Circle the Emerald Isle in 15 Days! The Best Self-Driving Ireland Itinerary. Part 2 Exploring the Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland

Welcome back to part 2 of Circle the Emerald Island in 15 Days! This is the PERFECT self-driving Ireland itinerary. If you missed part 1 of the trip, we started in Dublin and headed on a counterclockwise tour around the island. We've already explored Northern Ireland and the Antrim Coast and dipped our toes in the Wild Atlantic Way. We will continue exploring Ireland, with this portion focusing on some of the most beautiful rugged coastline and including some outdoor adventure. This part of the trip includes more charming towns and villages as we continue to immerse ourselves in the local Irish culture and hospitality. 

Circle the Emerald Island in 15 Days! The Best Self-Driving Ireland Itinerary

Part 2: Exploring the Wild Atlantic Way

What is the Wild Atlantic Way?

The Wild Atlantic Way is a scenic coastal route in Ireland that stretches over 1,500 miles along the country's rugged western coastline, from County Donegal in the north to County Cork in the south. It is one of the world's longest defined coastal driving routes, showcasing dramatic cliffs, secluded beaches, charming villages, and historic sites. It gives traveler's the opportunity to experience the natural beauty of Ireland's landscapes, explore some significant cultural landmarks, and enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, surfing, and boating. The route is one of the most diverse journey's through Ireland's most unique coastal areas from the untamed wilderness of the northern regions down to the picturesque southern shores. Any visit to Ireland, should include at least a small portion of the Wild Atlantic Way!
In case you missed Part 1 of the 15 Day Itinerary Start Here

Part 2: Exploring the Wild Atlantic Way

This part of the trip will cover days 5-9 of the 15-day itinerary. The Wild Atlantic Way is a 1,500 mile long stretch of road and we will only be covering part of it, but the part we will cover will give you a real taste of what there is to explore and discover. While I call this portion the Wild Atlantic Way, the third part of our trip will also cover a portion of the WAW as well. It's just that long and there is that much to explore and discover! 

Don't miss this post: What I Wish I Packed for my Trip to Ireland

How to Use this Itinerary
Every person travels differently. What I enjoy doing on a vacation or trip, might be very different from what you enjoy doing on a vacation or a trip. We created this list with lots of options for things to do in each area. I'll highlight the things that we did, but feel free to make this trip your own!
We did a lot of research before the trip and created a list of things in each location that looked interesting to see and do. We added those to a list on the itinerary and as we sat in the pub the night before our next day, we'd pull those things up and decide what sounded good to us, and we'd tackle a game plan. We also had the list on our phone, so that when we were driving or wandering around for the day, we could easily access the list and see what the landmarks were or do a bit more research to see if we wanted to make the time to add them to our list. 
I love to travel, but I don't know how many people actually like living out of a suitcase. Ideally, we like to stay at minimum in a location for two nights. There are only a few one-night stays and there is one three night stay. The number of nights we stayed is always noted so you can make your own hotel or Airbnb reservations.  

Don't miss this post: Everything You Need to Know Before You Rent a Car in Ireland

Pro tip: be open to letting things happen. Some of the best things we did on our trip just sort of happened and were not planned!

I'll be breaking this itinerary up into three parts to make it easier to read, navigate, and plan. I have a lot of tips and 15 days is a lot of days when it's all put together in one place. The three parts will be broken up as follows:

Part 1: Northern Ireland and the Antrim Coast: Day 1-4Part 2: The Wild Atlantic Way: Day 5-9Part 3: Heading South: Day 10-15

