The Connemara List

Connemara has a wild and enchanting beauty, with otherworldly landscapes of bog and mountain, contrasted by dramatic coastline with hidden and pristine beaches. It tends to attract the attention of artists, creatives and the responsible traveler looking for a quiet and authentic Irish experience—slow travel and quiet luxury. The abundance of beauty, art, culture, heritage, music, food, places, and stories appeals to travelers seeking authentic experiences.

The picture-perfect coastal village of Roundstone is located just over an hour’s drive from Galway city. It also makes a perfect base for circumnavigating the rest of Connemara, and is filled with award-winning pubs, restaurants and craft makers—surrounded by stunning landscapes with the backdrop of Bertraghboy Boy and the Twelve Bens mountains standing guard in the distance.

Of course, we highly recommend a stay at Within the Village. From the outset, our vision for transforming these century-old buildings, a former pub and a guest house, into five luxury self-catering stays—loosely based on the Italian albergo diffuso, in which old buildings are revived and embedded into the community—was to take inspiration from the beautiful surroundings of Connemara. That meant drawing on local materials and craftsmanship, while helping to keep traditions such as basket-making and ceramics alive. When we opened two years ago, we wanted to create the feeling of visiting your friend’s really nice home for a few days, surrounded by beautiful things, comfort, warmth and being looked after with a true Irish welcome and hospitality. 

But even if you don’t stay with us, we’re excited to share our favorite people and places along Connemara’s Great Wild Way, conceived around three coastal drives from Roundstone, with stops along the route. 

And while summer is always a lively time to visit, off-season travel in Ireland can be beautiful and entirely stress-free. There are no lines, no bookings, no crowds. Sometimes you can plan your route according to the weather. Other times it decides it for you!

IN & AROUND ROUNDSTONE

Village life: Just enjoy waking up in the morning and being part of a small rural Irish village. Pop into Colette in Ferrons Grocery & Post Office to buy your newspaper, go across to Seamus in J.J. Wood’s store to buy his wife’s fresh brown bread usually just out of the oven. Call down to the crew in My Coffee Cottage at Roundstone pier for a chat and a nice flat white oat latte. And talk to all the locals who love to see visitors from out of town in the village!

Seaweed bath/sauna: Take an early morning walk to Ervallagh pier for a sea swim, followed by a stop at the Seaweed Baths and Sauna overlooking the Atlantic near  Gurteen Beach. Sink into mineral-rich waters as waves crash on the pier outside for a serene experience that combines natural wellness with breathtaking ocean views.

Shop: At Roundstone Ceramics, watch Seamus Laffan at work at his potter’s wheel and buy some of his crafted pottery to take home. Drop into Roundstone Music and Crafts, the studio and shop of the master bodhran-maker Malachy Kearns, who fashions the traditional handheld Irish drum from goatskin and adds his intricate designs.  

Walk/Hike

Bay walk – Through a secret coastal route at the end of the village opposite the church (enter via the steel gate), you can walk to the famous Gurteen and Dog’s Bays through hidden paths, lanes and across the rocks and a small wooden bridge (45 minutes). 

Errisbeg Mountain – An easy 6km hike starting behind O’Dowd’s pub and restaurant. Enjoy stunning views of Dogs Bay beach, the Twelve Bens and the islands. Large boulders sitting atop the peak offer a great place to take in the view and enjoy a picnic.

Hidden Megalithic Tomb – Just outside Roundstone lies a  5,000-year-old megalithic tomb, tucked away from the main roads. Best explored with a local guide (Michael Gibbons does great local heritage tours—info@walkingireland.com). It’s a place where history, landscape, and legend meet, framed by the sound of the Atlantic. 

