Rosses Point was a charming, picturesque, seaside village on the Wild Atlantic Way. It sits up on…read morea hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and offers stunning views of Knocknarea to the south and Benbulben to the north. We stopped at one of the overlooks to soak in the beauty of the land and the ocean around it.

Called in the morning and enquired about tours - there was 10:30 or 14:30; perfection! We (my…read morepartner and I) joined the 14:30 three hour tour, which was absolutely wonderful. Caroline was a perfect (fun, friendly, and helpful) guide. We cruised across the water for a good hour, enjoyed some really good (French press!!!) coffee, and cruised back - sun in our faces. Absolutely stunning afternoon. Highly recommended!

Ireland is a place of spectacular beauty and Sligo is certainly in the top 3 or 4 counties for…read morehaving stunning scenery, wildlife and an endless amount of outdoor activities right on its doorstep. Lakes, rivers, the atlantic ocean, beaches, forests, breathtaking mountains all within 30 minutes drive or each other. Sligo Kayak tours embodies all that is great and pure about the outdoors in Sligo. Barry's ethos is to share the county with people and have them share it with him. We took a kayak trip on Lough Gill on a sunny Sunday morning. Paddling out of Half Moon Bay in the famed Hazelwood with the Ballygawley hills as a backdrop. We rounded the headland and headed west towards the Garavogue River. Herons, cormorants and some long distance swimmers were our companions on the lake that morn. Pulling in at a sheltered island edge, Barry told us the story of Beezy, a hardy old woman that lived alone on Beezie's island in an Ireland of the past. Wind and rain whipped up the surface of the lake but it doesn't matter, Sligo Kayak tours are so well kitted out that you stay completely dry. The rain stopped, sun was back out and we headed on through a jungle of bull rushes towards a small shore patch at the forests edge. Coffee break!! Barry is so well organised, he had tea, proper ground plunger coffee and cookies for 10 of us! After the break we headed back out of the river and into the lake towards Hazelwood. It was a fantastic trip and my first real kayak trip. I felt safe and relaxed at all times. He is a certified life guard and surf instructor. The team are well equipped safety wise with life jackets as standard. He carries whistles, first aid kits and a water-sealed mobile phone around his neck and there were experienced kayak instructors accompanying us also that morning. Sligo Kayak tours also do trips to the seal colony and sand bars as well as other coastal trip to other great spots. Beginner or enthusiast, these tours are special and I highly recommend them.

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.

Just back from a weekend in TurfnSurf and I must say feeling all the better for it! The hostel does…read morea deal where they pick you up from Dublin on Friday evening and drop you back on Sunday afternoon, give you two night's B&B, and two day's surfing lessons for the all-in price of 120 euro. Pretty incredible value. Aside from the value, a few comments on the rest of the set up: - The staff stood out over everything - exceptionally friendly, really cool guys & girls. So helpful too, fun and just great to be around. - Everything runs in a timely way like a well-oiled machine. They've got this whole thing down pat. - The beds! I was in a four bed dorm and it was soooooo comfy. They had those flannel sheets on the bed you used to have when you were a kid. Gorgeous to get into after being out in the cold sea. Hot showers too. Thank betojaysis. - They put a BBQ on the Saturday night for an extra tenner. There was a band playing and it was a lovely atmosphere. The only thing I'd say here is get in early if you want a decent feed. We waited til the queue went down and got a bit stumped, but just get your survival food instincts on ;-) - We were in a huge group - surf is popular in the summer! About 50 altogether I think. We were all brought to the beach together for the lesson and there were I think 5 instructors. It was all managed really well and you could get the guys to give you more feedback or less, depending on your preference. I'd say if you were looking for an in-depth kind of teaching, you'd be better off just coming to stay on your own bat and then getting lessons separately as it is more of a group buzz - really all depends on your preference. I'd also say that I'd definitely liked to have stayed out there longer than two hours, so if you would like to be splashin around all day, I think there is an option to hire your board / suit and just stay out there yourself. - The hostel is perfectly located right on the seafront, so you can grab yourself a a drink or a cup of tea and sit outside the front and watch the sun go down. All in all, such a cool thing to do on a weekend, a lovely spot with really fun staff that really want you to enjoy yourself too. Winner.

We went to Bundoran for a weekend of surfing with a group of people. We left Dublin Friday early…read moreevening and got there around 10pm. The city is really nice. The people at Turf N Surf are super cool an friendly. The houses are some good bed and breakfast. I would definitely strongly recommend this place for a surf weekend, or kayak or paddle board. Lot of fun in a nice little sea side town.