The island of Ireland is made up for four provinces and 32 counties, each of them with very unique charms and traditions. On this itinerary, you'll be visiting 12 different counties.
Part 1 will include Dublin, Belfast, Portbradden, Ballycastle, the Antrim Coast, Portrush, and Bushmills. This will encompass County Dublin and County Antrim. You can find part 1 here
Part 2 will include Derry, Marble Hill, Rosguill, Donegal, Sliabh Liag, Glencolmcille, Fintra, Kilcar, Westport, and Achill Island. This will encompass County Derry {or Londonderry}, County Donegal, County Sligo and County Mayo.
Part 3 will include Galway, Killarney, Skellig Michael, Portmagee, Dingle, Cobh, Tipperary, and Kilkenny.  This will encompass County Galway, County Kerry, County Cork, County Clare and County Kilkenny and back to DublinYou can find part 3 here
Traveling with Teens? Read More About Outdoor Adventure for Teens in Ireland

Exploring the Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland

Day 5: County Donegal

Things to do:

• Ards Friary {retreat and conference center with lots of beach walking opportunities}
• Isabella Beach {easy paved walk from the Friary}
• Lucky Shell Beach {also known as Binnagorm or Monks beach-locals often spot dolphins here}
  
• Doe Castle {castle ruins built in 1420 on a bay-worth visiting if you are passing by}
• Murder Hole Beach {also called Boyeeghter Strand, said to be the most beautiful beach in Ireland}
• Glenveagh National Park {mountains, lakes, waterfalls, glens, woods and the only national park with a castle}
• Errigal Mountain {tallest peak in County Donegal} 45 minutes, 40 km from Murder Hole Beach

Get in the picture! Don't forget to bring a tripod for your phone. This one folds up smaller than an umbrella!

Where to Stay: 

Gateway Lodge Hotel {2 nights}

{free parking available on site}

What we did:

After our evening at the pub with the locals {go back and read part 1}, we decided to start our morning with a visit to the Ards Friary. It was close to the hotel we were checking out of {Shandon Hotel and Spa} and was on our way to our next stop. Ards Friary has a large {free} parking lot, and as we were walking towards the building one of the monks was walking out. He was the kindest human and despite the fact that we caught him on his way out, he still stopped to answer our questions and show us around. It's the Irish hospitality!

The Ards Friary has a cafe with very reasonable prices on coffee, soups and pastries. Sadly, the day we visited it was closed. I can't tell you much about the hours of the shop other than to say, it's like a lot of small Irish businesses in a small rural town, sometimes it's open. The monk was very proud of the cafe and the recent updates, and he quickly grabbed the key to open the doors so that we could see inside. 

He shared with us a few of his favorite walking paths on the grounds and we took notes. These were some of the best "off the beaten path" things that we did while we were in Ireland, so take note! You'll find more locals than tourists in these spots!

If you walk the paved path to the left, you will come upon Isabella Beach. If it wasn't drizzling and windy, I would have mistaken the beach for a tropical one you'd see in a magazine! There were several benches you could use to enjoy the view, or you can continue to walk on the path. This is when we actually ran into one of our new local friends from the pub the night before.

Friends, this is why you slow down your travels a bit! 

Can you drive the island in less than 15 days? Yes. Will you have the same opportunity to settle into a routine, get to know an area, try the food, explore the land and bump into the same locals? Probably not. I think that two weeks is the bare minimum that you can take on a trip around the island and not feel like you are rushing from place to place. But I digress.

After bumping into our new friend, she continued to point us in the direction of Lucky Shell Beach. This was about a 20 minute walk from where we were. The path goes from paved to packed gravel and dirt and the wind picks up as you turn the corner and the coastline is more exposed. The monk and our new friend, both told us separately that they had seen dolphins at the Lucky Shell Beach and that we should keep our eyes peeled. 

After coming to a spire in the water, we wandered down a hillside into a bay. This was Lucky Shell Beach. We spent some time walking on the beach and enjoying the beautiful sand watching the waves crash against the rocks. We started our walk back to where we had parked the car. It took us less than an hour to walk to both the beaches, spending time exploring, taking photos and stopping to talk to some of the locals with dogs. 