The Fort – On the northern approach-road into the village, overlooking Roundstone Bay and Inishnee Island, you’ll encounter a lovely thatched roof on a large stone building called The Fort. In the 1820s-40s, it served as a base for a local wood and iron tradesman, then served as a hospital and workhouse during the Great Famine. In more recent decades, it’s become a private home and recording studio with a few illustrious residents, including Irish author Kate O’Brien, Sting, and now Bill Whelan, the Irish composer of “Riverdance.” 

Eat & Drink: From  King’s Pub, often claimed to pour the best Guinness in Ireland, to  O’Dowd’s with its creamy chowder and crab claws,  Vaughan’s, and  The Shamrock, Roundstone’s pubs are warm, characterful, and known for their seafood. On summer evenings, a seat on “the wall” outside with a pint and the Atlantic view is hard to beat.

WILD ATLANTIC WAY DRIVES

A car or a private tour guide/driver is a must for visiting this region. Here are our favorite villages to stop in along any of these itineraries branching out from Roundstone village. They take you all along the Wild Atlantic Way and incorporate the main things to see, do, shop, eat, etc. 

Itinerary 1 – Galway to Roundstone (1 hr 15 minutes drive without stopping)

Ed note: See our Galway List by The Tweed Project founder Aoibheann McNamara here!

As you leave Galway city and head west along the N59, the built environment quickly falls away and the pretty village of Oughterard marks the gateway to Connemara. If you want to pick up fuel for the trip (or your stay), stop in Oughterard at Sullivans Country Grocery Store for freshly baked goods and a fantastic selection of artisan Irish products. 

Beyond Oughterard, this scenic drive opens up to a tapestry of lakes, rivers, bog, mountains and Connemara’s ever-changing skyscape. Just before the turn off for Roundstone, stop at Joyce’s Craft Shop in the village of Recess, home of Connemara marble and exemplary Irish craft and design since 1895. Traditionally, Connemara was dependent on the sea and small holdings, where the men fished and worked the land whilst the women created additional income through weaving, woolens and craft. Today, they still drive many of the independent arts and crafts industries with an honest and authentic representation of Irish craftsmanship. Joyce’s displays an extensive range of different hand-made crafts from master artisans based all around Ireland and Connemara, including knitwear, Irish blankets, glassware and pottery. It also stocks work by master basket-weaver Joe Hogan and colorfully woven Crios belts  by Liz Christy, along with coveted Connemara green marble and owner Mark Joyce’s own artwork.

The same can be said about food and tourism. The talent of the community of Connemara today has shown resilience and strength that can be seen in the innovative ways it is bringing its unique products to the public. Connections to the sea and the land remain strong on menus, in grocery stores and in visitor experiences. Farmers allow their sheep to roam freely, picking heather from the hillsides and seaweed from the shore, resulting in a delicate and sweet flavour. The standout produce of the area is hill lamb, which has attained PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) status, and seafood from the cold, clear waters of the Atlantic—the sweetest black-blue lobster, scallops, crab, cockles, oysters and mussels.

Arriving at Roundstone, arguably Connemara’s most picturesque fishing village, one of the first things you will see in front of the vibrantly painted streetscape and bobbing boats in its harbour is a bright sign for Roundstone Bay & Islands Food Tour. Damien, a fourth-generation fisherman with his captivating storytelling, will take you on a personalised tour to unique spots on the bay based on your interests. Each tour is tailored, with options ranging from relaxing on the deserted island of Inishlacken to coastal exploration, wildlife watching, and exciting activities like pulling up lobster pots and cooking the lobster and fresh mussels on the island to wash down with a pint of creamy Guinness. 

Itinerary 2 – Letterfrack, Kylemore Abbey and Connemara National Park Loop (Approx 2 hours of driving) 

From Roundstone, drive toward Letterfrack and take the famed scenic lakeside road, past Lough Inagh. It is an amazing drive with bog on both sides, silvery ponds and the Twelve Bens mountains in the distance. It was this beauty that attracted Mitchell Henry, who in 1868 built Kylemore Castle, his extraordinary neo-gothic home and walled garden. It’s now known as Kylemore Abbey, having been a Benedictine monastery since the 1920s, and a visit is a must. There is a wonderful interactive visitor experience that tells the stories of the many generations of people who have lived, worked, studied and prayed inside Kylemore Abbey’s solid granite walls, and a beautiful craft and design shop where you can pick up soaps and chocolates handmade by the Benedictine nuns, or a piece of the iconic Fuchsia Kylemore Pottery. 

