Inscribed on Unesco's World Heritage list in 2004, this 20km stretch of rugged coastline, centred on the village of Bunmahon, takes its name from the copper-mining industry that flourished here in the 19th century. The most visible legacy of the area's mining history is the Cornish-style winding-engine house at Tankardstown, 1km east of Bunmahon, and you'll find a Geological Garden on the eastern edge of Bunmahon.
Up the hill from here is the Copper Coast Geopark Centre, housing an exhibition about the history and geology of copper mining. You can pick up information on the self-guided Copper Coast Trail, as well as trail cards describing walks in the area.
The area's 460-million-year-old mudstones, sandstones and lavas were contorted by an ancient continental collision, and invaded by hot, metal-rich fluids, which cooled to form quartz veins rich in copper minerals.
