Kilkee

Ireland

Kilkee's horseshoe bay on Loop Head peninsula offers protected swimming thanks to the Duggerna reef, making it Clare's premier seaside spot. The N68 from Ennis covers 56 kilometres through rural countryside, while Dublin visitors take the M7/N18 route via Limerick then the coastal N69 through Kilrush. The town serves surfers and divers exploring Atlantic swells and underwater caves, but the real gem is the Pollock Holes, natural rock pools that fill at high tide and provide perfect bathing when the ocean's too rough.