So, our one day trip to Cliffs of Moher started in Galway – we arrived by train from Dublin the day before and immediately bought the bus tickets to the Cliffs with the departure from Galway train station (route 350). For two all-day return tickets we paid 40€.

As I already said in the main article, I was very bitter about not being independent in terms of transport, as we passed by absolutely striking landscapes with no opportunity to enjoy them. Even if at the same time I guess it’s for the best – even without any stops our journey lasted more than two hours…

The past several days in Ireland we enjoyed perfect sunny weather, so it was a statistical obligation to get a horrible gray drizzle precisely on a day when we went to see one of Ireland’s natural wonders. However, I was just expecting a “regular” rainy day – this was also what the weather forecast had promised. It was much worse than a simply rainy and cloudy day though, as the whole site was covered in a thick fog. 

I can’t say that I was devastated or particularly sad, but I was really sorry for people who came here from Dublin on purpose (4h trip!) and saw…nothing. That’s the game in countries with an “unstable climate” I guess… Although, truth to be told, I will never understand the ordeal of going so far just for several hours on the spot.

Upon arrival I discovered that visiting the cliffs of Moher isn’t a free enterprise, and I was very lucky that my friend had discovered it first and bought the tickets for the two of us – online it is cheaper than on the spot. (12€ per person). Thus, we can visit the facilities, the exhibition about the cliffs, shops, etc. As it was heavily raining when we arrived, the visitor center was fully packed, so we postponed this part for later.

Off we went. Under the drizzle and in the fog, we walked for five kilometers until Moher Tower at Hag’s Head. Zero visibility, 100% humidity, but there was something very meditative about this whole walk. Sometimes the fog would thin for two or three minutes, and we could see the outlines of the cliffs, but it didn’t last for long anyway. Somehow, I was still very serene about this situation, although I could understand the despair of the complaining passers-by. 

Then, once we reached our goal, the miracle happened – the fog started lifting completely and just like in the final scene of “Beauty and the Beast” we saw everything that it was hiding from us all this time. It was breathtaking. I don’t dare to imagine how amazing it must be in the good lighting conditions (and I speak from a photographer’s point of view, as otherwise I’m fine with all of them), but after hours of complete white wall seeing the bluish-gray mass of cliffs was like a gift. We couldn’t be happier.

Our hike back was much more joyful. And slower – we had to take a picture of every stage of the improving weather – what if the fog were to return?? It was particularly surprising to discover how close we were to the edges, how far stretched the sea from one side, and the green valleys from another – we saw none of it the first half of the trip.

Also, to my great surprise I saw that other visitors didn’t actually go further than the sightseeing platform near the visitor center. Again I could help wondering if a four hour trip from Dublin (with 4 hours of the road ahead) was worth it?

A postcard from the Cliffs of Moher visitor center. The only way to see the cliffs that day 😁