Not sure that’s an adjective but some of these look nice, in fairness…
Nothing beats cruising in the cool summer breeze on an endless open road with all of your stresses in the rear-view mirror, am I right?
Truthfully, I have no idea as I don’t drive. Sure looks cool in movies and that sort of thing, though. In fact, I can picture it right now…
That’s the stuff.
Anyway, let’s talk about real-life things like Irish roads and how aesthetically-pleasing they apparently are. ‘Instagrammable’, if you will – I’ll understand if you won’t, to be completely honest.
But that’s the order of the day where a new study by Chill Insurance is concerned. Yes indeed, dedicated data research hard graft has brought us to this moment; the “most Instagrammable” road trips in Ireland have been revealed.
How does one arrive at this exciting junction juncture? Here’s the science bit – the ranking is derived from the amount of times the road trip location has been recorded via Instagram posts, and by its overall engagement over time.
Enough standing on ceremony – let’s list this thing. The top eight most Instagrammable (just can’t get used to it, sorry) road trips in Ireland, in reverse order, are as follows…
8. Ring of Kerry (Kerry)
7. Priest’s Leap and Caha Mountain Pass Scenic Loop Drive (Cork)
6. Cooley Peninsula Scenic Drive (Louth)
5. Ring of Hook Peninsula (Wexford)
4. Copper Coast (Waterford)
3. The Slea Head Drive (Kerry)
2. Inishowen 100 (Donegal)
1. The Burren Scenic Loop (Clare)
The Burren takes top spot with 1,200 Instagram posts, and a total recorded engagement of 62,000. In contrast, the Inishowen 100 has 1,700 associated posts, but a lower engagement of 57,400. Third-placed Slea Head Drive has just 339 tagged posts, but an engagement rate of 41,139.
The full Chill Insurance study – available to read here – places a firm focus on value for money, with all of the featured routes taking just one or two days to complete.
Other standout factors include the amount of free local activities available, the average price of petrol or diesel in the area and the number of cycle routes.
While not the most Instagrammable according to the list above, Cork’s Priest’s Leap and Caha Mountain Pass Scenic Loop Drive represents the strongest option in terms of bang for your buck, thanks to boasting the highest mountain pass in Ireland, the third most cycle routes in the study, and 105 inexpensive restaurants to choose from.
Imagery – apart from the Simpsons one – via Discover Ireland
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