IrelandWays

Achill Island GreenWay starts from the lively town of Westport and takes cyclists along the fantastic Great Western Greenway and the magnificent Spanish Coast road to Achill Island. After a tour of Achill, you will cycle back to Westport taking to the Greenway once more. The Great Western Greenway follows a former railway line from Westport to Achill Sound and is the longest traffic free off-road cycling trail in Ireland. This is a fantastic start to your Wild Atlantic Way cycling tour, not too strenuous or taxing for anyone of moderate fitness, just a nice relaxing days cycle. Along the way you will pass the town of Newport with its famous seven-arched viaduct over the Black Oak river; Mulranny and its stunning strand, before taking in the superb views of the Atlantic Drive on your way to Achill Island. Views of Clew Bay with Croagh Patrick in the distance, the ocean and the surrounding blanket bog are simply breath-taking. The Great Western Greenway has won several awards including European Destination of Excellence, an award for the community spirit of the Greenway land owners for allowing their land to be used and developed and an Irish Community and Council Award (LAMA).As you cross the bridge in Achill Sound you will be entering Achill Island, a region of fascinating history and spectacular landscapes. The pirate queen Grace O'Malley (Granuaile) held control of various fortresses and houses along these shores and you will encounter one of her forts along the way. Keem Bay, at the edge of Achill, is home to one of the most idyllic beaches in Ireland.

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Go wild! Cycle the full length of the spectacular Wild Atlantic Way, the world's largest coastal trail. Take in the breath-taking scenery and fascinating history of the West of Ireland on this unforgettable cycling adventure, starting in Kinsale, in County Cork, and cycling all the way to Derry city, in Northern Ireland.

Your starting point for this unique cycling trip will be Kinsale, the 'gourmet capital' of Ireland, and follow the rugged and stunningly beautiful coastal roads of the West of Ireland. This 55-night Wild Atlantic Way cycling tour will take you to areas of breath-taking beauty, hidden corners as well as some of the country's most famous landmarks: the Beara Peninsula; the Ring of Kerry; the Cliffs of Moher and The Burren; bustling Galway city; Connemara; Croagh Patrick, Ireland's holy mountain; Achill Island; the Slieve League cliffs in Donegal and much more.

You will be cycling an average of 42kms per day so you will have plenty of time to explore and take in the magnificent views. More experienced cyclists can combine two or more cycling days if they wish. Talk to the IrelandWays.com travel specialists to create your own tailor-made Wild Atlantic Way cycling tour.Enjoy amazing landscapes, discover Ireland's rich heritage and culture, experience world-famous Irish hospitality and get a chance to learn a 'cúpla focal', a few words in Irish, along the way!

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Cycling through Connemara on the Wild Atlantic Way from Galway to Westport, takes cyclists through Connemara, a region of awe-inspiring and unspoilt natural beauty. Irish playwright Oscar Wilde described it best when he called Connemara 'a savage beauty'.

This Wild Atlantic Way cycling Connemara tour will introduce you to both metropolitan and rural Ireland, visiting lively Galway city and Westport, as well as taking you along coastal roads across rural peninsulas. Connemara's patchwork of lakes, windswept bogs and rugged mountains, gives travellers a sense of splendid isolation. The raw beauty, sweeping vistas and constantly changing moods of the Connemara landscape have captured the hearts and minds of generations of artists, writers and musicians.

From Galway, you will be following the Atlantic coastline on the Wild Atlantic Way, where you are likely to see the traditional sailing boats of Connemara: the Gleoiteog and Pucan, more commonly known as 'Galway Hookers'. In times gone by the larger boats were used to transport turf from the peat bogs of Connemara to the Aran Islands and County Clare.

An impressive stop on the way is Kylemore Abbey; located in one of Ireland's most unique landscapes/ The abbey had very humble beginnings as a hunting and fishing lodge; in 1871 it was bought by Mitchell Henry and development of Kylemore Castle and walled gardens began. In 1920 it was purchased by Benedictine Nuns and converted to the abbey you see today, after they fled Ypres in Belgium during World War I. As you approach Westport you will enjoy views of Croagh Patrick, Ireland's 'Holy Mountain' and a traditional place of pilgrimage.

