Driving tour - Achill/NW Mayo?

mr chips

I'm toying with the idea of doing a bit of a driving tour for a few days during the summer and rediscovering some parts of the west coast which I haven't visited since childhood. One option I'm thinking of is staying the first night in a hostel at Belmullet and taking a day to first explore the peninsula down to Aughleam/Faulmore, then head round to Achill to do the same before going further south to stay the second night in Connemara (e.g. Letterfrack/Clifden). Seeing beautiful scenery is what floats my boat, but has much of that coastal part of north-west Mayo been affected by "bungalow blight" or is it still relatively unspoilt? Is the landscape/coastline there as spectacular as the likes of Connemara or the Co. Clare coast?

Also, when I did something similar and took the coast road from north-west Donegal down to Teelin a couple of years ago, I made the mistake of assuming that the road would have been in half-reasonable nick by now, but it was just a series of massive potholes loosely connected by crumbling tarmac. What are the roads in those more far-flung places (eg Achill) like - would I have the same sort of spine/suspension-testing challenge?

Cheers. :cool:

Neworder79

In my opinion most parts of the Mayo coast have avoided the worst of the holiday home blight (with the exception of Keel in Achill). There are still many beautiful wild locations where you can enjoy the unspoiled scenery, often all by your self.

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Driving North to South:

Downpatrick head, spectacular sea cliffs and seastack, even better on a wild day with crashing waves, but take care! (Drive north of Ballina through Killala, turn off at Ballycastle, Ross beach and Ceide Fields also nearby).

Belmullets wild sandy beaches, and Iniskea deserted island/wildlife tours are supposed to be very good.

Mulranny-Achill coast road is still a beautiful wild ocean drive, stop at pristine Keem beach and climb up to the sea cliffs for Atlantic views.

Nephin mountain is unspoiled, climb for fantastic views over all Mayo, Clew Bay and Lough Conn.

Greenway from Achill-Westport has many long sections of unspoiled wild upland bogland with bay views.

Rockfleet castle as you come into Newport worth as stop

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Driving west from Westport lovely coastal views of Clew Bay and Islands, best seen from Crogh Patrick.

Many wonderful beaches, best are:
Bertra is a sand spit just past Crogh Patrick, nice for a walk over the dunes and often seals nearby.

Old Head, pier, lovely sheltered beach for a long walk when the tide is out, good for kyaking.

Carromore, small sandy beach next to Louisburg town.

Carrowinskey/Cross beaches, long wild Atlantic facing beache for big waves and surfing.

Drive on further past Kiladoon for one of the most secluded and beautiful beaches in the country at White strand. Wide expanse of bright soft sand and dunes at the foot of Mweelrea (highest mountain in Connacht) with Doolough valley as a backdrop. You can walk to the end of the beach and over the rocks to Silver strand with great views over the mouth of Killary fjord.

Clare Island, ferry from Roonagh Pier outside Louisburg, beautiful views of the bay and mountains, unspoiled quiet wild island scenery, lighthouse and small beach for a day trip.

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Drive South from Louisburg/Westport for mountain drive through imposing Doolough valley and lake, on to wilds of Delphi Valley and into 12 Bens and Connemara.

Kylemore Abbey good stop for tour of the Abbey and Gardens, or a coffee.

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Drive South/East Westport for Lough Mask, popular for fishing/boating.

Cong is a pretty stop off for a walk around the touristy village and a feed.

Visit Ashford Castle and take the tour boats out to Inchagoill historical island on Lough Corrib.

mr chips

That's a brilliant answer, thanks a million!! If/when the trip goes ahead I'll be riding rather than driving, so I won't be getting into the likes of surfing or much mountain climbing etc, but the prospect of great views and good roads nearly has me drooling in anticipation! We took the car down to Connemara in February and did a route from Galway out around the coast to Clifden, returning on the route between Lough Mask/Lough Corrib - loved the place, but was pining to be doing the trip in the saddle instead of in the car! The last time I was in Mayo was as a youngster in the early 80s and I can remember very little of it now, so am looking forward to rediscovering it for myself.

Connacht

Agree with Neworder's ideas.
I find NW Mayo remains very unspoilt, with the definite exception of Keel area on Achill.
Go do the cliff-top walks at either or both An Ceathrú Thaidhg and / or Erris Head.
Visit the new visitor centre of Ballycroy National Park on the road south from Bangor Erris towards Achill and Mulranny.

WildWater

Great posts above but just something else to help wet the appetite. I have most of the route talked about above in my blog with a few pictures.

http://www.irishcampervantrails.blogspot.ie/

Its a work in progress

mr chips

Thanks to all for the tips - the trip was a blast. Ended up with fewer days than I'd hoped to have, so we stuck to the Mayo part of the run and kept Connemara for another trip. Averaged 8 or 9 hours a day in the saddle, so my arms & back were pretty sore by the time I got back home, but loved the whole trip. Only road that really bothered me was on the way from Bangor down to Achill, as I was under a bit of pressure of time to get to our B&B before a ridiculously late hour and it wasn't a road that should be travelled at speed if you're looking to avoid white knuckle syndrome! But that was my own fault for taking on so much in just a weekend. Beautiful part of the world ye have down there, I'll be back.