We left Ards Friary and headed to Doe Castle. This castle is free to visit and has a decent sized parking lot. There is a very narrow drive to get to the castle. This was a smaller castle and was more in ruins and run down than some of the others we visited, but it was a great spot to stop since it was on the way. There is an accessible beach for fishing or kayaking. 

We continued our drive on to Murder Hole Beach. As we drove, there were a few viewpoints of Doe Castle along the way, and we pulled off in a few spots to see them. Murder Hole Beach is said to be Ireland's most beautiful beach. I saw a few Instagram photos of the beach and my pictures looked totally different. A lot of this has to do with when you visit, and if the tide is high or low. This beach would have been best for a visit at low tide.

Parking is available for a fee of 5 euros. There weren't any surrounding areas to park to get away from this fee, so just park in the lot and pay the money. There was one other car there when we got there. The trail to the beach goes through a working farm. It's covered in cow and sheep poop. Not going to lie, we were glad we had our hiking boots on because it was a bit messy.

The trail to get to the beach is about a mile walk from the car park, and I don't think we anticipated that it was going to be as steep as it was. We are in decent shape, and let's just say we had less spring in our step as we were walking. The trail did get a little confusing, and we ended up straying off the trail a bit and having to wander back through a field to get back. Once you get to the beach, the ground is very soft and can be difficult to walk in, so wear the proper footwear. 

I have a great appreciation for the water and living in the pacific northwest, we have a pretty good understanding of how to read a tide chart. When we got to the beach, we were there at the peak of high tide. At high tide there are two beaches with a small strip of beach the waves occasionally lap over. We are fairly confident that we read the tide chart correctly but the swells seemed to be getting stronger which would indicate that the tide was rising. There were big waves coming in from both sides. This is a great reminder not to turn your back on the waves.

At low tide, this seems like a different beach. There is a cave area that can be explored and the beach is more accessible, but only go in the cave if you are positive you know how to read a tide chart! Swimming is not recommended at this beach because of the strong rip currents, so be prepared to only enjoy this beach from the shore.

In hindsight, it was probably not worth the drive out to Murder Hole Beach at high tide, and we could have done something different for the afternoon. I wasn't quite as enamored with the beach as those who call it the best beach in Ireland are. We saw a lot of beaches on our trip, and this was the least accessible, cost the most money to visit, and was the most out of the way.

After our unexpected hike to the beach we had planned to hike Errigal mountain, but we were kind of exhausted, so we decided to shift gears and visit Glenveagh National Park. I had visited Glenveagh on my last visit, and really enjoyed it, but we weren't planning on visiting because we wanted to do things I hadn't already done. 

Last time I visited Glenveagh I rented bikes to explore the park. It was such a fun way to take the trail to the gardens and castle and see the gounds in a different way. Sadly, the bike rental wasn't in service that day. We paid the money to take the shuttle bus to the castle instead of walking the 3.5 km paved trail from the parking lot. 

At this point, we were getting hangry, so we decided to stop in the Tea Room for a bite to eat. On my last visit, I ate lunch at the visitors center and it was fine. Not great, just fine. I have come to expect a lot from the food in Ireland since most of it is so fresh and delicious. I steered Mike to the Tea Room hoping for a different menu and better food. Sadly, the menu was the same as in the visitors center, but this time, with a long line from a tour group in front of us that made the wait take even longer. 

Glenveagh National Park is unique in that it has a castle on the grounds. The more you learn about the castle history, you realize it's not so great. It's also a castellated mansion as opposed to a traditional castle and was built in the late 1800's so it has a much different vibe around it. 

The two of us felt differently about our visit to the Glenveagh Castle. I really like the decor and that you can tour the majority of the well restored castle, Mike felt like it was visiting someone's grandparents home. Agree to disagree. You will have to find out on your own.

We ended up walking the viewpoint trail to the top. It's a steep climb but worth it if you are able. The trail loops back around into the gardens. There are a lot of them and despite having a large group of people visiting, you can keep your distance in the park because it's so spacious. 

