Connemara: bogs, the Sky Road and Kylemore

Route description

Leave Galway on the N59 along the shore of Lough Corrib to Oughterard, a good stop for supplies. Beyond it the land opens into bog and lakes below the Twelve Bens, and at Recess or Toombeola you can turn south towards the coast.

Roundstone is a fishing village facing Errisbeg hill, with white-sand beaches at Gurteen and Dog’s Bay a short drive west. The coast road then runs north past Ballyconneely to Clifden, the lively capital of Connemara.

West of Clifden, drive the Sky Road loop for views over islands and inlets; the upper road is narrow and best done clockwise. Head north to Letterfrack and walk in Connemara National Park, where the Diamond Hill loop gives a view over the whole coast.

Kylemore Abbey sits on a lake below wooded slopes, with a Victorian walled garden a short shuttle ride away. The N59 then follows Killary Harbour, a long fjord between steep mountains, to Leenane. Expect sheep on the road and narrow sections where passing is tight.