One day trip our Airbnb host in Galway highly recommended was to drive around Connemara National Park and it did not disappoint.
This is not a long trip at all and took us only an afternoon to enjoy the sights of this part of the country. From the narrow winding roads, sheep crossings, and beautiful fjords and valleys, this drive will fly by as you soak in this unique part of the country. Here are some sights we took in on our trip:
Kylemore Abbey
During our drive around Connemara, we stopped at the beautiful Kylemore Abbey. Unfortunately, since we were there during their off-season the Abbey was under renovation, but the property had plenty to see and we thoroughly enjoyed the chapel and gardens. This is worth a stop!
Leenane Fjord
We saw a ton of people hopping back on a tour bus and figured we should stop here for a few minutes. As you drive around Connemara you will pass through a small town called Leenane. Along the road are a few places to pull over and enjoy the views and take some pictures.
The Coral Strand
Our Airbnb host highly recommended this beach that has coral sand. As the water rushes over the sand it sounds like rice-krispies cereal in milk. We got there just before the sun was going down, but time enough to enjoy the ice-cold water and views before it got dark. Not sure how, but there were people swimming. He said during the summer people will be out there swimming and the Galway Hookers (sailboats) will be out in the water. If you’re visiting during the summer I would definitely say to check this area out and bring your swimsuit!
Other things you can do.
Like I said above, we only spent the afternoon driving around Connemara. There are several other things you can do or go see such as hiking in the park, visiting Ashford Castle, Clifden Castle, or spending time in Oughterard. We would highly recommend taking a morning, afternoon, or entire day driving around this beautiful part of Ireland!
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