With the most westerly seaboard in Europe, this region remains a place apart—the most Irish part of Ireland. The "West" here refers to the counties west of the River Shannon. Rich in nature's magnificence—the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher—they are also home to sophisticated outposts like Galway City and Westport. Last outpost before America: the Aran Islands, which do constant battle with the Atlantic.