Caher Valley Loop Walk
Caher Valley is definitely one of my favourite places in County Clare. If you want tranquillity, limestone landscapes and sea views, Caher Valley Loop offers them all!
Distance + Time needed:
The whole loop is 14.5km. Calculate about 3 hours to complete the walk.
Difficulty:
Moderate. It is a long walk and there is one steep hill you will have to climb, but nothing major.
How to get there (parking + public transport):
If you are driving, park your car in the car park at Fanore Beach. This is also the starting point of the Caher Valley Loop.
If you are relying on public transport, you can get to Fanore with Ireland's state-owned bus coach, Bus Eireann. Bus No 350 passes Fanore and stops opposite O'Donoghues Pub. You will have to walk about 2km (30 minutes) to get to the trail start and I recommend you walk down this quiet backroad to link up with the Caher Valley Loop as opposed to the main road - much safer and more comfortable.
Map of the Caher Valley Loop Walk. See the Car Park and the location of the small road immediately next to Fanore National School. If you are travelling by bus, walk along the backroad after O’Donoghues Pub to meet up with the trail.
Getting on the walk:
From the car park at Fanore Beach, walk to the top of the road. Here you will see Fanore National School on your right. Immediately next to the school, on the right, is a small gravel road, winding up the hill - this is the beginning of the loop.
I found it a bit hard to find this road, so just walk towards the school (pictured below) and you will see the road on the right.
The walk is marked by a red arrow on a white background.
What to expect from the walk:
The walk is mainly on quiet backroads and green roads. There is a small section at the beginning and end that is on a busy main road - walk with caution here.
You will be walking up a steep hill in the first section, with magnificent views of the Atlantic Ocean to your right. Take a breather every now and then and look behind you to enjoy them!
At the junction at the top of the hill, take a left onto a farm road (there are guiding signs here) that will lead you through fields - keep your eyes peeled for feral goats, which like to frequent this area.
This section offers stunning views of the limestone hills that flank Caher Valley - I have not seen more magnificent ones anywhere in the Burren National Park.
You will then descend into Caher Valley - at the T-junction at the bottom, take a left (there are signs here too).
The rest of the walk takes you through Caher Valley, with the Caher River gurgling next to you and the birds chirping in the trees.
Once you see the ocean, you are almost at the end. At the main road, turn left and return to the parking lot at Fanore Beach to complete the loop.
Please note: The guiding arrows of this walk point in the opposite direction to what I have described here. I personally feel that you get better views if you go the loop in reverse and you will finish off on a high, strolling through Caher Valley.
Public toilets:
There are public toilets in the car park at Fanore Beach which you can use free of charge.
