Visitor Conservation
What can you do?
Though the Burren region represents less than 1% of the national land cover, the richness and diversity of the natural and cultural heritage present belies its compact size. What can you do to be conscious of the rich heritage that exists in the Burren?
Read the Burren Code:
Support these principles to help safeguard this important landscape
- Leave the limestone pavement as you find it. Limestone pavement and orchid rich grasslands are listed as priority habitats in the European Habitats Directive and are protected by law.
- Preserve natural habitats and leave wildflowers undisturbed.
- Take care not to damage monuments, walls and buildings.
- Respect landowners, their property and their livestock.
- Park and camp in designated areas.
Leave no trace of your visit, take nothing but memories.
By reading and adhering to the principles outlined in the Burren Code, you will be in a position to make informed and responsible decisions while visiting this beautiful place. Beyond this however, we would hope that your visit here would contribute positively to the local economy, helping local communities to survive and continue their important role in maintaining the heritage of the Burren.
So what else can you do?
- Be as informed and respectful as possible.
- Try to source local products and local providers.
- Stay a few days longer and explore on foot, bicycle or horseback.
- More than 95% of the Burren is privately owned land, please be consciousness of this and of the animals that are grazing this land.
- Check out the available waymarked trails on irishtrails.ie so you are sticking to the available paths for walks for visitors.
- Check out the local network of businesses that are accredited eco-tourism network providers (burren.ie)
- By visiting off-season and extending your stay, your experience of the Burren will be enriched, as will the beneficial impact of your visit. One of the biggest problems with the region’s tourism industry is its seasonality, with most visitors arriving during the summer months. This means there is very little full time employment available for local people who are more likely to opt for year-round work in nearby towns and cities.
- Likewise, passing through the Burren on a coach tour for an afternoon does no justice to this special place and leaves little income to the communities of the region who host your visit. Why not get to know the place on a more intimate level – take a walk, rent a bike, go for a horse ride – you won’t be disappointed as the more you put in to the Burren, the more you will get out of it.
Finally we urge you to please support the non-profit work of Burrenbeo Trust by becoming a member of the Burrenbeo Trust.
More information on visiting the Burren region:
Towns & villages Monuments Nature Suggested itineraries
