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7 day Independent tour
Welcome to our Family tour for 2012. We have especially chosen Clare on Ireland’s western shore for many reasons. There is so much to do and see in Clare that we feel will be of interest to all the family; a tour of the Aran Islands, a visit to an Aquarium, a chance to see a wild dolphin off the coast, a wonderful walking tour of the area, horse riding and beautiful beaches, all this linked together by gentle cycling on wonderful backroads.
The Burren region is also an amazing limestone moonscape, famous around the world for its wonderful variety of botany. The area is rich in ancient and early Christian historical sites and offers some beautiful coastal cycling overlooking Galway Bay. Finally Clare is home to the majestic cliffs of Moher one of the highest marine based cliffs in Europe and one of the best known images of Ireland.
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DAY TO DAY ITINERARY
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Day 1: Individual arrival in Ennis
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On arrival in Ennis you should make your way to your B&B accommodation. Check in is after 2.00pm on your day of arrival. We will send you on full accommodation details closer to your departure date. A folder containing your route details and information on collection of your bikes will be at the guesthouse. Ennis is a fantastic town for music and entertainment so you can relax for the rest of the day and take in the atmosphere.
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Day 2: Ennis - Lahinch (30 km)
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The tour starts out to West Clare cycling by farmyards through backroads towards the Atlantic Coast and the town of Lahinch where you are staying in for the evening.
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Day 3: Lahinch - Doolin (23 km)
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In the morning you can take a swim in a beautiful beach and can also visit the Aquarium there. In the afternoon you climb up to the dramatic Cliffs of Moher rising 660ft up from the Atlantic waves below, making them one of the highest marine based cliffs in Europe. You can stroll along the cliff face and watch the birds gliding in the updraft before heading down towards Doolin where we you staying in guesthouses for the next two nights.
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| Day 4: Rest day in Doolin |
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You can take a ferry trip to the famous Aran Islands and visit ancient forts and monastic sites. There will also be an optional cycle route or you could simply return to the cliffs of Moher for a longer walk along the Atlantic Coastline.
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Day 5: Doolin - Ballyvaughan (29 km)
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Today is a beautiful cycle along the coast with Galway Bay and views of the Aran Islands on your left and the limestone cliffs which make the Burren such a unique landscape on your right. Today we will keep our eye out for “Dusty” a local dolphin who frequents this shoreline. We stop for two nights in our comfortable Hotel in the seaside village of Ballyvaughan.
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Day 6: Rest day in Ballyvaughan
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The day can be spent doing a wide variety of activities. There is an optional short cycle to the impressive ruins of a Cistercian Abbey. Alternatively the day could be spent relaxing in this attractive village.
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Day 7: Ballyvaughan - Ennis (45 km)
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The cycle heads straight into the heart of the Burren where we visit the Burren’s most famous historical sight, the Poulnabrowne Dolmen. Veering off the beaten track you can stop at the village of Carran for lunch. In the afternoon you cycle through quiet backroads and visit Mullaghmor Mountain with the beautiful desert limestone landscape of the Burren surrounding you before heading to our lunch stop in Corofin. After lunch you can visit a 15th Century Tower House and 6th century monastic site before cycling back into Ennis and a farewell meal.
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PRICE & DETAILS
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Price & Schedule
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DEPARTURE DATES:
This tour starts daily from April through September.
| Price per person, double occ. |
CAD |
$1120 |
| Single room surcharge |
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$400 |
| High Season surcharge - July and August departures |
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$50 |
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| Included: |
- 7 nights in excellent quality, small family run guesthouses and B & B's; all rooms with private facilities.
- Breakfast each day
- Luggage transport from hotel to hotel.
- Maps with indicated routes, detailed route description, tourist information about places of interest.
- 21 speed Giant Escape 3 hybrid bike with pannier.
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| Rate: |
EASY TO MODERATE: The roads are all tarmaced and the route is designed to ensure that you spend most of the week on quiet back roads. Very occasionally it will be necessary to ride on busier roads which is unavoidable as there may be no minor roads on certain stretches of the route. To experience the majestic scenery of this area the route does have some climbs, so it is worth getting a few weekends training on a bike in varied terrain before coming, thus ensuring that you can fully enjoy the week.
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| Airport / Transfers |
The nearest international airport is Belfast. There is a regular shuttle service from the airport into the city centre, where your hotel is located.
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Tours 
