Lazy Days

 

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This tour is specifically designed for independent travellers, who wish to cycle less of a distance and spend relaxing lazy days along the way. It allows for in-depth explorations of the various cultural and natural attractions of the wonderful Connemara region. Connemara is the western wonderland of Europe, where rugged mountains soar above wild Atlantic beaches. Your route will take you both inland and along the coastal region, giving a glimpse of the dramatic scenery of Connemara.

Daily cycling will average 25 – 35kms on low traffic back-roads, the terrain is not flat, but neither is it hilly, rather a rolling countryside. In the evenings you will enjoy traditional Irish hospitality with the option of staying in either distinguished hotels or wonderful guesthouses and B&Bs. Route descriptions, local information and maps are provided.

 

Tour Price 2020: 

B&Bs – From €675.00 per person sharing for 7 Days/6 Nights. Single Person rate €985.00
Hotels – From €895.00 per person sharing for 7 Days/6 Nights. Single Person rate €1,295

Duration: 7 Days /6 Nights
Availability 2018: This tour starts every Monday (between April and October). Alternative scheduling is also available for€70 extra per booking.
Level: Easy cycling days with average of 25-35km a day with longer options available on most days
Equipment: Touring Kike, hybrid upgrade bike (front suspension) €70 extra .  Helmets, front handlebar bag, side panniers(if required and  €20 extra charge), bicycle repair-kids and locks. Extras: All luggage transfers from accommodation to accommodation. Route notes and OSI maps (1:50,000)
Meeting Point : Clifden, Co. Galway.
Accomodation: 3 star hotels or B&B’s

 

Tour Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival  Arrive in Clifden (there is a direct daily bus service from Galway to Clifden). Warm welcome and a chance to settle in. You will be given your route notes and general information and your bikes and equipment will be delivered to your accommodation. One of our representatives will meet you on either the afternoon of your arrival or the following morning at your first night’s accommodation to answer all your questions and go through your routes together. Clifden is a small, colourful town, also often labelled the ‘Capital of Connemara’. There are many restaurants where you can choose a lovely evening meal and a great selection of traditional pubs where often you will find Irish music.

Day 2: Clifden to Renvyle – 35 to 45km After a hearty breakfast, you will set off along the Sky Road, if you opt for the longer option (45 kms), it offers fabulous views over the Atlantic ocean and its islands. Travelling quiet back roads, you will pass through the quaint fishing village of Cleggan and on to Letterfrack, home of the Connemara National Park. Then your journey will take you to the Renvyle Peninsula which is steeped in history and archaeological sites and is renowned for its pristine sandy beaches and spectacular vistas of the Twelve Ben mountain range.

Day 3: Renvyle to Leenane – 26km  Leave Renvyle after a hearty breakfast. You will set off, passing through Tullycross with its many thatched cottages and meander along the coast pasing perfect beaches to the small village of Leenane, situated at the head of Ireland’s only fjord. You could take the boat along Killary Fjord for a sightseeing expedition at either 10.30am, 12.30pm, 2.30pm or 4.30pm. This is a 1.5 hour boat ride on the Connemara Lady catamaran. The trip is often honoured by the company of leaping dolphins and always includes commentary on all major points of interest along the way. Tonight you will stay the night in Leenane.

Day 4: Leenane to Lough Inagh – 23km   After breakfast you will continue your journey today leaving Leenane. You cycle away from the coast back towards the mountains on a road through lake-strewn moorlands to the stunning Inagh Valley. You will have the option to visit one of Ireland’s top visitor attractions, Kylemore Abbey & Gardens. This gothic fairytale lakeside castle lodged in a wooded hillside is the site of one of Ireland’s finest gardens. The six-acre Victorian walled garden at Kylemore was created by Mitchell Henry in tandem with the building of Kylemore Castle in 1867. It has won the prestigious Europa Nostra Award for Gardens. Tonight you will be staying in welcoming accommodation overlooking spectacular Lough Inagh.

Day 5: Lough Inagh to Roundstone  – 28km Cycle back towards the coast today, leaving the mountains behind as you head towards Roundstone. You will be travelling along a route dotted with pretty fishing villages. You will cycle through peat bogs and lovely moorlands still divided by the Neolithic field systems. Your journey will bring you into the Gaeltacht (Gaelic speaking) region, which is considered the last bastion of Celtic Ireland. You will rest and relax tonight in the small picturesque fishing village of Roundstone.

Day 6: Roundstone to Clifden – 24km  Well-fed and well-rested, you will begin your day with a gentle cycle along Mannin Bay. With its coralline beach & glorious turquoise bay it is a paradise for the beachcomber. This route brings you past Ballyconneely, or can be made shorter by taking the Bogroad. Roundstone bog is unique in that it is an unspoiled area of bogscape with rare acid-loving plants. You will arrive back at your starting destination of Clifden where you will spend your last night getting a second chance to enjoy the ‘craic’ in this vibrant town – one of the last true treasures in Western Europe.

Day 7: Departure