Overview
You can take an alpaca out on a lead for an hour’s walk through the West Clare countryside here – which is the whole point of the place, and the reason to book the Alpaca Walk rather than the shorter meet-and-greet. The Flying Alpaca is a small, family-run farm at Newtown East, just outside Kilkee near the base of the Loop Head peninsula. It’s run by Barbara and Mike, an Italian couple who traded office life for a herd of alpacas; the aviation nod in the name is Mike’s. Experiences run in English, French and Italian.
What sets the herd apart is that it includes the Suri alpaca – the one with the long, silky, dreadlocked fleece rather than the more common fluffy Huacaya. Suris are genuinely uncommon in Ireland, so this is one of the few places you’ll meet them up close.
The experiences
Groups are capped at six for the animals’ sake, and everything needs booking ahead through the official website. Prices below are the farm’s own starting rates at the time of writing – check when you book, as they shift:
- Alpaca Meet & Greet – 30 minutes, from €11 per person. Feeding and petting time; the short introduction, best for very young children.
- Alpaca Walk – 1 hour, from €23 per person (ages 8+). You lead your own alpaca on a walk through the countryside. This is the one to do.
- Full Alpaca Experience – 1.5 hours, from €30 per person (ages 6+). The walk plus a talk on the animals and a hands-on wool session.
- Handmade Soap Workshop – 1.5 hours, from €30 per person (ages 4+). Blend natural oils with alpaca fibre into a bar you take home – the sensible Plan B when the Atlantic wind is up and you’d rather be indoors.
There’s also a private couples’ session (the “Lovers” experience) aimed at anniversaries and proposals; ask the farm directly for the current price and what it includes.
The rest of the farm
The alpacas aren’t the only residents. There’s a flock of rescued chickens, two pygmy goats called Nutella and Oreo, and a farm dog, Yuki, who tends to greet arrivals. It’s a small, low-key operation rather than a big visitor centre, which is much of the appeal – you get time with the animals rather than a queue.
A word on the eco angle you’ll see on the signage: alpacas are genuinely light on the land, with soft padded feet that don’t churn up pasture the way hooves do, which suits the thin coastal ground around Loop Head. County Clare as a whole is EarthCheck certified and working towards wider sustainable-tourism accreditation, and the farm pitches itself as part of that.
Practical information
The farm is open year-round, but hours and which experiences are running change with the season, so book online before you come.
- Getting there: Newtown East, Kilkee, Co. Clare, V15 D761, off the Loop Head road (R487). Free car parking on site; limited free coach parking, with paid coach parking nearby.
- Accessibility: the main pathways take pushchairs and standard wheelchairs, but there are no accessible toilets.
- Dogs: a strict no-dogs policy applies – leave them at home.
- Contact: phone +353 (0)83 835 8069, email info@flyingalpaca.com.
Nearby
Kilkee’s horseshoe beach is minutes away, and the farm makes a good pairing with a drive out along Loop Head: the Kilkee Cliffs are about 5.5 km west, with Loop Head Lighthouse and the Bridges of Ross further out towards the tip. If you’re around on a Sunday from May to September, the Kilkee Farmers Market runs 10am–2pm.