Fanore Ballyvaughan Trek
Walking Trail · Clare
Fanore Ballyvaughan Trek is a 20.8 km strenuous waymarked linear route in Clare, starting near Fanore/ Ballyvaughan.
Grade
| Activity | Grade | Difficulty | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walking | Strenuous | Challenging | 5 hours |
Getting there
Starts at Fanore Beach, near Fanore/ Ballyvaughan.
Finishes at Fanore Beach.
- Trailhead coordinates
- 53.1187, -9.28264
- Irish Grid reference
- M 144 089
- Ordnance Survey sheets
- Discovery Series Sheet 51
The National Trails Register's own latitude and longitude fields are empty for all 1,186 trails on it. This trailhead comes from Sport Ireland's separate Trailheads dataset, matched to this trail on its register ID.
About the trail
This is a fabulous mostly off-road walk traversing the old famine green road high around Black Head, climbing to the top of the pass between Cappanawalla and Gleninagh Mountain, including some minor road and finishing through a hazel wood. Views over the Aran Islands, Galway Bay, Connemara and the hills of the Burren are spectacular.
Before you go
Uses green roads, minor roadways, woodland tracks.
- Waymarking
- Green arrows on white background
- Dogs
- No
Who manages it
Clare Local Development Company
Rural Recreation Officer, Clare Local Development Company, Clonroad Business Park, Clonroad, Ennis, Co Clare Tel: 065-6866800 Email: [email protected] Web: www.cldc.ie/rural/
Conditions and closures change. The operator is the authority on both, not this page.
Trails nearby
Measured trailhead to trailhead, in a straight line.
- Ballyvaughan - Black Head Loop 53 m away · 24.1 km trail
- Caher Valley Loop 270 m away · 14.1 km trail
- Ballyvaughan - Wood Loop 8.7 km away · 8.8 km trail
- Cliffs of Moher Coastal Walk 12 km away · 19.5 km trail
- Slí Chonamara 14 km away · 33.1 km trail
- Doolin Cycle Hub Loop 1 14 km away · 18.2 km trail
Common questions
How long is the Fanore Ballyvaughan Trek?
20.8 km, recorded as a linear route on Sport Ireland's National Trails Register. It climbs 350 m in total. Sport Ireland estimates 5 hours.
How hard is the Fanore Ballyvaughan Trek?
Sport Ireland grades it Strenuous, with an overall difficulty of Challenging. Grades are set against national criteria, so they are comparable with other registered trails.
Where does the Fanore Ballyvaughan Trek start?
Starts at Fanore Beach, near Fanore/ Ballyvaughan. The trailhead is at 53.1187, -9.28264 (Irish Grid M 144 089).
Can you bring a dog on the Fanore Ballyvaughan Trek?
No. The register records dogs as not allowed on this trail.
Who manages the Fanore Ballyvaughan Trek?
Clare Local Development Company. They are the authority on current conditions and closures, not this page.
More in Clare
Trail data from the Sport Ireland National Trails Register, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Trailhead coordinates from the companion Trailheads dataset. Snapshot taken 2026-08-13.