It was a fine summer day and we'd driven from Bangor Erris through the most stunning scenery…read moreimaginable on some of the worst narrow roads imaginable. We crossed the Michael Davitt bridge onto Achill island and drove past a mobile Ulster bank van. We had Keel as our destination as we negotiated the narrow roads and meandering sheep who were everywhere and who see tourists as an inconvenience. The entire experience was a tad spooky as despite being a fine day in early summer the entire island was shrouded in mist the whole time we were there and we were there about three hours. We chose Keel as my wife used to holiday here as a child. Her family arrived with a tent to a caravan park and pitched up 15 yards from the wild Atlantic. Travelling west from here the next land is the USA. We got to Keel and the caravan park and we walked along the beach with the mighty blue/green Atlantic Ocean roaring at us as my wife relived fond memories of a stark, haunting very beautiful wilderness. Hard to believe that this stark, rugged island has been continuously inhabited from 4,000 years BC. Wow now that's impressive.

The pleasant sounds and sights of surf meeting turf await those venturing to this cozy pocket of…read morepeace outside Roundstone. It had been 18 years since our last ramble and happily we can report nothing has changed. "Progress" has not imposed. All natural, all the time. The setting this time inspired me to sand-pen a message to my grand-nephew back in the States. All those driving around the west of Ireland, specifically the Roundstone-Clifden loop should take some time to soak in the serenity. Note: Unspoiled means just that...no concession or trashy souvenir stands. A genuine bring your own and leave just your footprints when finished.

We booked a group of 5 of us the day before we wanted to join in and we were all able to get spots…read more We chose the sunset tour as we had a full day planned already. The drive to the beach was on a narrow road but the GPS led us there easily. Our adventure guides were Steve and Tomas and they helped everyone get set up with wetsuits and booties to keep us warm. Ideally we would all have remembered bathing suits, but those who didn't discreetly stripped down to underwear and tugged on the damp wetsuits. There is no private place to change, so if you are modest you may want to try doing it in your car. We had 2 lessons on how to kayak - one on land and another on the water. I was lucky to have my husband in my boat who is an experienced kayaker. But everyone got the hang of it quickly. Once in the water I commented that I was worried about falling in and not being able to get back into my kayak. The guides assured me that if I could not do it, they would ensure that they would take good care of me. That put me at ease and I relaxed and never did fall into the water. We spent close to 2 hours on the water and went into caves and saw sheep grazing on the steep cliffs. The water was clear and beautiful and some in the group saw fish and jellyfish. This was a super fun 3 hour adventure. Both Tomas and Steve were spectacular guides.

Can't thank Paul enough for taking care of my family's bike adventures. An experience that we will…read morenever forget. Great exercise and photo ops!

I would highly recommend Paddy and Nelly bike company. Very friendly and easy to deal with. Their…read moree-bikes are fantastic to use and great for the hills on the greenway. Very enjoyable day out.

It's really hard to rate this property, I wish I could review the hotel, the spa, and the…read morerestaurant separately. I did not book the hotel, we were booked by our tour company. Twin room was pretty small with a large bathroom and entry hall. We ended up storing our luggage in the hall. The soap and shampoo dispensers were really hard to use so we were left using a small bar of soap I happened to have with me. The shower did not drain well so I had to pause halfway through my shower to allow it to catch up. There is a towel warmer but we could not find the switch to turn it on. There is an electric kettle, but it's huge and difficult to fill from the absurdly small bathroom tap. I had a seaweed bath in the spa. Very enjoyable but I had asked at booking if I should bring anything with me and was told no. So I got in the jacuzzi buck naked. Fortunately I was the only one there but when my bath was ready, the spa matron informed me I should have brought swimwear for the communal portion of the facility. I think the restaurant is their strongest element. Breakfast buffet was excellent. One could assemble a full Irish or any portion of thereof. Dinner is price fixed either 2 or 3 courses. Simpler fare can be ordered in the adjacent bar. I especially enjoyed the Chicken Supreme with apple pie and ice cream for dessert. My vegan companion enjoyed the tofu appetizer and the vegan chocolate cake with lime sorbet. The bar menu is comprehensive including a sophisticated selection of wines in any price range.

What an amazing place . Definitely a place to find peace & relax.We visited the spa in April…read more23,staff were so friendly, from Chris who did our treatment,Clodagh the spa manager,Jennifer and the barman from India ,a true gentleman. Food was delicious and everything good value.We came away feeling very relaxed content and thankful Breda & Helen

Almost impossible to find the place but worth doing so if you are looking for something to amuse…read morethe kids.... or the adults for that matter. Cost was very reasonable, 15 euro per head for a 30 min riding lesson for Junior and cousin... and it lasted longer than 30 mins. The weather was bad so we were in the indoor arena for most of the session, its outdoors usually. Laura, the owner/teacher is great with kids, she seems to totally get that there are people who have a first time on a horse (not many teachers do!!) and she is determined to make it a memorable experience - good business practice of course but great to see. My son who is six loved every second, couldn't keep the smile off his face (despite his best efforts! If you happen to be in Aldi or Lidl and see riding helmet for sale... grab them, the gear in Carrowmore is basic and well used, it's always nice to have your own anyway. The ONLY thing I would change there is that the riders (young & old) are not supplied with back braces, its a really basic and incredibly basic bit of kit that all riders should use but no one does.

Ballinrobe golf club is recognised as the best parkland golf course in Connaught . It has a…read morewonderful variety of holes with lots of water features and bunkers. Green fees are very reasonable and the clubhouse and bar are excellent.

I found this stable on yelp/the Internet when I was looking for a place to go riding on my trip to…read moreConnemara/west coast of Ireland. Their rates are very affordable €35 for a beach ride, which in Hawaii where I'm from, would be at least $80. It was simple to call and make reservations and when we arrived, the other people hadn't arrived, so one of the owners (a lovely woman from Belgium I think) took me out on a private ride. I was a little disappointed that I didn't get to ride one of the connemara ponies they breed (and the area is known for), but so many positives outweighed that. The beach scenery was stunning, and we cantered a bit on the sand. My guide even rescued my phone from the waves when it dropped out of my pocket. I will be back next time I'm in Ireland to do some more trekking with these beautiful ponies and people. Mahalo!

It is advised to call before as it is a well-known riding center in the tourist guides. They offer…read morea one-hour horse tour which was convenient for us: a couple with a young kid of 5. My wife did a one-hour while I waited with our son. He had a 5 min ride within the red barriers to keep him happy. There are no poney for kids and what they call Irish Poneys are quite tall. They give you the necessary boots. The ridding center is located 500m after the Golf course.