Assaranca Falls in May 2014

I sometimes look back at a waterfall I visited, and realize that it’s suddenly more beautiful than I remember it being when I visited it. I think this is sometimes the effect of visiting too many waterfalls at once. They can tend to blur together. It also often has to do with the conditions around the waterfall. Let me explain further…

The road to Assaranca Falls is a narrow road. It’s definitely not wide enough for two cars to fit comfortably the whole stretch. (In Ireland, there are different letters in front of the road numbers. This can be useful, as it’s often an (unintentional?) indicator of the road width.) In addition to it being narrow, parts of it were unpaved, and it also tended to be rather winding, meaning I couldn’t always see what was coming toward me. This tends to make me nervous because I’m usually driving a rental car during my travels.

So I distinctly remember arriving at the falls (thinking, “Finally!”), and I automatically start thinking about the drive back. For some, it’s probably an enjoyable journey down a beautiful road. For me, it’s nerve-wracking. That’s not to say the road to Assaranca Falls isn’t beautiful. You’ll be treated with views of the ocean (or a bay leading to the ocean, not sure what to call it). And when you arrive at the falls, they are stunning. I arrived when the sun was over the falls, which made it more difficult to photograph. Just take road slowly, and you’ll enjoy the scenery just a bit more!

Directions:

1. The road to Assaranca Falls is off of N56 on the west side of the island. I don’t seem to be able to find a name/number for the road, so it might help to know that it is between R261 (to the north) and R230 (to the south). If you are headed south along N56, you will pass through the town of Ardara before reaching this road.
2. I do seem to remember there was some kind of sign. It may have been for Maghera Beach, which you can find by continuing down the road. I think there may have been a sign for the waterfall along the way, but I honestly don’t remember. I don’t recall it being that difficult to find the road that led to the falls.
3. It’s just over 6 km from N56 to the waterfall along this road. It’s pretty hard to miss once you’re on the road, as there really aren’t many other options to take from there. There is a parking area directly in front of the falls.

Accessibility: 10/10 (easy)
Height: ~300′ (taking a guess, don’t quote me here)
Distance of Hike: roadside

Where in the World is Assaranca Falls?