This tour starts with a night in Galway, Ireland, and then heads north before going south. The actual maps, cue sheets, and GPS files will be provided by our hosts, Green Marble Tours / West Ireland Cycling Tours. Contact: Wilma, tours@westirelandcycling.com.
Day 1, June 5th: Arrival Day
Arrive in Galway (there are regular buses from Shannon Airport or trains and buses from Dublin to Galway). Stay the night in a guesthouse in this bustling historic university town. Depending on arrival time we will meet you in the evening or first thing the following morning to adjust the bicycle for you and talk you through the days ahead.
Accomodation: Galway Harbour Hotel, Phone: 091 894800. Email stay@harbour.ie (included with package). Located at Galway Harbour, a short distance from the pedestrianized city centre and the train station.
Day 2, June 6: Cong – Westport
(37.5 miles, climb 2,324 ft.)
We will transfer you to the heart of Connemara, the quaint village of Cong, famed for being the location of Ashford Castle, one of Ireland’s finest hotels. Other interesting sites are Cong Abbey, the Monk’s Fishing House, and the Dry Canal, and you may like to explore the area before setting off for your day’s ride. Starting from Cong you ride along the lakes of Lough Corrib and Lough Mask to the village of Tourmakeady. Here you decide to either take a long steep climb over the Partry Hills on a narrow road with very few cars but 2300 ft. of climb for the ride, or you can keep on the lakeshore and turn toward Westport on the busier R330 with 39 miles and 900 fewer feet of climb.
Today’s target is the colourful market town of Westport, numerous times winner of Ireland’s tidy towns award as well as being voted the best town to live in Ireland. It is also a place to listen to excellent music. We will transfer your luggage and your non-cycling friend to Westport.
Accomodation: Hotel Clew Bay, Phone: 098 28088, Email info@clewbayhotel.com. The accommodations were very nice, and the town of Westport would be a good place to spend a couple of nights, with extra rides available north of the town.
Directions to the hotel: From the Octagon (statue of St. Patrick in middle), walk down James Street. The hotel is on your left side before you reach the river. View on map.
Download map and cues as PDF: Cong to Westport 37 miles
Day 3, June 7th: Day 3 Westport to Delphi Resort
25.1 miles · +1,142 ft., longer option available.
Today’s cycle will bring you along Clew Bay to the small town of Louisburgh and then through the scenic Delphi Valley to the shores of Killary Harbour, Ireland’s only fjord, and the village of Leenane. We found the roads to be relatively vehicle-free compared to other roads we cycle on. The highlight was the latter part of the ride where we descended between Glennumerra and the lake Doo Lough before reaching the Delphi Resort.
Accomodation: Delphi Mountain Resort & Spa, Phone 095 42208, Email bookings@delphiresort.com.
Directions: Delphi Resort is along the R335 (road from Leenane to Louisburgh) on your RHS, after you have passed by the Delphi Lodge. The resort has a spa and a system of trails, and it would have been fun to spend a second day there.
Download map and cues as PDF: Westport to Delphi Resort with Glunemerra extra out and back. 33.6 miles
Day 4, June 8: Delphi – Leenane – Clifden
(36.6 miles · +1,683 ft climbing, extra 8 mile option)
Cycle from Leenane along the Atlantic coast to Clifden. Enjoy the rugged beauty of the Wild Atlantic Way and pristine beaches along the way. Stop for lunch in Kylemore Abbey. Traffic was uncomfortably busy on N59 to Clifden where we stayed for the night. We turned for a 9-mile ride on the beautiful Skye Road, where the occasional car drove slower. At the half-way point, you have the option to turn back to Clifden on the Beach Road or climb to continue on the Skye Road for a beautiful view of the bay.
Clifden is full of small cafes, shops, bars and restaurants. In the evenings the pubs are alive with the sound of traditional Irish music.
Accomodation: Dun Ri Gueshouse, Hulk St. Phone: 095 21625 Email: Michael@dunri.ie. A comfortable establishment near the center of town.
Directions: Coming from the north into Clifden on the N59 past the Catholic Church at the T, turn right and keep left and left again and Dun Ri is on your RHS after 50m.