A short stroll from the main buildings of the Abbey  lies the Victorian walled garden, restored to its 19th-century glory. Divided by a mountain stream, the eastern half includes the formal flower garden, glasshouses and the garden bothy, while the western part has a vegetable garden, fruit trees, a rockery and herb garden. The garden also contains a shaded fernery, an important feature of any Victorian garden. Book a tour to enjoy the quiet pathways, rare plants, and mountain views, followed by afternoon tea in a historic setting. Driving through the village of Letterfrack on your left, those who want a design deep-dive can stop and visit the Atlantic Technological University Connemara campus to view the student work and exhibitions at the National Centre for Excellence in Furniture Design and Technology.

Another example of keeping traditions around wood and stone alive in the region, through collaborations with Connemara Marble, Connemara National Park and Kylemore Abbey.

The Connemara National Park visitor centre is just outside the village, and the park covers some 2,000 hectares of scenic mountains, expanses of bogs, heaths, grasslands and woodlands. Some of the National Park’s mountains, namely Benbaun, Bencullagh, Benbrack and Muckanaght, are part of the famous Twelve Bens or Beanna Beola range. The most famous hike is Diamond Hill, a nearly two-hour ascent to a 1,450 summit for views over bays, boglands and pointy peaks.  While the park gets up to 3,000 people a day in high season, that drops to somewhere between 100 to 300 in low season. If you start early enough, you can catch the sunrise and watch the Twelve Bens turn gold as the first light spills across the ocean.

Itinerary 3 – Clifden and Sky Road Loop (40-minute coastal drive to Clifden)

Take the coastal road out of the village, past the church and head for the market town of  Clifden, famous for the annual Connemara pony show in August and guarded by the 12 Bens, where you can gaze out across the beaches and dramatic coastline of this town on the edge.

En route, stop off at Connemara Smokehouse at Ballyconneely pier. Committed to sustainability and the environment, this family have crafted the finest traditionally smoked wild Atlantic seafood for more than 40 years. At the visitor centre, explore the history and importance of the various methods used for smoking and experience first-hand the difference they make in the texture, flavour and quality of our products through the food tasting experience, paired with a glass of wine or artisanal Irish apple juice. 

Clifden has a range of colourful shops, from art spaces like The Whitethorn Gallery to antiques shops to high end craft and tourist souvenirs. For six generations, Stanleys of Clifden have supplied the best quality knitwear, footwear and wool products.

Make sure to stock up on fresh local produce from Connemara Hamper, a well-stocked specialty food store highlighting local food and its provenance. The small Friday market on the square consists of a bit of everything, from vegetables to shoes and a few rugs thrown in for good measure—there is the tiny fish truck (with a queue from early morning) selling the best crabmeat in the world.

From town, take the 16km Sky Road driving loop, which takes in outstanding scenery and provides panoramic views over Clifden Bay and its offshore islands. There is a Lower and Upper Sky Road (take the Upper!) and both need to be driven  with caution  as the roads are narrow.  You’ll find a Wild Atlantic Way discovery point at the highest section of the Sky Road Loop.  It’s especially impressive at sunset, when the golden light adds a dash of magic to the scenery. 

Off to the distance you can see Omey Island. Just off  Claddaghduff,  Omey Island  reveals its pristine sands only at low tide. Drive across the firm sands to a beach that feels untouched and far away from the crowds. Time your visit for August to witness the annual  horse-racing event held right on the shoreline. But watch the tides, since when the tide comes in, your car can get stuck!