After leaving the park, we made our way to the Gateway Lodge Hotel in Donegal. 

Something to note!

At this point in the trip, we could have really used some laundry services. Instead of staying at a hotel in Donegal like we did, this would be a good time to find an Airbnb with in house laundry. Or if you prefer the hotel experience {Gateway Lodge Hotel was lovely!}, there is a nearby Circle K gas station with laundry services. 

Please read that again.

There is a Circle K gas station with laundry services! We don't have gas stations with laundry, so this might come as a surprise, but for just a few euros you can wash AND dry your clothing. Laundry detergent is included in the price!

We had the most lovely Indian meal for dinner at Chandpur that came highly recommended by many people! We spent some time walking through Donegal town. There are several local pubs offering live music. Just wander towards the ones you hear music coming out of and find a seat to enjoy the evening!

Read More: 5 Things That Surprised Me On My First Visit to Ireland

Day 6: The Rugged Cliffs

Things to do:

• Killybigs {largest fishing port in the country}
• Fintra Beach {30 km from Donegal}
• Sliabh Liag {also called Slieve League: Europe's highest sea cliffs-3 x's taller than Cliffs of Moher}
• Largy Waterfall {secret waterfall only accessible at low tide; can be very dangerous! Must check tides}
• Muckross Head {unusual crag of horizontally bedded limestone-10 km from Fintra Beach}
• Malin Beg {also called Silver Strand Beach 20 km from Sliabh Liag}
• Maghera Caves & Beach {stunning rock formations with caves accessible at low tide}
• Assaranca Waterfall {beautiful falls near Maghera Beach that you can drive right down to}
• An Port {also called Glencolmcille; an abandoned fishing village}
• Donegal Castle {castle in the heart of the city}

What we did:

We started our morning with a leisurely breakfast at our hotel. You'll want to fuel up today! We were glad that we did! This was probably my favorite day of the whole trip. This was the most unassuming day, since we really didn't have any big plans and we let the day just take us. We were so glad that we did!
After breakfast we drove into Killybigs. We had considered staying in this port town, and after driving through I'm glad that we didn't. It's quite small and was perfect for a quick stop, but not necessary for a longer stay. We continued on to Fintra Beach. It was a lovely walk to the beach and sand dunes. This beach shot up high on my list of favorite beaches {so far!} on our trip. 
It had everything from rocks to hillsides to river and water and the colors were incredible. Make sure you walk down to the beach from the trail, and walk back over through the dunes.
We then headed towards Muckross Head. It was a very rural drive on what felt like someone's private driveway. Which to be fair, is what half of Ireland's rural roads feel like! There is a small roadside parking area and a sign that says it has a diverse amount of wildlife from puffins {they migrated}, dolphins, and occasionally whales. 
The area has tall cliffs with a long steep drop into the water below. There is a well worn path around the edge, but not too close to the edge that would have been fine to walk, even for someone who was afraid of heights. The ground is uneven so take caution while walking around. 
After spending some time at Muckross Head, we drove off to Sliabh Liag Cliffs. I was most excited about exploring these cliffs. They are the tallest and most accessible cliffs in all of Europe and despite the popularity of the Cliffs of Moher, they are three times as tall! The Wild Atlantic Way was started by the Ministry of Tourism in Ireland, and they have also done some really incredible things for Sliabh Liag. 

A Little Backstory

Many of Ireland's most incredible landmarks are actually on private land. In fact, Sliabh Liag is owned collectively by 30 families who farm the land and own the mountains. While Sliabh Liag is a bit of a hidden gem that is far less visited than the Cliffs of Moher {200,000 yearly visitors vs 1.5 million}, it has still been visited by tourists throughout the years. With the involvement of Fialte Ireland, the tourism department has worked with the community to create improvements that make access to the cliffs easier for the visitors including a shuttle and updated parking, as well as easier for the community to enjoy the influx of visitors and for them to enjoy the benefits of increased tourism. 
I will be writing a separate post about visiting Sliabh Liag Cliffs because it was one of my favorite hidden gems of the trip! So stay tuned.

