Hotels near The Aran Islands

Inis Mor is the largest of the three Aran Islands, 14 kilometres long, with a permanent population of around 760 and Irish as the everyday spoken language. Ferries leave from Rossaveal, roughly 40 minutes west of the city by connecting shuttle bus, and the crossing itself takes about 40 minutes. Return fares run near 35 EUR with another 10 EUR or so for the shuttle. Crossings are cancelled outright in heavy swell, so build a spare day into your plans.

Dun Aonghasa is the reason to go: a prehistoric stone fort dating to roughly 1100 BC, built in semicircular terraces against a 100-metre cliff with nothing at all guarding the edge. It is a 20-minute uphill walk from the road. Beyond it the island is limestone pavement carved into fields by around 1,600 kilometres of dry stone wall. Bikes rent at Kilronan for about 15 EUR a day, and minibus tours cost 15 to 20 EUR.

Pro Tip: Take an early sailing and come back on the last boat rather than the mid-afternoon one. Short-turnaround day-trippers never get past Dun Aonghasa, and the western end of the island around Dun Eoghanachta is deserted after 16:00.