Plan Your Visit

Galway city centre can be easily walked in a day, but you’ll need much more time to explore its attractions like Eyre Square, The Spanish Arch, the City Museum, the National University of Galway, the Cathedral and the Salmon Weir Bridge. Don’t forget to cross over the River Corrib to get to the ‘Claddagh’, which was once a little fishing village outside the city walls. It’s an area synonymous with the famous Claddagh Ring as this was where the ring first originated. If the weather is nice, take a short drive (about 3km) to Salthill – a beautiful seaside resort at the edge of Galway Bay. It’s got a superb waterfront promenade, in fact it’s the longest in Ireland so enjoy a leisurely walk on the ‘Prom’ and don’t be shocked if you see local people (Galwegians) kicking the wall at the end of it – this is a tradition!

Galway city has been called the ‘Cultural Capital of Ireland’ and the ‘San Francisco of Ireland’ due to its dedication to the Arts, festivals and cultural events. Three of the biggest festivals on the Galway calender of events each year are the Galway Races (first week in August), the Galway International Oyster Festival (Last weekend in September) and the Galway International Arts Festival (mid-July).

An Spidéal
About 13km west of Galway city, you’ll come to the little village of An Spidéal (Spiddal). This charming village is the start of the Galway Gaeltacht (Irish speaking area), so it’s very popular with students who come here to learn the language during the Summer months. It has a beautiful beach and some lively traditional pubs where good Guinness and music can be enjoyed.

Continue west on the R336 and you’ll come to the picturesque harbour village of Rossaveal. This is the point of departure for ferries to the Aran Islands – 3 islands off the coast of Galway which are not only recognised for their unique beauty, but their language, culture, history and heritage.

Clifden
As you weave your way north along Galway’s beautiful west coast you’ll come to the town of Clifden, which can also be reached from Galway city via the N59. Clifden is one of Ireland’s best loved holiday destinations as it’s the perfect place to ‘get away from it all’ and unwind. There’s lots of outdoor activities in the area and attractions to visit like Kylemore Abbey, Ballynahinch Castle, Inishbofin Island and the site of the Alcock and Brown aircraft crash (1919) in Derrygimlagh Bog. Clifden is also known as the ‘Capital of Connemara’ so it’s a great base for exploring this area and its National Park. Connemara is a region northwest of Galway city, which is famous for its wild and remote landscape. It mainly consists of bogs, mountains, woodlands and rivers, but it’s this raw natural beauty, which makes Connemara a magnet for visitors to Galway. In north Connemara you’ll find the National Park, which is made up of about 4,000 acres of scenic landscape offering visitors many opportunities for outdoor activities like fishing, hiking, walking, sailing, snorkelling, diving, bird watching and pony trekking. You can also take the chance to see some wonderful historical and archaeological attractions.

Top Connemara villages
Other pretty villages worth a visit include Cleggan, Renvyle, Roundstone and Leenane. Here the pace of life is slow and you’ll get a real insight into Irish life and customs. Pop into the local pubs and shops and you’ll get to meet the friendly locals.

Not to be outdone by the spectacular west of Galway, the east also has a lot to offer. East and west are both divided by Lough Corrib – the largest lake in the Republic of Ireland.

Towns of South East Galway
The east has some of our favourite Irish towns like the medieval town of Athenry, which is synonymous with the legendary Irish song “The Fields of Athenry”. You can also visit the market town of Ballinasloe, which is also called ‘The Gateway to the West’ as it’s located on the main Dublin/Galway Road. Ballinasloe is the biggest town in Galway.

Maybe you’d like to visit the Georgian town of Portumna at the banks of the River Shannon, or the Heritage Town of Gort where William Butler Yeats once lived. Kinvara, Claregalway, Tuam, Oranmore and Clarinbridge are other Galway towns worth a visit.