Explore Doolin Cave
Take a fully guided tour to one of Irelands best kept secrets in Doolin Cave. Located in the Burren, County Clare Doolin Cave is Ireland's only cave that is directly on the route of Irelands Wild Atlantic Way and it is a must see visitor attraction along this touring route.
Doolin Cave Tour
Take a 45 minute fully guided adventure underground over 80 metres deep (120 steps descent & 120 steps ascent) to see one of the worlds greatest wonders of nature, the great stalactite. From the moment you join your tour guide you will feel like an explorer, donning a hard-hard and following the rough hewn route of JM Dickenson and Brian Varley who discovered the cave in 1952. It is a rare opportunity to see and learn about how our world looked from 350million years ago to the present day. You will also learn about how the Burren region was formed. Have a look at Doolin Cave tripadvisor page to see what our visitors have to say.
Doolin Cave Farmland Nature Trail
Take your adventure from underground to above-ground on our charming farmland nature trail. The farmland nature trail is free to all cave visitors. The trail takes a 1km looped walk around the outside of the cave setting. There are rare and indigenous Flora and Animals on the Trail and you can see the original cave entrance set in a magical glade.
Our friendly pygmy goats, Winnie and Minnie, love meeting visitors and making you laugh with their comical antics. It is ideal for families and individuals who enjoy taking in and photographing the beautiful, rich views of the surrounding countryside.
Food and Shopping
If you are searching for a nice place to eat in Doolin look no further than the Wild at the Cave café. Wild offers seasonal salads, artisanal sandwiches, baked goods, smiles and much more.
There is also a Shop in the visitor centre at Doolin Cave that sells handmade Doolin Cave Pottery and locally crafted gifts and art. Alternatively, you can shop online at the Doolin Cave Pottery website where you can browse the full collection of pieces on offer by potter, Caireann Browne. All the pottery is handmade using glacial clay which is found deep within Doolin Cave.
Eco Tourism at Doolin Cave
Doolin Cave (also known as Pol an Ionain) is home to the great Stalactite. At 7.3 metres (23feet) it is the longest free-hanging stalactite in the Northern Hemisphere. The cave is located beneath a limestone valley. The valley is now blanketed by glacial rocks and clays and probably initially formed during warmer periods before the last ice age. Doolin cave contains one of the longest stalactites in the world that is accessible to public visitors. The cave began its life hundreds of thousands of years ago when very weakly acidic water flowed off the nearby shale and began dissolving the limestone rock.
Doolin Cave is one of Ireland’s leading ecotourist attractions and is a leading geosite in the Burren & Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Geopark.
Additionally, Doolin Cave is a member of the Burren Ecotourism Network which promotes sustainable tourism in the Burren helping to conserve the environment and improve the well-being of local people.
