Wild Atlantic Way (west coast of Ireland)

[Lightweight_911]

Just got back from a 2-week holiday driving down the west coast of Ireland in my 356C & thought I'd post a few comments for anyone else considering a similar trip.

The complete 'Wild Atlantic Way' route stretches from Derry in the north to Kinsale in the south - a distance of approx 1600 miles.

Although many people drive the whole route in one trip, I felt that to get the most enjoyment from the experience & to be able to stop whenever/wherever we wanted, the route needed to be limited - so I opted for the middle section from Sligo down to Kenmare on the Ring of Kerry.

We followed this route southwards from Sligo for the first week hugging the coastline as much as possible until we got to the Dingle peninsula where we'd hired a cottage for 5 nights.

Being October, we were fully expecting the weather to be wet, cold & windy much of the time but unbelievably we were treated to glorious (& warm !) sunshine virtually every day - a huge bonus.

The scenery in this part of Ireland truly is breath-taking & stunning views greet you round just about every bend - & there are many bends !

The 356 proved to be ideal transport for the trip - small & light enough for the narrow/winding roads we opted for wherever possible, spacious enough for 2 people & their luggage (plus the inevitable but totally un-needed spares & tools, etc), comfortable/compliant enough to cope with the often pot-holed roads & (almost) quick enough to put a smile on our faces screaming up & down various mountain passes with the sound of the exhaust bouncing off the rockfaces ...

The car got favourable comments everywhere we went - people seemed genuinely pleased to see such a car being used as intended - rather surprisingly we only saw 2 other 'old cars' the whole time we were away ... a Mk II Jag & a Triumph Vitesse convertible nr Killarney.

Door to door we covered just over 2000 miles - the car didn't miss a beat & required nothing other than petrol ... not even any oil in spite of quite a lot of 'spirited' motoring !

I can whole-heartedly recommend the west coast of Ireland to anyone who has been considering a similar trip - the roads that we took were largely deserted at this time of the year, although I don't think this would be the case in peak season.

Here are a few photos to give you an indication of what you could expect to see:

[sladey]

Looks gorgeous Andy - really beautiful scenery - and no-one else there!

[anglophone1]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikEGw_kuuAs
Porsche Club Ireland [video produced by Irish Tourist Board] first car club to do whole route in 2015, do watch it and not just because my hands are in it!
C

[Burma-Shave]

Looks great Andy, thanks for posting..would love to do that in the 356, with the four of us and a suitcase on the luggage rack.

Great to hear it suited the roads, I can well imagine you'd need something small that was forgiving of the variable surfaces. Last car I drove in Ireland was a Morgan 4/4..it was jumping about all over the place on its cart springs! Out of my cars the 356 is the most reliable, economical, comfortable and fun..

Love the pic on the beach as well..

[911hillclimber]

Most interesting.
What about hotels etc?

[petric]

Looks awesome mate fantastic coastline

[Lightweight_911]

Most interesting.
What about hotels etc?

During the first week we stayed in a mixture of B&B's & hotels - all booked 'blind' via booking.com but influenced by on-line reviews.

All proved to be excellent - some were amongst the best accommodation I've ever stayed in regardless of price (& none were expensive).

We also had some superb restaurant meals - particularly seafood - including possibly one of the best meals I've ever eaten (& in one of the most unexpected places).

[redrobin911]

I did the whole trip in my 3.2 Carrera ('73 RSR rep) plently of it in the video clive has posted a link to - and another short video on me and three other drivers. Highly reccomed the trip and must admit that the further you go south the better it gets. It was very hard work to do in a week but still, would do it again in a flash. Agree that widebody cars are not best suited but still seem to manage - but also mindful that decent ground clearance is required!!!!

[DustyM]

Glad you enjoyed it Andy and great to see you. Which restaurant did you choose In Killaloe in the end?

Cheers
Jon

[Lightweight_911]

A few car-related shots:

[Lightweight_911]

Glad you enjoyed it Andy and great to see you. Which restaurant did you choose In Killaloe in the end?

Cheers
Jon

We went to the 'Tuscany' Jon ...

[stretch]

Wow, there's several calendar shot's Andy. Car and scenery looks fantastic.

I have always promised myself i will do this trip to the Motherland one day. Hope to get there in the next couple of years.

[Uk911]

Looks great, thanks for sharing your adventure Andy, and defiantly one for the to do list..Mark.

[johnM]

We did a similar trip in early October 18 years ago for our honeymoon. We did it in a Caterham 7 and had a ball. Great weather and great food.

Must get over there again. Thanks for sharing the trip.

[kvinyl]

Beautiful shots there, I think I recognise Inch beach, Healy Pass and possibly the coast line near Black Head point? Would love to have spotted your 356 out in the wild, would have made for an unusual sight on the roads