Images of cycling The Wild Atlantic Way
Over the past two years or so, I have experienced a good deal of what The Wild Atlantic Way has to offer a cyclist. The longest coastal route in the World has spectacular scenery and incredible experiences to offer anyone who prefers to explore on two wheels rather than four.
A stay in the Silver Tassie in Letterkenny brought me up Fanad head where I spotted dolphins leaping from the water beneath the lighthouse as I looked across towards Malin Head in the distance
Approaching Fanad Lighthouse going past a thatched cottage
A now derelict lookout station beside Fanad lighthouse
The golden beach in Portsalon is amazingly quiet
The Pier in Portsalon
The great Western Greenway between Westport and Achill in Mayo is a cyclists paradise as over 200,000 cyclists per year have recognised
A visit to the Clifden Station House brought me to the Sky road just outside the town where a constant view distracts from the effort of the gradual climb
The view from the summit makes it all worthwhile
At dusk it’s even better
Clifden and its surrounds offer constant vistas of mountains and lakes
Each area has it’s own character too
A trip to Gregans Castle brought me into the heart of The Burren
Silent roads offered plenty of time to reflect on the unique landscape
The odd lighthouse along the coast from Ballyvaughan contrasted well with the Rocky landscape
Looking out towards the Aran Islands as evening set in
The golden sands of Fanore Beach
A stay in the Falls Hotel brought me to the Cliffs of Moher just out the road
The bandstand in Kilkee was a handy place to stop for lunch
Father Teds lovely horse on Craggy Island tried to eat my saddle
The waters near Doonbeg are enough to attract the likes of Donald Trump and Greg LeMond
A stay in the Dingle Skellig rewarded a 6am start to a bike ride with a view like this on the harbour
The views are breathtaking as you pedal along Slea head
Mount Brandon rising up ahead
Inch Strand where cars drive on to the beach
The Blennerville Windmill outside Tralee
The white sands of Castlegregory
Irelands highest mountain pass- The Conor Pass
The summit of the Connor pass looking back down to the sea
A stay in the Kenmare Bay brought me up the Caha Pass and down the tunnel road
The Healy Pass is just as stunning
The Black Valley was deserted
The Gap of Dunloe was pretty quiet too
Kenmare bay is always a sight to behold
A stay at The Celtic Ross offered up the best of what West Cork has to offer
The Drombeg stone circle
A Ford Transit passes the birthplace of Henry Fords father
Peace and tranquility abound in the quiet corners of The Wild Atlantic Way
To read more about these areas and where I stayed along the way take a look at Irish Cycling Hotels :
Barry
www.thecyclingblog.com
11 COMMENTS
Angela Sheahan
What a beautiful country we live in, and no better way to see it, than on the bike
Barry
Very true Angela. We sometimes take it for granted how beautiful our country really is.
Ed English
Some of those roads are very well known to me, I’ve had many fabulous days out in West Clare and in Kerry on the bike. Must get up North more.
Barry
Clare and Kerry are spectacular Ed, but Donegal really is well worth a visit too.
skippyaustralia
And there is no sign of the rain here ? If Only !
So tempting to forego the TDF and spend the time in my birth country instead !
How expensive is the accomodation in this area and what of the night life ?
Barry
It really is amazing how many days of sunshine we actually get Skippy. The accommodation in the hotels that I stayed in was very reasonable, especially mid week. The food was excellent too. As a cyclist who has to be up early every morning I saw very little of the nightlife 😉 Although many of the hotels had traditional live music during the summer months.
gearoidodonoghue
I spent a week cycling from Limerick to Dingle and on around the Ring of Kerry last Summer. The weather was great for the week. https://vimeo.com/102553197
Sesla bikes
Beautiful photos man! I also have a blog about bikes, more focused on street cycling. Have a look, hope you like it 😉 http://seslabikes.blogspot.com.es/2015/05/red-hook-criterium-brooklyn.html
Morgan ONeill
Great images …thanks for sharing !!!
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Derek
Nice one. I rode in the Tour de Connemara this year, already booked accommodation to do it again in ’17 and staying 7 nights to do a bit more cycling in the area.