Slieve League Peninsula, Co. Donegal

Donegal is home to the highest sea cliffs in Europe, Slieve League (Sliabh Liag). We parked at the visitor centre (there’s also the “cliffs centre”, but this seems to be more unofficial) and took the shuttle to the main viewpoint. It runs roughly every 20 minutes in peak times and dogs are welcome on board. Although it was a bit misty on this day, the cliffs were still impressive. At this viewpoint, there’s also a small lake, and you can see across to the WWII lookout tower. Beyond the platform, you can climb up some rough steps for a more elevated view. This path leads to a couple of hiking trails, including the narrow “One Man’s Pass”, running along the cliff edge. We didn’t have time for a longer hike as we were packing a lot into the day, but even the shorter walk was worthwhile. There are also food/beverage trucks, selling souvenirs too, for something to do while waiting for the bus back down.

 The next magical stop on the peninsula was the Caves of Maghera, a collection of over 20 caves sitting on an expansive white sand beach. Most importantly, you must only visit when the tide is out (or on its way out), and for us this was around midday. There’s a well-maintained private car park which cost €4, and from here we followed the trail down to the beach. There was still a lot of water lying on the beach so we got our feet and paws a bit damp.  The caves were fascinating; as soon as we entered it felt like the sound of the ocean disappeared and the air was still and quiet. It was pretty dark in the deepest ones.  Rita really loved exploring by herself and sniffing out the nooks and crannies.

Be sure to take the Glengesh Pass to get to your next destination. The views are spectacular, and there is a designated lookout point to stop at for some photos.

A few minutes’ drive away is Assaranca Waterfall. This is easily accessible from the roadside. Around 35 feet high, its impressive as it weaves its way through the rock face before falling down in a strong stream.