Exploring Sliabh Liag Cliffs

Make sure you enter in the information in your GPS to go to Sliabh Liag visitors center. There is another {privately} owned one, that doesn't support the community in the same way. You can park at the visitors center for free. 
There are times when it makes sense to walk or to find free parking, this is not the time. There is a 2.5 mile walk uphill to the viewing platform. Again, pay the fee for the shuttle. It's nominal. The path to walk has no shoulder and your energy is better spent exploring and walking the cliffs from the top, than simply walking to the cliffs!
There are a lot of people at the start, especially at the viewing center, but the further up you climb, the easier it is to separate yourself from the people. 
We didn't have an agenda. We had thought about heading to Largy Waterfall but the tide wasn't cooperating. Instead, we had a guide who spent his life growing up on the mountain, take us up and around pointing out some of the most incredible views. 
We ended up walking about 7 miles from the viewing platform up the cliffs and around the Pilgrims Path completing the loop walk. This took us about 5 hours to complete. 

Note: we watched several people climb One Man's Pass. Google the images of the trail. It looks terrifying with one side a straight drop to the sea, the other a straight drop down a cliffside. Proceed and climb with caution.
After enjoying dinner at The Rusty Mackerel close to the visitor's center, we decided to head to our guide's number one spot for sunset. We thought for sure he would have told us Slieve League had the best sunsets, but he said they were second best!
An Port is an old abandoned fishing village sometimes called Port Famine. It is incredibly remote that's not the easiest to get to. There is a single lane road that you drive for miles and thankfully we barely saw any other cars while driving because it wasn't super easy to pull over to let anyone pass! 
If driving on narrow roads is stressful, skip this portion of the trip! You'll see more sheep than people as you make your way to one of the most remote areas in all of Ireland. There is a small parking lot, and close to the parking lot, you'll see remains of a ghost town, an area with a small settlement of houses that were abandoned back in the 1920's. 
The rocks on the beach are some of the most unique I've ever seen. I could have spent all day looking for the perfect round white stone. Knowing that the roads were a bit treacherous, we didn't want to stay too late since we still had more than an hours drive {most of them on those very small roads} as the dark was starting to set in. 
I wish I had climbed up to the top of the hillside and gotten above the port wall since any viewpoint I had of the light shining on the cliffs was blocked. It was still one of the most beautiful places I've ever been and I only wish we had had more time there!
We left before the sun fully went down and it took us about 20 minutes to drive down a very small rural road to get to a larger {though not big!} portion of road before the dark set in fully. In the darkness, the first part of that drive would have taken much longer!

Do You Need a Convertor or an Adapter on Your Next International Trip?
Day 7: Chasing Waterfalls

Things to do:

• Fairy Bridges and Wishing Chair {Bundoran's first tourist attraction}
• Devil's Chimney {Ireland's tallest waterfall; 1.2 km loop walk}
• Glencar Waterfall [Magical waterfall on Glencar Lough, minutes from Devil's Chimney}
• Keshcorran Caves {16 simple limestone caves}
• Downpatrick Head {massive, narrow sea stack; a bit out of the way}
• Portacloy Loop Cliff Walk {18 km walk with spectacular views; near Downpatrick Head}
• Cliffs of Magho {cliffs overlooking lower lough Erne; a bit out of the way}
• Gleniff Horseshoe {10 km loop single-lane road with spectacular mountain views}
• Westport {charming town with access to many outdoor activities}

Where we stayed:

