Roads where you can spend hours driving around mesmerised by the scenery, breathtaking cliffs and deserted beaches are the perfect seasoning for a trip along the Irish coast.
Dungarvan was the destination of choice for a few days’ holiday. From Dungarvan to Tramore is the Copper Coast Route, the hidden gem of County Waterford.
It is essential that you have a car to be able to do the route, as it is impossible to do it by public transport. There is also the option of cycling the route, although I wouldn’t recommend it.
🗺 Copper Coast Route: The hidden gem of Co. Waterford
Depending on where you look for information about this route, you will see different points that are part of it. Ideally, you should visit all the points marked by Copper Coast Geopark.
In this article I’m going to tell you about the route we did by car, which hides some of the most beautiful places I’ve seen in Ireland.
📍Stradbally
This was our first stop.
The car took us to a fairytale development in this village. The structure and design of the houses was what I liked most about Stradbally. It is a very recent development. In fact, when we went there they were still looking for buyers for half of the houses.
A curious fact about Stradbally is that this is not its real name. Its first name was Mon-au-Bealing. It started out as a monastery and ended up becoming a village, which led to its name change to Stradbally.
Hence, in the Annals of the Four Masters – dating from the 16th century – it is referred to as Sraidbhaile Laoise in Irish.
📍Stradbally COve
It is situated a couple of minutes’ drive from the village. It has parking available and a picnic area for those who decide to come and spend some time here.
📍Ballyvooney Cove
This is a beautiful spot.
The cliffs are much higher than they look in the pictures. At the same place, if I remember correctly, there is a car park and a picnic area.
The curves in the road with the contrast of the Irish green with the blue of the sea is the most beautiful thing about the place.
📍Ballydwan Bay
It is a place where you have to be careful, as there is a danger of landslides, but it is AMAZING!
The big cliffs, the rocks and the blue colour of the sea make it a unique place. As you can see in the picture, it seems to be a popular destination for surfers.
It is easily accessible. There is a car park a few metres before reaching the beach, and you can get there by going down a small slope.
📍Copper Coast Visitor Center
📍 Tramore
This was the final point of our route.
According to my host family, Tramore is a sought after destination for Irish people for a weekend getaway to the beach. For me personally, it was not a destination that particularly caught my attention.
Its beach is huge and spectacular. However, the town itself has nothing special about it. It is made up of dilapidated facades, hills to climb and stag parties.
🍴Harneys Bar: the perfect place to eat on Copper Coast Route
I think this is the cheapest place I’ve seen during my time in Ireland. This was a half portion of one of the daily specials. If I remember correctly, it was between 7-9€.
The plate was gigantic! Overall, all the portions were large and the prices were very affordable. The pub is an old village pub located in Dunhill. You can check out their Facebook page here.