With short cycling days on the Cycling Connemara tour, you will have time to explore some of the historic and cultural highlights of the tour, such as Clifden Castle, Killary Fjord and Westport town to mention just a few.

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The fourth section of the Wild Atlantic Way cycling takes you from the town of Killarney to Tralee across the magnificent Dingle Peninsula, discovering the region's rich culture, history and wild beauty. The route hugs the coastline and rewards cyclists with breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Kerry Mountains.

The colourful town of Dingle is a stop along this section of the Wild Atlantic Way cycling: TripAdvisor rated it among the top 100 destinations in the world and National Geographic referred to it as 'the most beautiful place on earth'. The town's most famous resident is a bottle nose dolphin named Fungi who made Dingle harbour his home in 1983.

On this section of the Wild Atlantic Way cycling you will cross the Dingle Peninsula and Mount Brandon by the famous Conor Pass which has a superb viewing point at 412m. From here you will be able to see the coast on either side of the peninsula.In addition to stunning landscapes, the Dingle Peninsula is also dotted with important cultural and historic sights from Celtic Ogham stones to Fahan Beehive huts, ring forts, dolmens, standing stones and holy wells. Annascaul is also an interesting stop, as it is the birthplace of famous Antarctic explorer Tom Crean. His pub, The South Pole Inn, is a great place to get some refreshments or explore the museum. Parts of the Dingle Peninsula are in a Gaeltacht (Irish speaking area): the best place to discover authentic Irish culture.

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This section of the Wild Atlantic Way takes you to the famous Ring of Kerry on a looped cycling route from the tourist hub of Killarney. This awe inspiring coastal cycling tour takes in pretty villages such as Sneem and Waterville, as well as beautiful stands such as Rossbeigh beach and the manicured Victorian gardens of Muckross Park, just outside Killarney.

For the first three days you will be cycling along the southern coast of the Iveragh Peninsula with the Beara Peninsula across the water on your left and the Macgillycuddy's Reeks on your right. This mountain range is home to 9 of the 10 tallest mountains in Ireland; the tallest of all being Carrauntoohil (1038m). From the town of Waterville you will be able to spot the famous Skellig Islands, the spectacular site of a 6th century monastic settlement and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Reaching the coastal town of Portmagee you will have some time to explore Valentia Island, the site of the first permanent communication (telegraph) link between Europe and the United States.

The second half of this Wild Atlantic Way cycling tour will see you making your way back to Killarney across the more rural and flatter Northern side of the peninsula, passing towns such as Portmagee, Glenbeigh and Killorglin, home of the traditional Puck Fair. You will have views of the stunning Kerry coastline including the Dingle Peninsula, Rossbeigh and Inch beaches to your left. We have designed this Wild Atlantic Way cycling tour so you will stay in all the most important towns along this stunning route and with short cycling days, so you will have time to explore the history and heritage of along the way.

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The Wild Atlantic Way cycling West Cork tour starts in the colourful fishing port of Kinsale, one of Ireland's gourmet capitals and takes cyclists across picturesque West Cork to the small coastal town of Glengarriff. This cycling holiday crosses some remote and spectacular coastal areas. Kinsale has a lot to offer: a stunning natural harbour, some of the best restaurants in Ireland and plenty of evening entertainment. You will also get a chance to visit Charles Fort, a 17th century star-shaped fort overlooking the estuary and in the past guarded Kinsale from attacks. Moving on from Kinsale the Wild Atlantic Way leads cyclists along quiet country roads hugging the rugged coastline and taking cyclists to the villages of Clonakilty, Skibbereen and Baltimore.

On this Wild Atlantic Way cycling West Cork trip you will also reach Mizen Head, Ireland's southernmost point. Standing on the viewing point at the tip of the Mizen Peninsula there is nothing West of you until you reach America! it is truly a view you can get lost in. You will then continue your cycle up the coast to take in the stunning Sheep's Head peninsula before passing through the town of Bantry on your way to Glengarriff.

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