Achill Island

Travelling to the island via Westport, Newport, Mulranny, Achill Sound. Our first stop is in Westport - in a small and romantic town on the Clew Bay, recently voted as “The Best Place to Live in Ireland”. We will stroll along its colorful streets and soak up the friendly atmosphere. Driving through Newport and Mulranny gives us some spectacular views of Clew Bay, including its blue flag beaches and surrounding mountains. On a clear day, we will have a spectacular view of Croagh Patrick – Ireland’s pilgrimage mountain. We will arrive in Achill Sound and cross a swing bridge that joins Achill Island, the largest of the Irish isles, to the Irish mainland. From late May onwards, Achill Island welcomes you with plentiful pink displays of blooming rhododendrons. We will drive along the Wild Atlantic Way and enjoy the island’s rugged landscape, dramatic cliffs, soaring mountains, remote lakes and gold sandy beaches. We also pass one of the castles of the legendary pirate queen, Grace O’Malley. You’ll enter a different world as we arrive at one of the most idyllic beaches in the country - Keem Bay. We will walk on the beach, barefoot if you wish, and take it all in as the world seems to disappear in the magnificence of the scenery. From here we will take a drive to the northern side of the island. We pass German writer and Nobel Prize winner Heinrich Böll’s cottage in Dugort and two Blue Flag beaches - Silver Strand and Golden Strand, facing Blacksod Bay and the remote Belmullet Peninsula. There are many places to have lunch on Achill Island and we can choose from these as we drive along. Another option is to have a lunch in Mulranny Park Hotel with its ocean and mountain views for your complimentary dessert! :)