When traveling the Wild Atlantic way make sure to visit Loophead the Gem in the west.
Loophead Guided Walking Tours can show you some of the spectacular attractions on the peninsula.
All our walks are off the beaten track. We will take you to hidden beaches where you can go wild swimming, rarely visited cliff top scenery to rival the Cliffs of Moher, ruins of castles and churches dating back to the 10th century. Lighthouses, lookout tower, artillery battery and lots and lots of graveyards, holy wells and sunken ships.
Loop Head Walking Tours is based at the Stella Maris Hotel (Star of the Sea) in the beautiful Victorian seaside resort of Kilkee, in the heart of West Clare. Walks are guided by proud local man Martin Haugh and can be tailored to suit individual needs or interests, depending on the group. It has been a lifelong dream of Martin’s to share the history, folklore, and stories of the beautiful Loop Head Peninsula where he grew up – and is well known in the local community.
Benefit from Martin’s local connection and knowledge and he will help you discover this hidden West Clare Peninsula in the heart of the Wild Atlantic Way through many senses. Explore the heritage and listen to stories of eccentric visitors who visited Victorian Kilkee. Jaw-dropping scenic views, cultural walks and high energy coastal treks exploring castles, churches, shipwrecks and smugglers coves. Prepare to be entertained with Martin’s enigmatic personality, expert knowledge and passion for the Loop Head Peninsula.
Highlights include:
Make sure to hook up with Martin at Loop Head Walking Tours to plan your visit to the west of Ireland. We offer guided walks on the West Clare peninsula each with its own unique perspectives.
For example some of our trips are on the Wild Atlantic and more are on the “sometimes” calmer Shannon estuary. One is a heritage walk of the Victorian town of Kilkee and another is the monastic walk at Kilcredaun on the western side of the village of Carrigaholt.
On any of these walks we can arrange for a packed lunch or on the longer ones we can arrange a picnic to be set up at the ½ way stage. Some of our walks have spectacular swimming coves hidden away from public view. On these we advise bringing your swim wear “weather permitting “.
For anyone wishing to visit some of our destinations on bikes by road we can arrange for eBike hire (local bike hire company) to facilitate you. We can also provide you with a picnic lunch on your excursion.
Thank you to Martin for taking us on a daring and beautiful guided tour through the Baltard cliff walk. The views were spectacular! Our group really felt as though Martin had unlocked a secret part of Co. Clare for us. Martin is a cut above your average tour guide, who clearly loves what he does, which was evident when he gleefully jumped into the sea with us mid-tour! Thank you Martin for a great day – Looking forward to our next Loop Head Walking Tour adventure!
Hazel & Mark
I joined a really good guided walk around Kilkee town and although I have been coming here for years I learnt a lot and saw familiar sights through new eyes. Martin’s local knowledge and history is great and he is also excellent company. Looking forward to the next one.
Walking to the tip of Kilkee Head with our tour guide Martin Haugh was an amazing experience last week. Highlight had to be standing at Donegal Point and the breathtaking views will stay with me forever. Weather of course helped as it was a perfect day for climbing. Another highlight was the very private swimming area at Hooban Bay where Martin patiently coaxed us to climb down. We were never in any danger!! Sitting on the flagstones having a well deserved coffee with chocolate cake. Enough time to recharge the batteries to climb back up and head back. Thanks Martin for a great walking tour.
Bridie
This walking tour is a MUST to visit the Kilkee Cliffs when visiting the west coast of Ireland! Martin Hugh led us on a 10K hike along the Kilkee Cliffs. The walk itself was magnificent and the scenery was absolutely breathtaking! Being a native to the area, Martin was incredibly knowledgeable about the local area and the history of the cliffs. He shared some fun stories and events that have occurred there. This was definitely an experience we will never forget. Highly recommend Martin and the Loophead Walking Tour!
Amy
