Inis Mór has been named as the 7th-most underrated island in Europe by a new travel study.
The island, the largest of the Aran Islands, is known for its rugged beauty and spectacular landscapes.
Global travel site Big 7 Travel placed Inis Mór 7th on its list of underrated European islands, noting the island's "desolate beauty".
"A few days on this rocky isle will lead you to believe you’re much further from the mainland than a 40-minute boat journey," Big 7 Travel said. "It is, after all, on the edges of Europe: the last bit of land before America."
The atmospheric island tells the story of thousands of years of Irish history, with longstanding grey stone pubs scattered across the patchwork fields.
"Dún Aonghasa is an archaeological marvel: the structures atop the 100-metre cliff are from the Bronze Age. Folklore and mystery surround the prehistoric fort, and the same goes for the Wormhole: an inexplicable rectangle hole above the foamy Atlantic Ocean."
The island additionally boasts the Medieval Christian ruins of the Seven Churches, while Inir Mór's Kilmurvey Beach is known for birdlife and a nearby seal colony.
The study ranked Europe's most underrated islands on seven different criteria, prioritizing islands with the lowest tourist numbers.
An island's local charm, natural beauty, cultural significance, accessibility, local community, and activities also contributed to the ranking.
The Greek island of Anáfi ranked as the most underrated island in Europe in the new study, with Big 7 Travel noting that the island possesses an "undiscovered magic".
The French island of Île d’Yeu ranked second thanks to its "unspoiled nature and quaint villages", while Lastovo in Croatia completed the top three, with Big 7 describing it as a "nature lover's paradise".
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