How To Get To The Wormhole Of Inis Mór And What It’s All About

The Wormhole of Inis Mór (Poll na bPéist) is one of Ireland’s hidden gems.

Although it looks like it was cut by some enormous machine, it is in-fact naturally-formed and folklore tells that it’s actually a serpent’s lair!

You can get to the Aran Islands Wormhole by bike and foot, but the journey comes with warnings, as you’ll discover below.

Some need-to-knows about Poll na bPeist: The Wormhole of Inis Mór

Right – let’s get you up-to-speed nice and quickly about the Aran Islands Wormhole. Take 20 seconds to read the following points:

1. Location

Poll na bPéist can be found on Inis Mór – the largest of the three Aran Islands ((Inis Oirr and Inis Meain are the other two). It’s located near Gort na gCapall, just down the coast from Dún Aonghasa Fort.

2. Getting to it

If you take the ferry from Galway to the Aran Islands or the ferry from Doolin to the Aran Islands, you’ll be left at the pier on Inis Mór. You can then either walk or cycle to Poll na bPéist (more info below).

3. Never swim here

Despite what some travel sites say, the Wormhole of Inis Mór is 100% not somewhere you should swim. The currents here are strong and unpredictable and you could easily find yourself in a treacherous situation. Please keep your toes on dry land.

4. Good footwear needed

If you plan on walking to the Aran Islands Wormhole, or to Dún Aonghasa, you’ll need a decent pair of walking shoes. Both attractions require you to walk on uneven ground and good grip and ankle support is necessary.

5. Warning: Tide times

Many people want to get down to the lower level of the Wormhole. However, while it looks great in pictures, it should only be visited if you understand tide times. As many people don’t, we can only recommend visiting the upper section that gives you an aerial view of Poll na bPéist.

About Poll na bPéist

Although you’ll often hear it referred to as ‘the Serpent’s Lair’ and ‘the Wormhole of Inis Mór’, the official name for one of the Aran Islands most unique attractions is ‘Poll na bPéist’.

You’ll find Poll na bPeist around 1.6km south of the magnificent cliffside fort of Dun Aonghasa, on the west side of Inis Mór Island.

Although the finely-cut edges would lead you to believe that this is a man-made swimming pool, it was in fact formed naturally… which is a little bit mental to think, when you look at the photo above!

Poll na bPeist has a number of underground channels which connect to the ocean. When the tide is in, water rushes into the hole via an underground cave and forces the water over the edges, filling the hole from above.

A visit here is one of the more popular things to do on the Aran Islands and the area can get busy during the summer. The fact that the Banshees of Inisherin was shot close by will only increase its popularity.

How to get to the Wormhole

On the map above you’ll find rough outlines of the routes to the Wormhole. There are signs in place (faded red arrows…) that can be hard to follow, but keep an eye out for them.

Please do keep in mind that these are rough outlines and should only be used as a guide and never an exact trail to follow. Use caution when getting to the Wormhole as the cliffs are unfenced and the ground uneven.

Option 1: Cycle and walk 

We’d always recommend renting a bike to explore the Aran Islands, if your mobility allows. You can rent a bike right at Inis Mór Pier and then set off for Gort na gCapall.

If you look at the map above, you’ll see the route that follows the lower road. This isn’t as smooth as the higher road, but it’s the ‘tourist track’ and a handier cycle.

It’ll take around 20 minutes to cycle to Gort na gCapall. You can leave your bike at point ‘B’ on the map. And it’s then a 20-minute walk to Poll na bPéist across very uneven and often slippery ground.

Option 2: From Dún Aonghasa

You can also walk to the Wormhole of Inis Mór from Dún Aonghasa. It’s just over a 1km walk and it takes 20-30 minutes each way, depending on pace.

You’ll find faded red markers on rocks here indicating the way. Note that you’ll need to climb over stone walls and walk along very uneven ground. Always stay well clear of the cliffs.

Yes, this is where the Red Bull Diving Series took place

If you’re looking at the pictures above and thinking that you’ve seen the Wormhole on Inis Mór before, the chances are you saw some of the videos from the Red Bull Diving Series that went viral in 2017.

Inis Mór was the first stop on the 2017 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. Divers gracefully hopped into a sinking and swelling blowhole. Bricks would be shat…

Divers jumped from a diving board on the cliffs above down into the chilly waters below. Bash the play button above and feel your stomach twitch.

Things to do near Poll na bPéist

In recent months, we’ve looked at many of Ireland’s ‘hidden’ gems, like the secret waterfall in Donegal

It turns out there’s many a ‘hidden’ gem on Inis Mór. Hop into our guide on things to do on Inis Mór to discover loads of places to visit.

FAQs about the Wormhole on the Aran Islands

Since mentioning Poll na bPéist in a guide to the best things to do in Galway, we’ve had endless emails about the Aran Islands Wormhole.

In the section below, we’ve popped in the most FAQs that we’ve received. If you have a question that we haven’t tackled, ask away in the comments section below.