The Benwee Loop Walk takes around 5 hours to travel on foot, crossing mainly dry bog track and open bogland through unspoilt coastal County Mayo countryside.
Walkers should be up for a challenge on this trail, which begins and ends in the Gaeltacht village of Ceathrú Thaidhg. Bring supplies and gear for a day in the great outdoors as you head out for an unforgettable hike.
Clearly marked, this trail winds past many cultural, natural, and historical sites, including an army observation hut and one of the iconic EIRE neutrality markings, constructed during WWII.
Of course, the main event on the route is Benwee Head itself. Described by writer Robert Lloyd Praeger as “the finest piece of cliff scenery in the country”, this remote outcrop is simply mesmerising.
At the top, admire the free-standing sea stacks, rocky arches and towering vertical drops to the rocky shoreline below.
Trail details
- Type:
- Walking Trail
- Location:
- Carrowteige Loop Walks
- Grade:
- Strenuous
- Format:
- Loop
- Length:
- 11.30km
- Ascent:
- 383m
- Dogs allowed:
- Yes
- For the most dramatic views, walk slightly away from the main trail and follow the low sheep fence up the length of the headland. From the top, Kid Island should be visible, and on a clear day, the sea cliffs of Sliabh Liag (Slieve League) toward the northern horizon.
