After our Achill Island day, which ended with a late-afternoon walk on Dugort Beach, it was time to move on. Day 7 of our Ireland road trip was a travel day: we packed up the van, left our base in Lisacul, Co. Roscommon, and set off for Farranfore in County Kerry. Our first stop on that long drive was Lough Bunny, a quiet lake on the eastern edge of the Burren in Co. Clare, close to Burren National Park. In this post we share what the lake is like, where you can stop with a van, why the water looks the way it does, and whether it’s worth the detour.
Lough Bunny at a glance
- LocationEastern Burren, Co. Clare, between Corofin and Gort
- Protected areaEast Burren Complex SAC, close to Burren National Park
- ParkingFree, a small roadside space only, very limited
- Van-friendly?Yes, our Tourneo Custom was fine; bigger vans need to plan where to stop
- Entry feeNone
- FacilitiesNone: no toilets, café or bins
- Best viewFrom the higher ground above the shore
- Worth it?Yes, as a quiet stop on a travel day through Clare
Where Is Lough Bunny?
Lough Bunny lies on the eastern edge of the Burren in County Clare, roughly halfway between Corofin and Gort and close to the small village of Boston. You can find our stopping point on this spot on Google Maps. The lake is part of the East Burren Complex Special Area of Conservation and lies close to Burren National Park, with the folded limestone hill of Mullaghmore in the background. According to Discover Ireland, the ruins of a medieval tower house stand on its north-eastern shore.
For us it was simply a convenient first stop on the drive from Roscommon down to Kerry. The road runs right alongside the water, so you see the lake before you’ve even decided to stop.
What Is Lough Bunny Like?
You won’t find Lough Bunny on many must-see lists, and that’s probably part of its charm. We stopped mainly to stretch our legs, and we ended up staying longer than planned. It was an unexpectedly beautiful place.
The first thing you notice is the colour of the water. Out in the middle it’s a deep blue, but closer to the shore you can see straight down to the lakebed, and it’s almost white. From the higher ground above the shore, the whole picture comes together: blue water, pale stone, green fields and grey rock all around. It almost doesn’t look real.
What stayed with us most, though, was the quiet. No coaches, no ticket office, no crowds. Just the lake, a bit of wind, and us.
Why Is the Water at Lough Bunny So Clear?
That pale lakebed is limestone, and it’s the key to this whole landscape. The Burren is one huge limestone plateau, and the rock is full of cracks and channels. Water doesn’t just sit on the surface here: it sinks into the ground, flows underneath and comes back up somewhere else. Burren National Park explains that some lakes in the area behave partly like turloughs, the “disappearing lakes” that fill and drain with the seasons.
Lough Bunny has no river feeding it. According to Wikipedia, it is fed by springs and drains through fissures near its northern end. It is shallow for most of its area, with an average depth of only around 2 to 3 metres. The site synopsis by the National Parks and Wildlife Service describes it as a classic marl lake that is extremely low in nutrients, with beds of stoneworts on the lakebed. Few nutrients mean little algae, and that’s why the water is so clear.
Parking at Lough Bunny with a Van
There’s no proper car park at Lough Bunny. Parking is free, but there’s only a little space beside the road, and it’s very limited. Park carefully and make sure you’re not blocking anyone. Our Ford Tourneo Custom was fine, but with a bigger van or motorhome, it takes a bit of planning, and if the space is taken, you may need to drive on.
There are no facilities at all: no toilets, no café and no bins. Plan your breaks around that, and take any litter with you.
Leaving Your Van for Longer
Lough Bunny is usually a short stop, but if you leave your van at the roadside for longer, for example to walk along the shore or explore the area, two things are part of our routine whenever we park up on a road trip:
- Steering wheel lock: when we leave the van parked, we add this KRASER steering wheel lock as an extra, visible deterrent. It is not a guarantee, but it makes a vehicle a less attractive target.
- Dashcam: in our Ford Tourneo Custom we use the Wolfbox G900 Pro dashcam as our dashcam. At selected car parks we switch on its parking mode with a switch we added ourselves, so it keeps recording around the van while we are away.
Take valuables with you or keep them out of sight, as you would anywhere you leave a vehicle unattended.
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Good to Know: Burren National Park Rules
Lough Bunny is part of the East Burren Complex Special Area of Conservation, close to Burren National Park. If you explore the area, keep these rules from Burren National Park:
- No fishing: fishing is not permitted in the park’s lakes, turloughs or water systems.
- Leave no trace: stay on marked trails, use stiles instead of climbing walls, close gates, and take your litter home.
- Leave nature as it is: don’t take rocks, fossils or plants, and don’t disturb wildlife.
Is Lough Bunny Worth Visiting?
Yes, if you’re driving through this part of Clare anyway. It’s not a full-day destination, but it’s an easy stop where you can stretch your legs, enjoy the view and see a side of the Burren that’s far quieter than the famous sights nearby.
It was a short stop, but a really good one. We didn’t know it yet, but it would turn out to be the perfect contrast to the crowded Cliffs of Moher, our next stop that day. And funnily enough, it was this quiet lake that we talked about most that evening. If you like empty, wild places, our Erris Head Loop Walk in Co. Mayo gave us a similar feeling.
Our Honest Takeaway
Lough Bunny is worth a stop on your way through the Burren. You come for a quick look at the view, and you might end up staying longer than you planned, just like we did. Bring realistic expectations about parking and facilities, and you’ll get one of the calmest moments of an Irish road trip.
Lough Bunny FAQ
Where is Lough Bunny?
Lough Bunny is in the eastern Burren in County Clare, Ireland, roughly halfway between Corofin and Gort and near the village of Boston. It is part of the East Burren Complex Special Area of Conservation, close to Burren National Park.
Is there parking at Lough Bunny?
There’s no proper car park. Parking is free, but there’s only a small space beside the road. Park carefully, don’t block the road or any access, and drive on if the space is already taken.
Can you visit Lough Bunny with a campervan?
Yes. Our Ford Tourneo Custom was fine. With a larger van or motorhome, plan ahead, because the roadside space is very limited and there are no facilities.
Why is the water at Lough Bunny so clear?
The lake sits on limestone, has no river flowing into it and is fed by springs. It is very low in nutrients, so little algae grows, and the pale limestone and marl lakebed make the shallow water look almost white near the shore.
Can you fish at Lough Bunny?
Burren National Park states that fishing is not permitted in the park’s lakes, turloughs or water systems. We couldn’t confirm whether Lough Bunny lies inside the park boundary, so check the current local rules before you fish.
Is Lough Bunny worth visiting?
Yes, as a stop on a drive through Clare. It’s quiet, free and beautiful, but it’s a short stop rather than a full-day destination.
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← Previous stop: Dugort Beach, Achill Island
Next stop → coming soon. This is the latest stop we’ve written up so far.
⛴️ Planning your own trip over? Here’s how our 24-hour ferry from Dunkirk to Rosslare went.
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Planning your own west of Ireland road trip? Check our Dugort Beach guide, our Keel Beach guide, our Erris Head Loop Walk, our Galway guide and our Ireland facts before you go.