The Copper Coast Waterford
The Copper Coast is a UNESCO Global Geopark on the south Waterford coast between Tramore and Dungarvan, a stretch of Atlantic coastline whose extraordinary geological variety, including the copper and other mineral deposits that gave the coast its name and the remarkable variety of volcanic, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks exposed in the cliffs, distinguishes it as one of only a handful of recognised geoparks in Ireland. The copper mining that operated extensively here during the nineteenth century, employing thousands of workers at its peak, has left a landscape of engine houses, spoil heaps and mining structures that provide the most visible heritage dimension of the coast. The Copper Coast Drive connects these industrial heritage features with the natural scenery and the village communities of Bunmahon and Stradbally in a route of considerable variety. The Waterford Greenway, a 46-kilometre traffic-free cycling and walking trail following a disused railway line from Waterford city to Dungarvan, traverses the coastal landscape of the geopark and provides one of the finest greenway experiences in Ireland. The combination of the geology, the mining heritage, the coastal scenery and the Greenway makes the Copper Coast one of the most varied and most rewarding coastal destinations in the southeast.