Our six day Into the West walking tour introduces walkers to some of the most beautiful parts of the Connemara wilderness in Galway and the scenic coastline of West Mayo in the West of Ireland. The route, which follows much of the Western Way, starts in Maam, a tiny village on the shores of Lough Corrib in Co. Galway.
The walk leaves Maam, nestled amid the Maamturk mountains, to journey through the Inagh Valley, and onto Leenane and Killary Fjord, Drummin and into Westport. The terrain consists of quiet roads, bog roads, open moorland, forestry tracks, mountain paths and about 3km of timber bog bridge.
This walk gives visitors the chance to immerse themselves in the heart of the west of Ireland landscape and offers some of the most stunning scenery to be found in the west.
Prices
B&B Option costs From €595 per person sharing
Duration: 6 days(5 nights)
Dates 2018: This tour starts every Wednesday (between May and September). Alternative scheduling also available for €70 extra per booking.
Level: Varied terrain and occasional hills
Equipment: Correct rainproof gear walking boots are essential
Accommodation: B&B accommodation
Meals: All Irish breakfasts, 2 dinners and 2 packed lunches
Transfers: Taxi from Maam Cross bus stop to your first B&B, all luggage transfers between your accommodation and all transfers to start of walks or end of walks when needed.
Meeting Point: A Connemara Adventure Tours representative will meet you either on the afternoon of your arrival or the following morning.
Departure Point: You depart from your last night’s accommodation in Westport.
Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrival day
You will take a bus to Maam Cross in Connemara, where you will be met by your B&B host who will bring you to your accommodation. We will meet you here, once you have settled in, to go through your route notes and maps and answer any questions you have about your itinerary. Enjoy a cosy night at your B&B where your dinner is included before setting out on your journey in the morning!
Day 2 – Maam to the Inagh Valley – 16km
Today after a hearty breakfast, you set out from your B&B at Maam Bridge for the Inagh Valley (collect your packed lunch before you take off – it is included in your package!). The farming countryside gives way to the rugged terrain of the Maamturk Range and the old mountain road over Mamean known as the ‘Pass of the Birds’. Once over the pass, the dramatic vista of the Twelve Bens mountain range comes into view with the lake at its feet. You then follow the Western Way into the Inagh Valley where tonight you will stay in Lough Inagh Ranch B&B. The B&B is close to the shores of Lough Inagh, one of Connemara’s most spectacular lakes, and is surrounded by the Maamturks and Twelve Bens mountain ranges on all sides.
Day 3 -Lough Inagh to Leenane – 15km
Today’s walk takes you all the way along the Lough Inagh valley, flanked by mountains on either side, through the Coilte forest, coming out onto stunning views of Killary Harbour, Ireland’s only true fjord. The walk follows the fjord inland to the very picturesque village of Leenane where you will spend the night at the lovely Portfinn Lodge B&B.
Day 4 – Leenane to Drummin/Liscarney – 17km
You will be dropped to the beautiful Ashleigh Falls just across the Mayo border and the site of the Errif Fishery where if you’re lucky you might spot the salmon coming upstream to spawn. There is a gentle path up along the river, which joins the Western way at Tawnyard forest. Meandering through the trees, above the Lough, you will follow the Western Way trail which crosses the Owenmore River into the foothills of the Sheefry mountains and on to the tiny village of Drummin. You can opt to be picked up here or continue to walk to your B&B accommodation in Liscarney which is another 5km. Dinner is included at your B&B in your package for tonight.
Day 5 – Croagh Patrick and Westport
After breakfast you will be transferred to the start of today’s climb at Murrisk, Co. Mayo. A place of ancient history, Croagh Patrick is St Patrick’s sacred mountain, and a rich vein of archaeological heritage. The dazzling quartzite pyramid of Croagh Patrick (764m), which dominates the land south of Clew Bay in the west of Ireland, has been a holy mountain since before Christian times. Ireland’s fifth-century patron saint, St Patrick, is said to have made it his own when he fasted on its summit for forty days, and ever since it has been an important place of Christian pilgrimage. Over 15,000 pilgrims climb to the top every year on the last Sunday of July, traditionally known as ‘Reek Sunday’. After you have conquered Croagh Patrick you will be picked up and brought to your accommodation in Westport, from where you can set out to explore the town and soak up the music and atmosphere. Perfect after a day climbing the pilgrim’s mountain!
Day 6 -Departure
Departure after breakfast.