Westport Coast Hotel {2 nights}garage parking lot
After enjoying our breakfast at Blas {the hotel restaurant}, we made a quick stop out of town at the fairy bridges and wishing chair in Bundoran. Again, this was another stop I had made on my last visit, but it wasn't out of the way, so we added it in! It was an easy walk from the parking lot to access the fairy bridge, which is essentially a sea stack bridge you can easily walk across. 
There are surf rentals here and this is one of the best beaches to learn how to surf in Ireland if you have that on your bucket list! They do provide you with full wet suits! 
We drove on to Glencar Waterfall. It was a quick stop because it wasn't that far off the road. There is a tea shop and nice bathrooms at this location. A few minutes down the road, you run into an area with roadside parking for Devil's Chimney. Parking is limited. I'm guessing after a big rain, this waterfall is incredible and parking might be even harder to find. 
Devil's Chimney is said to be Ireland's most magnificent waterfall. There is a 1.5 mile loop walk that is quite steep going up. The walk back is easier. Thanks to a tip from a few visitors before us, the viewing platform shouldn't be your stopping point. You can easily access the area behind the viewing platform and get to the base of the waterfall for a much better view.
There is some scrambling on some rocks, so wear appropriate footwear and know your limits. 
There wasn't much rain lately, so the falls weren't quite as active or impressive as I bet they normally are, but from the base of the falls, it was pretty incredible to see how tall they were!
We continued on our drive to Keshcorran caves. These caves are off the beaten path a bit. We didn't see any signs to get to them as we drove. There was a small car park but no bathrooms. 
Keshcorran Caves are ancient caves that predate the Egyptian Pyramids by 500-800 years! There are 17 small caves, some of them are interconnected. 
This is another landmark that is on private property. There is a gate, but it's not to keep people out, it's to keep the animals in. There's a steep climb up to the top of the hillside that will take you about 20 minutes. 
The caves are all pretty shallow and all of them are pretty similar. The sheep know where the caves are, and seek shelter in them, so be prepared to dodge sheep poop and hold your nose from the smell. 
You can take some pretty incredible photos from the inside of the caves and I'd imagine, that a sunset would be pretty spectacular from them. 
We really contemplated going to Downpatrick Head and if we were to visit, this was the day to do it. However, it was pretty far out of the way {about 75 km from our hotel} and we decided to put it on the backburner.
We checked into our hotel and were excited to learn that it had a thermal spa that was included. There are many hotels in Ireland that offer access to thermal spas so even if you don't think you'll use the pool, pack your bathing suit. This one included a steam room, sauna, ice bath, rain shower experience, hot tub and pool. It closed at 7 pm, which was a great way to spend the evening.
When you are in this area of the country, even if you aren't a big seafood fan, try the Clew Bay muscles if you see them on a menu. They are fresh and incredible! 

Best Tips to Know Before Traveling Out of the Country for the First Time

Day 8: Westport and Achill Islands

Things to Do:

• Westport {charming town with access to many outdoor activities}
• Great Western Greenway {paved path 42 km great for renting and riding bikes}
• Achill Island {largest island in Ireland}

Things to Do on Achill Island:

• Keel Beach {popular 4 km long sandy beach; 60 km from Westport}
• Achill Bike Hire 
• Acorrymore Lake {mountain lake on the western tip of Achill Island}
• White Cliffs of Ashleam Bay {beautiful sandy beach & white cliffs on Achill Island}
• Deserted Village {deserted stone houses}
• Kildavnet Castle {small tower house on the seaside}
• Keem Strand {secluded horseshoe bay beach; one of the top beaches in the world}

What we did:

