Mayo · Sligo · Ireland
Westport, the Georgian town on Clew Bay, the sacred mountain Croagh Patrick, the Great Western Greenway to Achill and, in Sligo, Benbulben, Yeats's grave and the stone tombs of Carrowmore.
In the photo: Croagh Patrick
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Get to know the place
The counties of Mayo and Sligo occupy the northwest of Ireland, along the Wild Atlantic Way, the west coast road. It is a region of bays open to the Atlantic, isolated mountains, bogs and surf beaches, quieter than the southwest and with a past tied to the Great Famine, which emptied the countryside in the 19th century.
Westport, at the head of Clew Bay, is an 18th-century planned town, with the Mall by the Carrowbeg River, the Octagon square and shopping streets with colorful facades. Tradition says the bay has an island for every day of the year. Across it rises Croagh Patrick, a 764 m mountain where, by tradition, Saint Patrick fasted for 40 days in the 5th century; on the last Sunday of July thousands of pilgrims climb to the summit. At the foot of the mountain, in Murrisk, stands the National Famine Memorial, a bronze ship with skeletons.
From Westport the Great Western Greenway departs, a cycle path of about 42 km along the old railway, passing Newport and Mulranny and reaching Achill, Ireland's largest island, connected to the mainland by a bridge. Achill has cliffs, Keem Bay and the abandoned village of Slievemore.
To the north, Sligo is the town of the poet W. B. Yeats, who spent his childhood holidays in the area and is buried in Drumcliff, at the foot of Benbulben, the flat-topped mountain that dominates the landscape. Near the town are the Neolithic tombs of Carrowmore, Knocknarea with the stone tomb attributed to Queen Maeve and the beaches of Strandhill. It rains a lot in the northwest, and the Atlantic wind is strong at any time of year.
This destination brings together 2 cities: Westport, Sligo.
One destination, many paths
Start with one city or combine several in your itinerary.
Contornos: © Tailte Éireann, National Statutory Boundaries 2026, CC BY 4.0. Adaptação do Cidade Turismo.
✈ Aeroporto de Ireland West (Ireland West Airport Knock) (NOC), in Knock · 55 km to Westport
Confirm before buying. Ireland West Airport (NOC), in Knock, is about 55 km from Westport and Sligo. Trains from Dublin Heuston reach Westport in about 3h30, and from Dublin Connolly reach Sligo in about 3h. Westport and Sligo are about 105 km apart, with bus links.
Suggested arrival point: Westport
Westport is a Georgian town at the head of Clew Bay, in Mayo, with the Mall on the banks of the river Carrowbeg, the Octagon square and streets of pubs with music. It is the base for Croagh Patrick, the pilgrimage mountain, the Memorial Nacional da Fome in Murrisk, the Great Western Greenway and the island of Achill.
Sligo is the county town of the same name, on the banks of the Garavogue River, between Sligo Bay and Lough Gill. It is the land of the poet W. B. Yeats, buried in Drumcliff at the foot of Benbulben. Near the town are the Neolithic tombs of Carrowmore, Knocknarea and the beaches of Strandhill; in the centre, the ruins of Sligo Abbey.
The local experience
A 526-metre limestone mountain with a flat top and grooved slopes, dominating the landscape north of Sligo, with a 4 km forest trail at the foot of the escarpment.
Mountain of 764 metres overlooking Clew Bay, where tradition says São Patrício fasted for 40 days, with a chapel on the summit and the pilgrimage on the last Sunday of July.
The church and cemetery where the poet W. B. Yeats is buried, at the foot of Benbulben, in an old monastery of St Columba with a tall 11th-century high cross and the stump of a round tower.
Bronze sculpture from 1997 by John Behan, shaped like a ship with skeletons instead of sails, at the foot of Croagh Patrick, in remembrance of those who died and emigrated in the Grande Fome.
One of the largest megalithic cemeteries in Ireland, with about 30 stone tombs visible among fields, some more than 5,500 years old, 4 km from Sligo and at the foot of Knocknarea.
Cycle path and trail of about 42 km along the former Westport to Achill railway, passing through Newport and Mulranny, along the shore of Clew Bay and through bogs and mountains.
The largest island in Ireland, connected to the mainland by a bridge, with Keem Bay tucked between cliffs, sandy beaches, the Atlantic Drive and the deserted village of Slievemore.
A 327-metre hill west of Sligo, topped by a large stone tomb attributed to Queen Maeve, with a trail of about 45 minutes and views of the bay and Strandhill.
Westport's Georgian centre, with the tree-lined Mall on the banks of the Carrowbeg river, the Octagon square and streets of colourful facades, and the old Quay harbour, with stone warehouses on the shore of Clew Bay.
Ruins of the Dominican convent founded in 1252 in central Sligo, with the cloister, the carved 15th-century high altar and stone tombs—the only examples of this kind preserved in Ireland.
Before you go
A little planning leaves more time to enjoy the journey.
From May to September the days are long and the cycleway and trails are easier. The pilgrimage to Croagh Patrick takes place on the last Sunday of July, when the mountain is crowded. April and October are usually quieter. In winter the wind and rain are strong and it gets dark around 16:30. Rain can fall at any time of year.
The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.
Three days allow one day for Westport and Croagh Patrick, one for the Greenway or Achill and one for Sligo, including Drumcliff, Carrowmore and Knocknarea. With four or five days, also stay overnight in Achill and do the walks at a relaxed pace.
In Westport, the town centre between the Octagon and the Mall leaves everything within walking distance, with hotels, guesthouses and pubs; Westport Quay, 2 km away, is quieter by the bay. Achill has guesthouses scattered around Keel and Dooagh, near the beaches. In Sligo, the centre on the banks of the Garavogue River has hotels and restaurants; Strandhill, 8 km away, attracts those looking for beach and surf.
Take your trash with you, follow the signs and support local businesses. In natural areas, follow the visiting guidelines.
Get your questions answered
Three days for Westport, Croagh Patrick, the Greenway and Sligo; four or five to include Achill at a relaxed pace.
It helps a lot, because the attractions are spread out. There are trains and buses between towns and bikes for the Greenway, but Achill, Drumcliff and Carrowmore are better done by car. In Ireland you drive on the left.
From May to September, with long days. The pilgrimage to Croagh Patrick is on the last Sunday of July. Rain can fall at any time of year.
Yes. Westport is about 80 km from Clifden and 100 km from Galway, and the road from Connemara to Westport passes by the Killary fjord at Leenane.
Brazil
Argentina
Chile
Colombia
Peru
Uruguay
Germany
Belgium
Spain
France
Greece
the Netherlands
Italy
Luxembourg
Portugal
the United Kingdom
Switzerland