Travel Connemara- Walking routes under 3 hours

Mar 10, 2021

5 min read

As most of you know, we are avid walkers and explorers of Connemara – check out our guided hill-walking tours here. We are absolutely blessed to have the wild, rugged and adventure of these Connemara walks right at our doorstep. The Real Adventures team have decades of experience exploring and enjoying the nature and routes of this Galway region.

Here are some of our favorite local Connemara walks – (*to enjoy when it is safe to do so and when restrictions allow).

This is an updated and follow-on version of our previous post – Three walks in under three hours.

view from the top of a hill with a stone path and view of another peak in the distance — Diamond Hill views

1. Connemara National Park

This may be an obvious first choice, and with good reason. Connemara National Park is the mecca for Connemara walkers – in this post we will focus on three accessible routes within the park.

Diamond loop lower – The lower Diamond Loop is a moderate walk, approx. 3km long and takes in some impressive views. Allow 1-2 hours for this.
Diamond loop upper- This loop is approximately 7km long and would require some fitness and comfort walking up steeper sections to reach the top *sturdy boots with ankle support are advised for the second half of this walk. It is worth the effort – allow at least 2 hours to complete this loop.
Muckanaught circular- This loop needs more than 3 hours, but we wanted to include it for the longer hike enthusiasts. It is a 20km loop, is rated as difficult and has a lot more elevation than the other trails (1426m). You can check out more details via AllTrails

2. Inis Nee Loop

After the village of Roundstone you will see Inis Nee signposted – drive over the bridge and you can start from here. This route follows the road, and then continues onto a small boreen that can be a little muddy – so dress accordingly! Enjoy great views of Roundstone Village, Cashel and Errisbeg and give yourself 2-3 hours to complete.

For more details on how to find this trial, check out this post. This is rated as an easy trail and is a 6km loop.

sunset image with text stating walking trail details

3. Errisbeg Hill

This is a stunning hike that starts near Roundstone and takes in views of the breathtaking scenery you expect from a Connemara walk – mountains, bogs, dramatic coastline and on a good day, with clear skies, you can see as far as Achill Island in Co.Mayo.

This walk is approx. 7km and can take between 3-5 hours and is considered difficult. This loop can be extended to take in the Wild Atlantic Way discovery point, Gurteen Bay and the peninsula – this would require at least 7hours. Good fitness and boots with ankle support are needed for this hike.

You can find some more information here.

sunset image with Errisbeg walk details in the text box

4. Derrygimlagh

This is a relatively easy, flat walk located between Roundstone and Clifden. This well-marked route takes you through the old Marconi complex – a wireless telegraphy/radio station that was set up in 1907 by Guglielmo Marconi, who was an Italian inventor. Its purpose was to transmit news from London and Dublin across the Atlantic. Read more about its history here.

You can also learn more about the history of this area along the trail, with little information booths and interactive features set up at certain sections of this path. This is also where Alcock & Brown’s first non-stop flight landed (it was a crash landing that happened in 1919)! That alone is a pretty cool reason to visit here.

This walk is a great option, it has some gorgeous views and a combination of boardwalk and trail.

You could also bike here!

5. Killary Fjord Walk

Wow – we love this and it may be our favorite Connemara walk. The views are absolutely stunning and it is a perfect summer picnic spot – a longer but easy hike and did we mention the views?

The trail for this walk is along the edge of a fjord, so you really do feel immersed in the beautiful scenery around you. This is the walk to do if you want to enjoy vistas of the ocean and boats passing by, as well as taking in the panoramic beauty of the nearby mountains – including our beloved Mweelrea. This fjord is one of three fjords in Ireland – read more about Killary fjord here.

sunset image with killary fjord walk details in text

There are ruins and evidence of a famine relief road dating back to the 1850s. This would have been constructed by locals in return for food during the famine, and this part of Connemara was affected particularly bad during the famine – some more information about this can be read here.

image overlooking a fjord, mountain views and green stony hiking route — Killary fjord – How stunning is this view?

We hope you enjoyed our round-up of Connemara walks for your visit to Connemara. We are excited for when you can all come back and visit these beautiful places that we love so much – very soon.

As we are still on a nationwide lock-down (at time of publishing – the current travel restrictions are in place until April 2021), we encourage you to mark these on your bucket-list and combine them with a Real Adventures activity, when guidelines allow.

We are currently taking bookings for the coming season – last summer actually turned out to be one our busiest seasons – so we are hopeful for a thriving summer of adventure and fun in the outdoors. Should your booking be affected by travel restrictions due to Covid, you will receive a full refund. Check out our range of activities HERE.

Whether you are wanting a relaxed sunset kayak along the Connemara coast, to start your desire to learn to surf or jump from cliffs and explore the rugged shoreline during a coasteering session, or give rock-climbing a go – we do it all and our highly qualified and experienced team can’t wait to show you the wonders of Connemara and the Wild Atlantic Way.