We started the morning walking around Westport. Parking was easy, you get the first hour for free. Most shops open around 10 am. There were a few easy streets to walk up and down and explore. 
The weather wasn't looking great for us sadly, it was the worst weather of our whole trip. But we decided to head to Achill Island anyway. It was what we had planned for. We did have bikes rented for a lovely bike ride around the island, but sadly those were cancelled. Had we had a flex day, we could have rescheduled for the next day, but we didn't. 
We decided to make the most of our time on the island and do a drive around it instead. It's a beautiful place, I can see how it's even more beautiful and magical with good weather! We started by heading to Keem Strand. On a beautiful day, we would have hiked to the concrete structure at the top of the hillside {called Moyteogue Head} and enjoyed the view. 
After leaving Keem Strand, we picked up a map of the island from a local bed and breakfast. She circled a few highlights and we made some stops on the way. We stopped at the deserted village where I wandered amongst the sheep for a bit before heading to Silver Strand beach {also called Dugort beach}. Had we come prepared, they had these lovely saunas on the beach to rent and we would have dipped ourselves in the beach before warming up in the sauna on loop! 
We stopped for lunch at the Beehive. I'd recommend it. It was delicious. There were long waits, but for a good reason. We left and continued on a loop around the island. We stopped at Kildavnet Castle where we wandered in from the rain and found a group of sheep farmers drying off. We had the most delightful conversation with the locals who invited us to have tea with them. We shared some laughs and they gave us a few more recommendations of places to see. 
We made a stop to admire the Achill Sound and the rain and wind continued to pick up. We decided to call it a day. I wish our weather had been better on Achill Island. It was one of the days I was most looking forward to. I know from my previous trip, how very beautiful the area is!
We made it back to our hotel to warm up in the thermal spa. It was so nice that our hotel had this as an amenity. Don't forget your bathing suit! You'll regret it!
The rain and wind died down and we decided to head into the city to find some good live music. While we loved our hotel, the only downside is that it was a 30 minute walk from the town center. Thankfully, parking was easy to come by and it was free after 6.
We quickly found that most pubs in Westport didn't serve food. We ended up finding a random restaurant for dinner. Once again, I was surprised at how fresh and good the food is in Ireland, regardless of where you stop.
Our local friends from our pub night told us to find Matt Malloys pub when we were in Westport. The pub was packed but we managed to find a cozy seat near where a group of traditional musicians were sitting. One of the things we love about Ireland is their desire to keep the traditional music alive. There was a teenage boy playing a bodhran {the traditional Irish drum} alongside an older woman playing fiddle and a middle age man strumming guitar. 
We saw streams of people walking past us and began hearing music pour from an outdoor yard bar. There was a band playing on stage, and the vibe was so much different. There were bachelorette parties and groups of friends young and old singing along as the guitarist played cover after cover, each more rowdy and fun to sing along with as the night went by! It was so crowded and so very fun!
As night turned into day, we headed back to the hotel to get some sleep!

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Day 9: From Westport to Galway

Things to Do: 

• Croagh Patrick {popular hike on a sacred mountain; 4.4 miles total, steep elevation gain: 10 km from Westport}
• Doolough Valley {stunning views of mountains, hills, lakes and valley; 32 km from Westport}
• Killary Fjord Boat Tours {Ireland's only glacial fjord; along the Wild Atlantic Way}
• Connemara National Park {beautiful scenery, lots of hikes of different lengths}
• Kylemore Abbey {Victorian castle and gardens}
• Cleggan Cliffs & Sellerna Beach {beautiful views and sandy beach on western tip of County Galway}
• Clifden {quiet coastal town; beautiful landscape}

Things to Do in Galway:

• Spanish Arch
• Galway Cathedral
• Hall of Red Earl
• Lynch's Castle
• Eyre Square
• Salthill Promenade
• The Latin Quarter
• Quay Street

Where We Stayed:

The Hardiman {1 night}nearby parking for 10 euro at a parking garage a 5 minute walk from the hotel

What we did:

