Things to See and Do in Connemara

Discover the top attractions and best activities in Connemara

Connemara is a sporting paradise. With our temperate climate most of our activities can be enjoyed all year round. And as there is just so much to do, we will have to try and condense it into a few lines.

Connemara Activities

There is golf and pitch and putt, both on magnificent links courses and stunning inland locations. Fishing on rivers, lakes and the sea, could reward you with salmon, trout, cod, ling and even tuna. Our quiet minor roads are perfect for cycling, and with many loops available you won’t have to see the same scenery twice, such a pity, but you can always go back again. With plenty of scope for horse riding and pony trekking, our equestrian visitors will find the mountain, bog and sea shore, a special place from the back of our renowned Connemara Pony.

How about walking or hiking, long and short way marked tracks in some of the most unspoilt countryside, or along the ocean or through the tranquil bogs. An experience never to be forgotten. Then there are more challenging activities, rock climbing, scuba diving, sailing, mountain climbing, swimming in the sea, and in pools, to name but a few.

Sporting events

If being a spectator is your style, you can watch marathons being run through a landscape to take your breath away. Golf competitions, horse racing on the beach, and on wonderful open grassland. Gaelic football, rugby, and soccer can be watched, and tag rugby played on a beach is unique. Boat races and regattas take place throughout the summer and the wonderful curragh races have to be seen.

The Nature of Connemara

Camping and caravans allow you experience the freedom of this area and brings you close to nature.

Getting close to nature is so easy in Connemara, unique flora and fauna, make it a paradise for botanists and ornithologists, and geologists can’t get enough of our rocks. And with such a range of habitats, in such a small area, we go from islands, deep oceans, interesting beaches, grassland, bog, lake, river and mountain, you are bound to find something which interests you. We also have a range of beautiful and interesting gardens, which display an almost sub tropical style, due to the Gulf Stream, passing our coast. There is also ample opportunity for the artist, with wonderful scenery at almost every corner of the road.

Culture of Connemara

If all that activity is asking a little too much, you can slow down and experience the cultural side of Connemara, Traditional music, singing and dancing can be discover throughout the area, on a nightly basis, and then there are the internationally renowned arts festivals which take place during the year, a feast of music, art, poetry and drama.

And talking of feasts brings us to food and drink. We have a range of superb restaurants, cafes and bars which serve a wonderful array of local dishes, especially, seafood and lamb. You will find something to suit all pockets and tastes.

If its history your after, you have come to the right place, around 5000 years to be discovered. We have megalithic stones, tombs, stone and earth forts, early Christian churches, castles, both ruined and inhabited, 19th century houses and the Marconi Wireless Station and the landing place of Alcock and Brown.

Lastly but by no means least, are the people of Connemara, young and old alike, always ready for a chat, to play music, or tell a story, all with a charm which is summed up in the Gaelic saying Cead Mile Failte, a hundred thousand welcomes.

Click here to see the best attractions and activities in Connemara