Enjoy five days of magical Irish scenery on this walking tour of Connemara and the Western Way
Connemara is one of the most beautiful regions traversed by the Wild Atlantic Way. Connemara takes its name from the Irish tribal group Conmacne Mara, whose name meant “Tribe of the Sea” – even the name is wildly inspired!
Stretching from Galway Bay to Killary Harbour and bounded on the east by Lough Corrib & Lough Mask, the principal range of mountains found here is the Twelve Bens and the smaller Maumturks. Grey quartzite peaks shimmer over bogs and small loughs which are fed by an average rainfall of 1700mm a year! It is a wild place, with some of the finest scenery Ireland has to offer. Connemara is the perfect walking trail for a short break in the west of Ireland.
Early settlements were mainly on the coast, the interior deemed too infertile and wet for any useful occupation. The area suffered huge population loss in the mid 19th century due to the Great Famine but through the guidance of the Irish Land Commission, land leases were offered to tenant farmers. Fishing was structured and the area was slowly rejuvenated. Today much of the valley land is now under forestry schemes and intensive fish farming fills the coastal loughs. The predominance of hills and water means a relatively small road network but despite this, a strong native population remains.
Route: The Western Way runs from Oughterard in Co. Galway to Ballina in north Co. Mayo. Our itinerary covers the south and central section – often distinguished in literature as Western Way Connemara and Western Way Mayo. From the Pass of Mám Éan, the Way descends to the beautiful Lough Inagh Valley with the Maumturk Mountains on one side and the equally awe-inspiring Bens on the other.
If you have any questions or comments concerning the itinerary outlined below, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Prices / Dates
Price: €811 per person sharing
Single Supplement: +€420
Solo Traveller Supplement: +€55
Tour Dates: 1 April to 15 October
Tour Grade: Easy
Accommodation: Guesthouse/Hotel or B&B
Included / Excluded
- 4 nights bed & breakfast
- All accommodation is pre-booked in approved family-run guesthouses with all rooms en-suite.
- Breakfast is supplied each day.
- Connemara and Western Way walking map guide and route notes, route notes of the Western Way and trail checked my Christopher from Footfalls.
- GPX Tracks
- Details on restaurants and places of interest to visit along the way.
- Luggage transfers daily while you walk.
- All information on trains or buses needed to get to your first accommodation in Oughterard and back at the end of the tour from Leenane.
- 24-7 Emergency Telephone support
- Public transport to the beginning of the tour and back at the end
- Evening Meals
- Packed Lunches
- Drinks and Snacks
- Personal Equipment
Travel to Oughterard where you will be picked up and taken to your guesthouse. Oughterard is a traditional village, nestled beside Lough Corrib (the largest lake in the Republic of Ireland), at the start of the Connemara Mountain Range and only 17km from Galway City.
Your first walk takes you along the south-western shore of Lough Corrib, one of the great western lakes of Europe, known for its trout and salmon fishing and its myriad of islands. You will continue into the townland of Curraun More, across the Owenree River and through the forest of Folore to join the Maam Road. From here, you will enjoy your first glimpses of the breathtaking mountains of Connemara. This is a perfect introduction to the Connemara countryside, where you will see the landscape change from picturesque to genuinely wild. It has largely been untouched by the modern world.
A complimentary taxi transfer back to Oughterard. You will stay overnight in Oughterard.
Distance: 24 km / 15 miles, Ascent: 270 m / 810 ft, Approximate walking time: 5 / 6 hours
A complimentary taxi transfer back to the trail.
On the first section of today’s walk, you will pass by the site of the famous movie “The Quiet Man” starring John Wayne & Maureen O’Hara, a John Ford’s classic movie, filmed in 1952.
You will witness the transformation of the landscape from yesterday's delightful scenery to the increasingly untamed, as you walk amidst the splendour of the Maumturk Mountains (The Pass of the Pig). The trail follows an old pilgrim route that rises gently between mountains at Maumeen (the valley of the bird), passing St. Patrick’s Church and Holy Well as you travel.
It is said that St. Patrick rested in this spot on his way to “Croagh Patrick”, a sacred mountain that you will be passing on your way to Westport. Crossing the spine of the Maumturk Mountains, you will be presented with some fantastic views in both directions, back into the Maam Valley and ahead to the “Twelve Bens” mountain range. On the far side of the Inagh Valley, you will enjoy stunning views of the lake dotted with islands and a Crannog (an ancient man-made lake dwelling). You will stay overnight in Lough Inagh.
Distance: 25 km / 16 miles, Ascent: 570 m / 1710 ft, Approximate walking time: 5 / 6 hrs
You depart Lough Inagh by walking directly from your accommodation via an old road that dates back hundreds or possibly thousands of years.
The trail contours the base of the Maumturk Mountains, passing some old ruined deserted settlements as you travel. This area is now completely uninhabited and has been since the time of the great famine of 1845. This is one of the most remote parts of the trail where you will find a great sense of peace and distance from the bustle of modern life and its conflicts.
As you descend into the village of Leenaun, you will enjoy some fantastic views of Ireland’s only fjord “Killary Fjord”. Glaciers moving off the mountains over ten thousand years ago, carved this fjord from the underlying rock and was subsequently filled by the Atlantic Ocean. Your day finishes in Leenaun, a village nestling on the shore of Killary Harbour and backed by the mountains. Leenaun was brought to fame because of the famous John B. Keane literary work “The Field”, first performed in 1965. It was adapted into a film in 1990 by Jim Sheridan. It tells the story of a family and a community torn apart by conflicts over the ownership and control of land, a theme very common in Irish history. You will stay overnight In Leenaun.
Distance: 18 km / 11 miles, Ascent 245 m / 735 ft, Approximate walking time: 4 / 5 hrs
After a hearty breakfast, you will depart for home.