We started our morning early hiking Croagh Patrick. They call this Ireland's Holy Mountain and it's said that St. Patrick fasted on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights before banishing the snacks off the island. It's a pilgrimage hike for a lot of people. 
We do a lot of hiking in the PNW and this hike is no joke! It is 2500 feet straight up in a little over two miles with no switchbacks. It's just continuously steep the whole way. The trail has recently been restored at the final push with a team who used existing rocks from the mountain to create a more sturdy hiking path. 
There is a parking lot that costs only 3 euro to park for the day, but we were able to find free street parking since we were there early enough {around 9}. You'll definitely want hiking boots for this trail. It is very uneven! Everything I read recommended poles or a stick. I didn't feel like we needed one. In fact, I asked someone coming down when we were if she felt like they helped and she said they felt more like a hinderance. You can rent a stick for 4 euro at the base if you want.
The day we hiked was a beautiful day and as we were descending, there were hoards of people coming up in a steady stream. Start this hike early if you can! There are bathrooms at the bottom of the mountain and some at the mid point, but those were more rustic and locked when we tried. 
When we got to the top, there is a church, but it is closed and several large rock formations in various areas. These are often used by people who place prayers or offer up blessings to the sick. 
The view is often socked in with fog, but if you are patient, and the winds treat you well, you can sometimes get a peek of the incredible bay and hillside below. Make sure you wear layers as you hike. Your body will warm up, but it will be cold at the top! I am glad I had a hat and gloves! It took us 1 hour and 20 minute to get to the top. We spent 30 minutes on top and then it took us 1 hour and 10 minutes to get down. Those rocky trails are precarious, you'll want to use caution!

We then grabbed a bite to eat and headed towards Doolough Valley. This is one of the most impressive areas in all of Ireland! It's also one of the lesser traveled areas, so it deserves a stop. It does have a tragic past and there is a memorial area that is very simple. As a local guide told me, "it's hauntingly beautiful" and I'd have to agree. You can rent bikes and ride this area, or you can drive like we did and make a few stops along the way.
We then wound around towards Killary Fjord for a boat cruise. The boat was lovely and promises you won't get seasick! It was packed with people, in particular a tour group that arrived just as we had. There were tables on the main floor that were reserved for them. The weather was beautiful, so we enjoyed being outside on the tour. There is a bathroom on board, as well as a snack station, though the ride is only about 45 minutes! A portion of the trip is guided as you sail through and on the return trip, they allow you to enjoy the views.
We decided that since we were already in the area, that we'd stop at Kylemore Abbey. Again, this was a stop that I had made on my last trip, and knowing Mike, I didn't think he'd really enjoy a full tour. The parking lot provides an incredible view of the Abbey and parking is free, so take advantage of a quick pit stop and enjoy seeing the Abbey from across the lake. There is a cafe with food and snacks and restrooms as well. The Abbey is beautifully restored and worth stopping at for a visit. Don't miss exploring the gardens as well! 
We drove on towards Galway city where we were planning our next overnight. We checked into our hotel, and parked our car for the evening. Having a hotel downtown was so very convenient. We wandered over towards the Spanish Arch and then continued on to explore the Latin Quarter. We found dinner at Dail {don't miss the special menu! I had the cottage pie and it was delicious!] before continuing on to explore Galway. 
Galway shops seemed to be open later than the other shops we had found in smaller towns. This is a great time to purchase a Claddagh ring or an Aran sweater. There are numerous shops that sell them! As you wander, let the music in the pubs draw you in! 
There were several pubs with live music. We wandered into a few of them. There didn't seem to be any shortage of live music in Galway. There are plenty of streets to wander up and down. We managed to head toward Eyre Square where we found another pub with music, grabbed a pint and planned out our next day. You'll be shocked to hear what we decided to leave off this itinerary!
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This wraps up the second part of our three part series: Circle the Emerald Island in 15 Days! We found this to be the best self-driving itinerary and we really enjoyed exploring it and now sharing it with you!
Don't miss part three! I'm calling it Headed South and it will capture days 10-15. It covers five counties in Ireland! One area in particular is often deemed the favorite of all the visitors! We also got to have an incredible experience that most people don't ever get! You aren't going to want to miss it. 


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