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The stark, moody nature of Connemara’s landscape is captured in its brooding mountains, sweeping valleys and inky lakes. Labyrinthine stone walls creep up the slopes of quartzite peaks, trees are bent double by the wind and a ribbon of white-sand beaches, sheltered coves and rocky headlands skirt the coast.
The region has remained doggedly isolated from the rest of the country and has managed to retain a stronger grip on traditional culture than elsewhere. It’s Ireland's largest Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking) area, and the traditional music here is some of the finest in the country.
UK & Ireland specialist AndeaConnemara is an example of the rugged Irish landscape that I didn’t know existed, with glacial-carved valleys, and mountains and rivers. There’s not much around in terms of shops, bars, and restaurants, but you’re really here to lose yourself in nature.
Things to see and do in Connemara
Connemara scenery
In the words of Oscar Wilde, ‘Connemara is a savage beauty.’ The raw, untouched landscape is moody and unforgiving with dense but low vegetation, gurgling streams, thunderous waterfalls and mountains that sweep abruptly down to dark lakes pitted with craggy islands. The coastline is equally dramatic, offering walkers and cyclists, divers and kayakers plenty of opportunity to explore.
A large swathe of Connemara is protected by a national park of the same name, where you can take guided walks and follow waymarked trails up the Twelve Bens mountain range. Whether you choose to drive, walk or cycle in the region you'll also come across little villages, traditional pubs and cottages reminiscent of a time well past in other parts of the country.
Connemara ponies
Ireland has always had a great love for horses, and in Connemara you see the native breed, the hardy Connemara pony, roaming across the stark terrain. There are many legends about the origin of these horses, from Viking stock to a cross-breed of Andalusians that arrived with the Spanish Armada. Whatever the truth, Connemara ponies are much loved for their intelligence, gentle nature and endurance.
Kylemore Abbey
Built by wealthy surgeon and businessman Mitchell Henry, Kylemore Abbey is a 19th-century neo-Gothic mansion on the shores of Lough Pollacappul. The 33-bedroom family home became a country retreat until Henry's wife, Margaret, was taken ill and died. He commissioned an elaborate chapel to house her remains, although she and Henry are both interred at a more modest mausoleum in the woods.
In 1920, a group of Benedictine nuns moved here, and their order still cares for the house and its Victorian walled gardens. The ground floor of the abbey is open to visitors and the lake walk and woodlands offer a wonderful place to stroll and admire the surrounding mountains.
Dramatic coastline
Connemara's Atlantic seaboard is a patchwork of rugged cliffs, sheltered coves and deserted beaches where lobster pots, currachs (traditional tarred rowing boats) and Galway hookers (traditional boats with deep-red sails) are common sights. The beaches are often deserted despite their soft-white sands and turquoise waters.
Legends of pirates and privateers abound, ruins of castles lie on now-isolated headlands and fishing villages shelter the trawlers that still ply the waters. At Dog's Bay, a tranquil walking spot near Roundstone, the beach and its waters are tropical in their perfection. You'll find coral strands at Ballyconneely and another crescent of golden sands at Glassilaun near Renvyle.
Killary Harbour
Hailed as Ireland's only fjord (though there's debate if that title is technically correct), Killary Harbour marks the northern limits of Connemara. The steep-sided inlet slices 16 km (10 miles) inland from the sea and is littered with mussel rafts. Dolphins often play in the water, while otters sun themselves on the rocks.
You can take a cruise from sleepy little Leenane at the head of the bay, visit the Sheep and Wool Museum, which explains local spinning, weaving and dyeing techniques, or explore the landscape while walking or kayaking. One short walk leads to Aasleagh Waterfall, a low, peaty cascade tumbling over rocks on the river's way to the sea.
Arts and crafts
The landscapes and ethereal light of Connemara have attracted artists and craftspeople over the years. In many of the small towns you encounter, you'll find the galleries of painters, sculptors and photographers lining the streets.
Clifden, the region's largest town, has the best selection, but little Roundstone is also worth seeking out. Along with several galleries, it’s home to Roundstone Musical Instruments where you can see traditional bodhráns (goat-skin drums) being handcrafted.
On top of this, you'll come across artisan cheese producers, chocolate makers and traditional salmon smokeries across the region, as well as some of the finest seafood, simply cooked in markets or on food trailers parked in scenic spots.
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Suggested itineraries featuring Connemara
Our itineraries will give you suggestions for what is possible when you travel in Connemara, and they showcase routes we know work particularly well. Treat them as inspiration, because your trip will be created uniquely by one of our specialists.
Places near Connemara
- Inis Mór 49 kilometers away
- Galway 63 kilometers away
- The Burren 83 kilometers away
- Sligo 124 kilometers away
- Limerick 129 kilometers away
- Dingle Peninsula 158 kilometers away
- Killarney 167 kilometers away
- County Donegal 170 kilometers away
- Enniskillen 173 kilometers away
- Kenmare 186 kilometers away
- Kilkenny 202 kilometers away
- Cork 206 kilometers away
- Cobh 217 kilometers away
- Kinsale 224 kilometers away
- Newgrange and the Boyne Valley 226 kilometers away
- Derry/Londonderry 234 kilometers away
- Waterford 235 kilometers away
- Dublin 240 kilometers away
- Northern Ireland 243 kilometers away
- County Wexford 266 kilometers away
- Belfast 284 kilometers away
- Giant’s Causeway 290 kilometers away
Photos of Connemara
Accommodation choices for Connemara
We've selected a range of accommodation options for when you visit Connemara. Our choices usually come recommended for their character, facilities and service or location. Our specialists always aim to suggest properties that match your preferences.
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Screebe House
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Delphi Lodge
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Ballynahinch Castle
Connemara
Ideas for experiencing Connemara
Our specialists seek out authentic ways to get to know the places that could feature in your trip. These activities reflect some of the experiences they've most enjoyed while visiting Connemara, and which use the best local guides.
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Seafood & farm experience day Seafood & farm experience day
Seafood & farm experience day
Explore Connemara's dramatic landscapes on a full-day tour that takes in the gloriously moody Killary harbor as well as visits to lobster, oyster and mussel farms and a traditional mountain sheep farm to learn about local life.
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