Route Identity

Wild Atlantic Way Scenic Coastal Drive (North Section)

Ireland — West Coast

🚗 car 📏 723.7 km ⛰ 356.6 m ⚡ medium

Overview Layer

Overview

The northern section of the Wild Atlantic Way is one of Ireland's most dramatic coastal drives, following rugged cliffs, remote villages, and sweeping Atlantic Ocean views. Frequent viewpoints and constantly changing weather make this route one of the country's most memorable road trips.

Weather

Exposed Atlantic coastal climate with high rainfall, strong winds, and rapid weather changes.

Seasonal Driving Conditions

🌱 spring

Weather

Mild temperatures with frequent rain and improving daylight conditions.

Road Conditions

frequent rain showers
moderate coastal winds

☀️ summer

Weather

Cool and relatively stable maritime weather with long daylight hours.

Road Conditions

best overall driving conditions
reduced storm activity

🍂 autumn

Weather

Strong Atlantic storms and increased rainfall along coastal areas.

Road Conditions

frequent Atlantic storms
wet and slippery surfaces

❄️ winter

Weather

Wet, windy conditions with low visibility and frequent storms.

Road Conditions

strong wind exposure
reduced visibility due to storms

Road conditions

Coastal and rural roads with narrow stretches, cliffside exposure, and wind impact.

Driving difficulty explained

Moderate difficulty due to exposure to Atlantic weather and narrow coastal roads.

Route Snapshot Layer

Route Snapshot

This is a scenic driving route in West Coast, Ireland.

The route features moderate driving conditions.

It is classified as Extreme and is best suited for general road trip travelers.

Points of Interest

Attractions along the route

PoleStar Monument — 30 m from route (272.5 km from start)
Gap of Marmore — 13 m from route (339.7 km from start)
Malin Head — 18 m from route (384.7 km from start)
The Kingsroad Trees — 7 m from route (612.4 km from start)
the gobbins path — 2 m from route (690.0 km from start)

Scenic viewpoints

Assaranca Waterfall — 18 m from route (77.9 km from start)
Viewing point — 25 m from route (136.5 km from start)
Mamore Gap — 16 m from route (339.9 km from start)
Gap of Mamore Viewpoint — 26 m from route (341.1 km from start)
The Dark Hedges — 13 m from route (612.2 km from start)

Actual Driving Track (GPX-data)

Download GPX

GPS Data Layer

Measured Driving Route

Distance

723.7 km

Max Elevation

357 m

Max Gradient

7.1%

Difficulty

medium

This route is analyzed directly from GPX track data. It features a total distance of 723.7 km, with an elevation gain of 11053 m.

Route Structure

Type	Distance (km)	Elevation Gain (m)	Avg Gradient (%)
flat	541.94 km	7221 m	0%
descent	92.83 km	476 m	-3.3%
climb	88.95 km	3356 m	3.3%

About this route

The Wild Atlantic Way Scenic Coastal Drive (North Section) is one of the most scenic driving experiences in Ireland. Located in West Coast, this route offers a unique combination of landscapes, road conditions and natural highlights.

Stretching over 723.7 km, this drive takes approximately 15 hours.

This route is especially popular among travelers looking for road trips.

Wild Atlantic Way Scenic Coastal Drive (North Section) scenic driving route in Ireland

Travel Experience

We left in a bit of drizzle and it stayed like that on and off for most of the morning, nothing heavy but enough to keep the windshield going. The first hour felt more like normal driving than anything special.

At one cliff stop there were already a few cars parked, and people were mostly just standing there with jackets half-zipped, looking out at the water. We didn’t stay long because the wind made it uncomfortable pretty quickly.

There was a long stretch where the road kept bending inland and then back out to the coast again. We didn’t really talk much, just reacted when the ocean suddenly came into view after trees or stone walls.

We stopped in a small village for food and ended up sitting longer than planned because everything felt slow in a relaxed way, not because anything was delayed. It was just easier to stay seated for a bit.

By the end of the Wild Atlantic Way (North Section), it felt less like separate cliffs and viewpoints and more like a repeating pattern of coast appearing, disappearing, and reappearing again. The Atlantic was always there somewhere, even when we weren’t directly looking at it.

Best time to visit

The best time to explore the Wild Atlantic Way Scenic Coastal Drive (North Section) is typically during spring and summer months, when weather conditions are stable and visibility is high. However, autumn offers fewer crowds and more dramatic scenery.