The Burren Region is an award-winning sustainable tourism destination where communities work together to ensure the future economic and social growth and sustainable development of its communities, environment and heritage. Located in County Clare, in the southwest of Ireland, the area has been welcoming visitors since the early 1850s when the first hotels were built around the Lisdoonvarna spa wells.
Sustainability Commitment
The Burren Ecotourism Network is a network of tourism enterprises from accommodation providers, restaurateurs, food producers, farmers, experience providers, guides and visitor attraction promoters, who collaborate to promote and protect the region. The Network is a recognisable group of enterprises in the Burren, who have achieved independent accreditation in sustainable tourism, demonstrating ecotourism ‘best practice’ and inspiring conservation activism.
The group works hand in hand with the Burren & Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark which was first designated in 2011. Both organisations are committed to the promotion of responsible tourism that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people, working together to promote the well-known Geopark as a leading sustainable visitor destination, celebrated for high standards in visitor experience, conservation, and learning.
A Contrasting Landscape
On the face of it, the Burren is perhaps the last place on earth where one would expect to find such a vibrant hospitality sector! It is an area of expansive karst limestone landscape, often referred to as ‘lunar-like’, which to the newcomer may appear as barren, inhospitable and forsaken, (it is where the widely renowned sitcom “Fr Ted” was filmed!).
However, it is not without good reason that the Cistercian monks who settled here in the 11th century gave the name Santa Maria de Petra Fertili, to the iconic Corcomroe Abbey, which still stands as magnificent landmark of the Burren Landscape to this very day. The name, St. Mary of the Fertile Rock, reflects the fertile nature of the surrounding Burren lands, which insured that here a Cistercian community could, by cultivation, provide itself with the necessary means of support and ultimately, self-sufficiency.
Stay, Eat, and Drink!
It is a perplexing juxtaposition of nature whereby great bounty of lamb, beef, fruits and vegetables emerge from the cracks, crevices and valleys of the limestone Burren. Flanked on the west by the magnificent Wild Atlantic and the mighty Cliffs of Moher, the Burren is also home to a wonderful network of underground caves, two of which are open as visitor attractions at Aillwee Burren Experience and Doolin Cave. The region also boasts a density of archaeological sites such as the 5,800-year-old Poul na Brone Dolmen, Caherconnell Fort and an impressive number of castles left behind by the long reigning O’Brien dynasty.
Excellent accommodation is available throughout the Burren from hotels to guesthouses, caravn parks, glamping sites, self-catering homes and Airbnb’s. A further layer of intrigue lies in the fact that it is the practice of an ancient system of farming (winterage), unique to the Burren area, that maintains the appearance and fertility of this landscape for this and future generations, this custom is brought into the limelight every October at the Burren Winterage Festival. In recent years, the Burren’s rich and ancient food culture has expanded through the emergence of many award-winning chef-led restaurants (to include Michelin Stars) and high-quality artisan food producers, as well as an increase in practising market gardeners and growers.
The Burren Food Trail members organise an annual series of food events such as the Slow Food Festival in May and the Burren Food Fayre in October. They are a celebration of local, wild and seasonal produce of the Burren, as well as a chance to meet the producers, mingle with local people and learn about the Burren way of life. These events focus, not only on food, but also on the landscape that surrounds it. Each individual event represents a unique opportunity to combine good food with real, authentic interaction with the people who produced or prepared it, or indeed with the surrounding landscape, activities and heritage.
For travellers who are interested in combining food, history, and stunning landscapes along with supporting responsible tourism, a visit to the Burren area while visiting the Emerald Isle is a must. For more information, click here.
At Best of Scotland Holidays, we have over 40 years of experience crafting personalised itineraries for your visit to the United Kingdom and Ireland. If you’re looking to incorporate a visit to Burren to your next Irish holiday, then contact us today with your requirements and we will be happy to help you. You can read more about Best of Scotland Holidays’ commitment to responsible tourism here.
