Aran Islands, County Galway, Ireland

       

Gaelic is still spoken on the Aran Islands—40 minutes by ferry from Rossaveel, just outside of Galway—and many residents still get around the old-fashioned way: by foot, bike, or horse and buggy. The largest and most visited of the Islands is Inis Mor (or Inishmore), which isn't exactly touristy but does offer many of the conveniences travelers appreciate, such as bike rentals, B&Bs, and a trendy youth hostel. Rent a bike to see the island on a day trip, and stop to explore the ruins of Dun Aengus, an impressive Iron Age fortress walled on three sides and open on the fourth, with nothing but a 300-foot drop separating the ruins from the open sea.
Inis Meain and Inis Oirr, the other two islands in the group, receive far fewer visitors and are truly unspoiled Ireland at its finest. If you visit on a clear day, you can see the Cliffs of Moher from the shores of Inis Oirr.