Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way has been included in a new Lonely Planet book of the world’s best road trips.
It features alongside some of the world’s most iconic drives such as the USA’s Route 66, Australia’s Great Ocean Road and Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh Road.
It is great news for Tourism Ireland who have put a lot of effort into promoting the’ Wild Atlantic Way over the last few years.
The Wild Atlantic Way is the coastal drive along the entire west of Ireland from Co Donegal to Co Cork in the south.
It is the longest signposted coastal drive in the world – and also one of the most beautiful. It is described by the Lonely Planet as: “Untamed and utterly divine.”
The book – called ‘Epic Drives of the World’ – said: “Ireland’s west coast is a dramatic procession of deserted beaches and towering cliffs where traditional music and ancient castles abound.
“Ireland’s west coast is battered by Atlantic rollers, strewn with jagged cliffs and littered with wide beaches and sandy coves. It’s a place where inky lakes shelter between mountains, sinewy stone walls clamber across hillsides and trees are frequently bent double by the wind.
“The roads here are narrow and winding, grass often grows along a hump in their middle and a herd of sheep can easily scupper all plans.”
The Wild Atlantic Way isn’t the only road trip in Ireland to make the world’s top 50 – the Coastal Causeway Route in Northern Ireland also gets a mention in the book.
The route starts in Belfast and heads to the north coast and then back again. This will be of particular interest to fans of Game of Thrones as there are many scenes from the hit show shot along the route.
Visitors can follow special Game of Thrones routes with several signposts to key locations.
The book says: “Often overlooked for the classic cliffs and laughs of the Irish Republic, the lonely shores of Northern Ireland might just be the perfect day-tripping antidote to Belfast’s urban core.”
Find out more about the Wild Atlantic Way
Check out @Wildatlanticway on Twitter
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Written by Michael Kehoe @michaelcalling