Day 1: Individual arrival to Galway
When you arrive in Galway make your way to your accommodation any time after 3.00pm. You can then explore this bustling medieval city. We will send you on full accommodation details and the necessary contact details for your tour closer to your departure date. A folder containing your route details will be waiting for you at the guesthouse and the bikes will be waiting for you in the local bike shop.
Day 2: Galway > Leenane, ~35 km (22 miles)
In the morning a local taxi operator will also meet you at the guesthouse at 9.00 am and then transfer you to Cong (near Clonbur) where the tour proper starts and you get on your bikes! You head north along quiet back roads through rolling green fields full of grazing sheep. You cycle along beautiful back roads via Lough Nafooey. That night you stay in the small village of Leenane looking out over Killary Harbour, Ireland’s only fjord.
Day 3: Leenane > Westport, ~52 km (32 miles)
In the morning you head north through one of the highlights of the tour, the stunning Delphi Valley with its beautiful lakes overlooked by Ben Bury the highest mountain in Connemara. Your lunch stop is the charming village of Louisburgh before you continue on your journey between Croagh Patrick and the beautiful Clew Bay with its many small islands to the town of Westport where you are staying two nights
Day 4: Rest day in Westport
The town is beautifully located at the top of Clew Bay, it is one of the few towns in Ireland that was formally planned and it has a great beauty and charm about it. You can spend the day relaxing in the town, visiting Westport House www.westporthouse.ie, or there is golf and horse-riding available nearby.
Day 5: Westport > Achill Island, ~54 km (34 miles)
Another highlight to the trip is today’s cycle. The day is spent on the 'Greenway Cycle', a route that offers gentle gradients and some of the most idyllic scenery in the west of Ireland. The cycle forms part of the National Cycle Network and it is the longest dedicated cycling path in the Country! The route brings you all the way to Achill Sound, the gateway to Achill Island (via a bridge) where you are spending the night.
Day 6: Around Achill Island, 3 possible routes ~14, 47 or 72 km (9, 29, 45 miles)
You spend your day exploring Achill Island where there are so many options for cycling. There are several dramatic cycling routes around Achill, the most impressive being the Atlantic Drive, with its wonderful coastal views and beautiful landscape. You can also head to Keem bay for a swim on its white sandy beach. For those feeling energetic you could climb to the top of the nearby cliffs some of the highest in Europe, where you are rewarded with the most breathtaking views of the week.
Day 7: Achill Island > Galway, ~47 km (29 miles)
The first 17km of our day you head back on the Greenway cycle (there is only one way realistically in and out, which is lucky it is so fantastic!), before you make a detour to Lough Beltra in the heart of Mayo. The final part of our tour will take you to the 'Museum of Country Life' near Castlebar where you can visit the museum. A taxi will meet you here midafternoon and bring you back to Galway city for a final night on the trip.
Day 8: Departure or extra nights