Doolin

Doolin is hugely popular as a centre of Irish traditional music, with year-round trad sessions at its famous trio of music pubs. Located 6km northeast of the Cliffs of Moher in a landscape riddled with caves and laced with walking paths, it's also a jumping-off point for cliff cruises and ferries out to the Aran Islands.

Without a centre, this scattered settlement consists of three smaller linked villages. Charming Fisherstreet has some picturesque traditional cottages; there are dramatic surf vistas at the harbour 1.5km west along the coast. Doolin itself is about 1km east on the little River Aille. Roadford is another 1km east. None of the villages has more than a handful of buildings.

While the music pubs give Doolin a lively vibe, the heavy concentration of visitors means standards don't always hold up to those in some of Clare's less-frequented villages.