As the world's longest continuous coastal driving route, it spans 2,500 kilometers from the Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal to Kinsale in County Cork. This massive eco-tourism network, planned for years by Fáilte Ireland, the National Tourism Development Authority, and adventure tourism operators, was officially launched this February. It includes a wide variety of seaside activities, such as sea kayaking, hiking, fishing, surfing, foraging, and whale watching.
Ireland's southwest coast is one of the easiest places in the world to spot wild whales, porpoises, and dolphins, yet few tourists seem to be aware of this. The coastal waters between County Donegal and County Cork attract various plankton, herring, minke whales, and humpback whales. Occasionally, orcas pass through as well. Every year during the herring migration in November, when schools of fish return from the sea to freshwater to spawn, many whales appear on the surface. They can consume up to 2,000 kilograms of food per day. Unlike whale watching hotspots in Patagonia, Mexico, and Hawaii, where whales gather to breed, they come to Ireland's whale watching sites to feed.
Ireland is still developing, and its coastline is incredibly complex, which gives it unparalleled appeal. It possesses a beautiful and passionate ocean surrounding its shores, but what makes it truly special is its people and history—from Donegal to Kinsale, everything is completely different. Even the rain is different.