover Fanore
Ballyreane, the winding road to Doolin
Aside of the majestic cliffs of Moher there aren't that many locations in the Burren that left me speechless on first sight. I was driving from Fanore and along the coast, and it's around a curve going up a small hill with a rocky promontory on the side, hiding what's beyond, that it hits you. The sense of scale is outstanding, the road winding through the landscape, hilltops on the left hand side, erratics and cliffs on the right handside, with a sight of further and higher cliffs farther south. On a great clear day, you can see the cliffs of Moher in the distance which is a nice addition to a stunning scenery
On such scale there obviously are countless opportunities. You could park on the road side shortly after passing the curve, and capture the sheer size of Ballyreane with the long winding road leading your composition, or venture on the hilltops or along the coastal drops to catch some nice coastal views with the telephoto.
Another thing I look forward to at every occasion is drive further and stop before a rugged cove, you'll see it as you drive along and there is ample car park on the left. On a stormy day, waves are quite impressive and a good telephoto will feel right at home.
Discover the guide to the North Burren Coastline — Castles and Towers, from Black Head to Kinvara.
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Following on related topics, some visual pages to bring you deeper into the Burren Light & Land project.