Aran Islands — At the edge of the world

The three Aran Islands — Inis Mór (Inishmore), Inis Meáin (Inishmaan), and Inis Oírr (Inisheer) — lie at the mouth of Galway Bay and offer Ireland's most fascinating island experience. Here, at the far western edge of Europe, a way of life has been preserved that has long disappeared on the mainland: Irish is the everyday language, stone walls divide the barren land into tiny fields, and fishermen still go to sea in traditional Currachs (light, tar-black rowboats).

Inis Mór (Inishmore), the largest island (about 830 inhabitants), is the most popular destination. Its star is Dún Aonghasa — a prehistoric stone fortress sitting right at the edge of a 90-meter-high cliff, with a view over the Atlantic that takes your breath away. You lie on your stomach, crawl to the cliff edge, and look straight down into the depths — there is no railing, no net, just you and the abyss. The island is best explored by rental bike (€15/day, directly at the pier) or by minibus tour (€15).

Inis Oírr (Inisheer), the smallest and closest island to the mainland, is even more authentic and less visited. Here lies the famous shipwreck of the MV Plassey on the beach — stranded in 1960 and slowly dismantled by the sea since then, a photogenic monument to the power of the Atlantic. The island is so small that you can walk around it in 2–3 hours.

Getting there: Ferries from Rossaveal (west of Galway, 40 min ride, €28 return) or from Doolin (15 min to Inis Oírr, €25 return) with Aran Island Ferries or Doolin Ferry. Alternatively: 8-minute flight with Aer Arann Islands from Connemara Airport (€60 return) — the shortest scheduled flight in Europe!