Inishowen 100 - Wild Atlantic Way, Donegal

The Inishowen 100 is a picturesque coastal drive around the North of Donegal with the best views of the Atlantic Ocean and some of the most beautiful beaches in the world!

We had an early start leaving from Co Down driving to Derry/Londonderry this took around 1 hour 50 minutes then over the Foyle bridge the 100 route isn't too far from here. The route starts in a wee village called Muff and from here it is 100 miles (160 km) around the Inishowen Peninsula. This is also a popular trail for cyclists that is sign posted around the breath taking peninsula. We drove this route in one day but there is the option of B&Bs, Hotels and Hostels along the way if you wanted to take a couple of days to enjoy it fully and spend a little longer in some of the villages and towns.From Muff to Moville is a short drive along side the Lough Foyle then arriving into Greencastle just a few miles away, you can take a stroll around the harbour or stop off at the golf course for a round. Onto Strove the home of the Strove lighthouses built at Dungaree Point in 1837 to help guide the vessels into Lough Foyle, they sit on one of Donegal's many blue flag beaches were Lough Foyle meets the wild Atlantic ocean.

The roads along this route are quite narrow with some steep hills and sharp corners, there are lots of places to pull over and take some great photos along the coast. Not long after leaving Strove once you reach the top of the hills you can stop and take in the amazing views, from here you can also see across the river Foyle to Magilligan in the North and this is were you can get the ferry from to Greencastle.

The hills of Ireland are lots of different shades of green and the cliffs are beautifully sculpted by the sea, along with numerous thatched roof cottages along the way this makes the route so delightful. Our next stop was Kinnagoe Bay (this was my favourite bay) a secluded beach and known for it's location of the wreck of the Spanish Armada ship La Trinidad Valencera. You can access the beach down off a narrow, windy road on a sharp bend so beware of oncoming traffic, there's a small car park here that can be very busy in summer. While admiring the black rock formations by the shore I noticed a seal playing around there bobbing his little head in and out of the water, made my day just look at him!

Now on route to Culdaff we had to pull in to the side to let the local farmer and his family move their cattle down the road....only in Ireland :) Culdaff is a village popular for it's beach and housing, it has a population of approximately 200 people, the places of interest are Standing Stones (located up behind the Bocan chapel).,St. Bodans Rock (located below the Bridge), Site of old St Bodans well (located behind the Church of Ireland), Temple of Deen (located outside the village near the Bocan chapel). Every year they hold an event called the New Years Swim, the people celebrate the new year by running into the freezing sea with just their swimming gear on.....brrrr!

Stop off at the 'wee house of Malin', it's a stony beach with cool rock formations and a natural spring - holy well and a natural cave, locals view this a holy place and it is thought that the spring water will cure disease.

Banba's (one of the mythical Queens of Ireland) Crown Irelands most northerly point, packed out with tourists too, The Tower was built in 1805 and used as a signal station, if the weather is clear you can see the Scottish coastline, there is great scenic and historical beauty here. Someone was feeling romantic and had 'KJW Marry Me?' spelt out down in the grass beside the EIRE sign. This area is best explored on foot, there are many scenic walks along this stretch of coastline.

Five Fingers strand is another large stunning bay near the end of the route, it is recommended not to swim here due to dangerous under currents but it's great for bird watching, fishing and walking. This beach has the largest sand dunes in Europe. Park at the church on the way in as there is very limited spacing further down.

Must sees after the strand are Doagh Visitors Centre, the Famine Village is an outdoor museum that tells the story of life in the area from the Famine back in the 1840's. The museum closes at 5.30pm and does not accept card so make sure to have cash on you. Unfortunately it was too late in the day for us to enjoy the museum although we did stop at the Glenevin waterfall next and had some oreo and vanilla mullins ice cream from the ice cream parlour.....delish! It's only a 1km walk to the waterfall with a picnic area on the way up. This was our last stop before passing St Patricks's Cross that dates back to the 7th Century as it sits just at the edge of the road. We headed on home through Buncrana and Burnfoot before coming back to Derry/Londonderry and making the 1 hr 50 journey back to Co Down.

The Inishowen 100 is a well recommended trip, by many :)

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