Connemara - Explore the wilderness of Ireland | One can visit both Ireland and UK on a single visa
1. Connemara National Park
This vast and unspoilt national park is home to Connemara ponies, red deer, bird-life, grasslands, mountains, bogs, heaths and forests. Drivers can devote a full day to exploring, but walkers often choose to stay longer to hike the numerous trails – a highlight being the conical shaped Diamond Hill.
2. Take the Sky Road
This 16-kilometre scenic loop is considered one of Ireland’s best drives. The views of the dramatic cliffs, mountains and seaside scenery are simply stunning, and there are multiple look-out points where you can pull over and gaze at them. No car? No problem. It’s definitely worth walking the Sky Road.
3. Clifden
Set against a backdrop of mountains and ocean, Clifden is the largest town in Connemara and its unofficial capital. This charming and lively town is brimming with stylish restaurants, coffee and gift shops, art galleries and lots of quaint Irish pubs where traditional music and culture thrives.
4. Kylemore Abbey
A must-see in Connemara, Kylemore Abbey is regarded as one of Ireland’s most romantic buildings. Originally built as castle and given as a romantic gift in 1867, it boasts impressive architecture, a Victorian walled garden, a beautiful gothic church, breathtaking views and more.
5. Cong village
This enchanting village was the filming location for the 1952 Irish-Holywood classic The Quiet Man, starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. Among the many places to see are Cong Abbey, Ashford Castle, and of course the Quiet Man Museum, and there are tours and walks related to the film.
6. Dog’s Bay Beach
Dogs Bay is a horseshoe-shaped bay with one of the most beautiful and untouched beaches in Ireland. The sand is made entirely of fragments of seashells, which give it a pure white colour. The bay faces due west and the bright white sands and crystal blue water are a picture at sunset.
7. The Connemara Smokehouse
Taste the best quality wild and organic salmon, tuna, mackerel, trout and herring straight from the Atlantic Ocean, which ebbs, flows and rages just metres away from Connemara Smokehouse. Watch experts hand fillet and traditionally prepare the catch, before sampling the authentic Irish flavours.
8. Twelve Bens hiking
As home to the Twelve Bens mountain range, Connemara is one of the best hiking destinations on the island of Ireland. If you are up for a challenge, it will be well worth trying to summit one of these great peaks.
9. Pony trekking
With a long history of horses and all things equine, Connemara has a number of places where you can saddle up. Opt for a horse-riding tour along the coast and experience some of the Wild Atlantic Way on horseback.
10. Killary Fjord boat tour
See the unspoiled splendour of Ireland’s only fjord from a different angle on a boat tour. Killary Cruises will take you through the nine mile long inlet, which boasts some of the finest scenery in the west of Ireland.
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The British Irish Visa Scheme allows for travel to and around Ireland and the UK on a single visa. The recently launched scheme allows visitors from India to travel freely within Ireland and the United Kingdom using either an Irish or UK visa. This will mean that tourists and business visitors will be able, for the first time, to visit both Ireland and the UK, including Northern Ireland, on a single visa.