Westport Archives - Take a Hike

Great Western Greenway (Westport to Achill)

This 42km Greenway from Westport to Achill (through Newport and Mulranny) offers a fantastic way to enjoy the Mayo countryside. This walk or cycle gives you the chance to enjoy amazing views of Clew Bay and the track is very well maintained (http://www.greenway.ie/index.html).

While we concentrate on walking and hiking at takeahike.ie, cycling is also highly recommended and bikes can be rented from a number of companies such as Clew Bay Bike Hire. The great thing is if you are based in Westport, they will shuttlebus you to Achill and you can cycle from Achill back to Westport (http://www.clewbaybikehire.ie/bikes/bike-packages/).

Beachwalk: Bertra Beach – Mayo

Bertra Beach is a wide strand located about 12km (20 minutes drive) from Westport in County Mayo. The beach gives you a great view of Clew Bay, it’s ilands and drumlins. There is a carpark at Bertra Beach, location shown below.

As with many beaches in Ireland, even if the weather doesn’t suit for a dip into Clew Bay, you can also enjoy this lovely walk.

For more information on this beach, check out http://www.destinationwestport.com/places-to-visit/natural-beauty/beaches-ireland-mayo/

Croagh Patrick

For anyone who enjoys hikes in Ireland, Croagh Patrick is a must-do. Famous for the pilgrimage walk that takes place on Reek Sunday every year, which is the last Sunday in July. This attracts tens of thousands every year and many do the hike in their bare feet (although this is not advised, it can be challenging at times with a lot of loose rock and ground).The mountain is 764 meters (2,507 ft) high and on a clear day, you have a fantastic view of Clew Bay. There is a small chapel at the summit of the mountain.

For an average person, it would take about 2 hours to climb and a bit less to descend the mountain.

The start of the climb is about 8km outside of Westport. Westport is a great town so if you have a bit to travel, I recommend you book a place to stay in Westport.

There is a large car park at the base of Croagh Patrick (53.779618, -9.640008) although it can be busy during the peak season. The location of the car park is shown below along with some photos, enjoy the challenge!