Connemara's unique landscape and quiet roads make it an ideal place to get behind the wheel and explore the countryside. You'll have the freedom to meander at your own pace, stop for photographs and detour down back roads to discover your very own slice of Connemara life. This two-day driving tour, with optional detours to the islands, takes in the best scenery and attractions on an easy loop from Galway City.
Day 1
Depart from Galway and follow the R336 west along the north shore of Galway Bay. As you leave the city behind you’ll pass through the small towns of Bearna and Furbo and from there it’s an easy jaunt to Spiddal. You’ll find a popular blue-flag beach here and also the Spiddal Craft Centre where you can see artists and craftspeople at work in their studios.
Spiddal is the gateway to the Connemara Gaeltacht (Irish speaking region) and from here on you’ll see shops and signs marked out in Irish. Just past Spiddal is the town of Inverin from where you can take a short flight across to the Aran Islands. Alternatively you can take a ferry from Rossaveal which is only a little further down the road. The three Aran Islands make a wonderful detour and are well worth an overnight stay. With breathtaking scenery, an unhurried pace of a life and vibrant traditional culture, they’re a highlight of any trip to the region. On Inis Mór, the largest island, you’ll find the spectacular Bronze Age fort of Dún Aonghasa. Perched on top of a 100m-high cliff, this semi-circular fort is one of the most magnificent in Europe.
Back on the mainland continue on through the picturesque village of Costelloe to Screeb where you turn left on to the R340 towards Gortmore. Follow the signs to the left for Rosmuc and make your way down the tranquil back road to the water’s edge and the summer residence of Patrick Pearse (1879 - 1916), national hero and leader of the 1916 Rising. Pearse’s Cottage, a small, traditional thatched cottage overlooking the sea, contains an exhibition on Pearse’s life and a number of his mementoes.
Return to the main road at Gortmore and continue along the R340 which skirts the coastline and offers spectacular views out to sea and inland to the mountains. You’ll pass the villages of Carna, Toombeola and Ballinahinch before arriving at Roundstone, where you can visit Roundstone Music & Crafts, a traditional instrument workshop where you can see bodhráns, traditional goat-skin drums, being made. Roundstone also has a pristine white sand beach at Gurteen Bay, a great spot for swimming.