Ballyvaughan - Wood Loop

Really nice walk. Lovely mix of Hazel scrub woodland, farmland (along the perimeter of fields) and country lanes. Well marked all the way. One minor down point is you have to walk the last half a kilometre or so along the main busy road into town.

Very impressed with signage. Well done. The rocks a bit slippy on a wet day so be careful. Loved this walk. Great variety woodland, burren and holiday homes to nose at! Note that Alliwee caves offer no food . They do have tea and coffee and water however.

Rocky slippy terrain makes for a challenging enough walk. We abandoned about 5km in after coming across fresh cow dung and hoof prints in the mud. I didn't fancy meeting a bull en route. It is well signposted so no issues navigating

A wonderful adventure of different terrains. Definitely requires strong walking boots/shoes. Sometimes difficult to spot the direction arrows especially in the limestone area near the beginning of the walk. We got caught in a heavy shower so also recommend rain gear.

Our Group from Ennis Macra na Feirme walked this trail yesterday 27-8-17. A nice start to the walk passing the primary school and heading through working farming fields and into woodland. Be prepared to get you boots/runners muddy for this walk. In places wellingtons needed. I agree with a previous post re signage on the rocky area. Just keep your eye out for the red paint markings on the rocks and that will guide you. Some briars and hedges could be cut back along the way. Nice to emerge at Aillwee cave and eventually towards holiday cottages. Everyone we met was nice and friendly and lovely meal had after at the Wild Atlantic Lodge.

Walked this trail today in good weather conditions in 1:45 at normal pace and occasional stops to enjoy the scenery. Beautiful route. Signposts seem to have been improved as we had no difficulty whatsoever to follow the trail (as some previous posts mention this to be an issue).

I have walked this trail several times and have always enjoyed it even on one occasion when I foolishly set out without rain gear and got thoroughly soaked. The walk begins at the seafront in Ballyvaughan and then enters farmland and light scrub. A portion of the walk is on country roads bringing you past the Ailwee Cave which is around midway and an ideal place to stop for a rest or a coffee. The trail is flat and the terrain is roughish in places so stout footwear is a good idea. Road sections are quiet with little traffic. The trail brings you through the rough farmland of west Clare with very pleasant scenery at all times (except through the light scrub) and finishes up back where you started in Ballyvaughan. Requirements: fluids, stout footwear and rain gear.

Walked this loop on 17/08/2015 and unfortunately I have to say I was disappointed in the trail. After starting down by the sea front the walk covers a large area of dense undergrowth and muddy farm land. Waymarking becomes very vague through a section of limestone which leads to a sense of uncertainty about the route. Eventually the walk brings you beside the Aillwee Caves and the views of the Burren upland area make up for a disappointing start to the walk.

Beautiful scenary. Highly recommended. About 3 hours and you're able to see all of the region's landscape. It goes right by Ailwee Caves for a stop off but check to see if it's open first. The trails are not well marked so keep your eyes peeled for markers.

I walked this trail in July 2014. Although it is not as spectacular as some of the other waymarked trails in the area, it is a pleasant walk through quiet countryside, ideal for a couple of spare hours on a summer evening.