Of all of the tourist destinations in the world, Ireland would have to be one of the most under-rated of all.

Situated to the northwest of continental Europe, Ireland has many fascinating and highly appealing tourist attractions that many people don’t actually realise exist.

Bed and breakfast accommodation is hugely popular throughout the world, for it provides people with a cheaper form of accommodation in areas that tend to be in peaceful, quiet and less populated areas that are often surrounded by amazing gardens and other beautiful natural scenery. Of all of the places in the world to stay in a bed and breakfast, Ireland is perhaps the best of them all.

Ireland is one of the most fertile places on earth. With a mild yet changeable oceanic climate and a lack of extremities in temperature make for incredibly lush vegetation in Ireland. So, if you are contemplating visiting the country and have a keen fondness for green pastures, rivers, plant life and extant native mammal species, you should definitely consider bed and breakfasts in Ireland.

Not everyone likes the idea of staying in backpackers, motels or hotels. More often than not, in Ireland, these forms of accommodation tend to be located in the heart of towns and cities and mostly don’t offer the peace, isolation and serenity that Irish bed and breakfasts do.

For those who are travelling in rental cars, on motor bikes or even bicycles throughout Ireland, you are more likely to find a bed and breakfast in areas that are otherwise very short on other types of accommodation.

There are many tourist attractions worth checking out in the more rural areas. We have noted a few below:

• The Connemara Countryside, which is one of Ireland's five national parks, spreads across some 2,000 hectares of Connemara mountain countryside. Absolutely magnificent!

• The Cliffs of Moher, located north of Lahinch. These amazing cliffs are the highest in Europe. They were used in ancient times as watch towers for invading Vikings.

• The Burren, located in South County Clare and North County Kerry. Enjoy rock climbing and viewing unique plants, which you won’t find growing in any other part of the world.

Having contributed to a local accommodation directory, I’ve established that quite a number of people who own bed and breakfasts in Ireland are actually from other countries. Having had much conversation with many of these owners, many of them decided to start up an accommodation business because of their admiration for the Irish countryside and the thought of being a part of it for an extended period.

Staying at a bed and breakfast in Ireland is a wonderful idea for someone travelling alone. You get to meet like-minded travellers and you’ll learn a lot about the attractions that are worth seeing in Ireland as well as find out about the culture and some of the history of the country. Staying at a B&B gives you the freedom to come and go as you please and to mix and mingle as you wish. It’s little wonder why bed and breakfasts in Ireland are so popular.