Download map and cues as PDF:
- Delphi to Clifden 34 miles
- Delphi to Clifden with Tully 48 miles
Day 5, June 9: Clifden – Rossaveal, then ferry to Aran island
(34.9 miles · +1,142 ft)
Starting from Clifden, take Bridge Street continuing on R-342 and soon turn left on the Bog Road. The morning had a few showers and a strong tailwind with occasional light showers that powered us through reserve of Roundstone bog. Continue along the indented coastline of Cashel Bay into the south Connemara Gaeltacht (Gaelic-speaking area) to Rossaveal from where we caught the 1 pm ferrry to the Aran island of Inishmore for an overnight stay. The ferry terminal is at Kilronan at the eastern end of the island. Take the beach road or the main road to the point where the converge after cycling approximately 5 miles. We enjoyed the Beach Road despite a very strong headwind. The Kilmurvey House is just beyond where the roads converge, and more importantly, is next door to the Visitor Center entrace to Dun Aonghasa a 4000 year-old semi-circular ring fort. It’s worth the cclimb.
Accomodation: Kilmurvey House, Phone: 099-61218 Email kilmurveyhouse1@gmail.com
Directions: From Kilronan take the road west towards Dun Aengus. Kilmurvey is a big grey Georgian house at the bottom of Dun Aengus (on RHS) shortly before the bicycle park. They don’t have a sign out at the road.
Download map and cues as PDF file:
Day 6, June 10: Catch the morning ferry to Doolin – Cliffs of Moher
Cycling distance: 15 miles and longer options
From the Kilmurvey House, we caught a nice tailwind and made it back to Kilronan in time for the 10 ferry to Doolin on the Burren coast. Restaurants don’t generally open until Noon or later, but many of the town has nice delis at the convenience stores. After lunch, we took a back road most of the way to the famous Cliffs of Moher, which rise to 700 feet above the Atlantic coast. Hags Head and several pleasant coastal villages were an option if we continued south, but we returned to Doolin for the night. In the evening we spent a couple of hours at nearby McGann’s Pub, and enjoyed a performance of live traditional Irish music.
Accomodations: Suantrai House B&B, Phone 065 707 4869 Email: suantrai@gmail.com. Website: http://bedandbreakfast-doolin.com/
Directions: Keep on the road from the pier, turning left after the bridge, past the Craft Centre on
your left, then passing Hotel Doolin on your right. The B&B is ahead a short distance on our left-hand side across from the Fiddle and Bow pub.
Download map and cue sheet: Doolin – Liscannor Loop 19 miles
Day 7, June 11: Doolin – Kinvara
Cycling distance: 42 /29 miles
Today turned out to be the hightlight of the trip, cycling the coast road to Ballyvaughan where we got a decent lunch at the deli of a convenience store. That was followed by an invigorating climb through the Burren Nature Reserve, then descending to picturesque Kinvara on the coast. Like every day on our trip, there was a lot of wind. The Burren has a network of quiet roads, although like most of the roads in Ireland they are paved with “oil and stone”, aka “chip and seal”, a rather rough surface that provides a bumpy ride and slows the bikes down considerably. But the scenery is stunning throughout.
Accommodation: Kinvara Guesthouse. Phone: 091 638562. Email: Kinvaraguesthouse@gmail.com.
Directions: In the center of the village on RHS coming from the Ballyvaughan side. At corner with
square and above the Londis supermarket. Kinhara is a colorful picturesque village with several pubs and restaurants. They aren’t open for long hours but fill up quickly.
Download PDF cue sheet and map:
- Doolin to Kinvarra coastal route 42 miles
- Doolin to Kinvarra inland route 29 miles
Day 8, June 12: Kinvara – Galway (34km / 48km climb 150m)
You may wish to visit Dunguaire Castle located just outside of Kinvara before you cycle on backroads to the villages of Clarinbridge and Oranmore. Your destination is Galway City where you will be staying for the last night.
Accommodation: The Ardilaun Hotel Taylor’s Hill. Phone: 091 521433. Email: info@theardilaunhotel.ie
Directions: From Wolfe Tone Bridge keep on the road towards Salthill until the traffic lights with
Tesco Store on your left, take a right here. Head straight through the next traffic lights and this is now Taylor’s Hill. The hotel is on the left about 600m up the hill (keep straight at the next traffic lights).
Day 8 Map and Cue sheet: Kinvarra to Galway 24.6 miles
Day 9, June 13: Depart
Leave your bicycles behind and depart after breakfast on your onward journey. There are regular bus and train connections from Galway City to Dublin. Or you may wish to take a bus to other parts of Ireland.
The cost of the tour (based on a group of six people) to include:
- 8 nights accommodation in hotels and guesthouses, inclusive of breakfasts
- Transfer on day 2
- luggage transfers & transfers for your non-cycling friend
- ferry tickets
- detailed route notes and maps, GPX files
- personal meet and greet
- emergency support
Charges: comes to Euro 1,750 per person sharing. Add Euro 190 for road bike rental (carbon bikes add Euro 390).
Bike New England 