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.

Absolutely amazing place - I have been visiting Achill for years and didn't realise it existed -…read morethe road to get there is a bit hairy (think sheer cliffs and very small roads), it is worth the trip at any cost (except actually falling over the a fore mentioned cliffs... it's probably not worth that). There is a small van there, pretty much all the time - it sells sweets, hot-dogs and coffee, to find such a facility in the wild is unexpected and brilliant and almost guarantees you will buy a hot dog, even if you don't want one, just because it is there!

Driving through miles and miles of verdant farmland criss-crossed with hand-set rock walls,…read morevillages and sheep, a tower comes into view. Totally isolated and perching over the rocky shores like a great, dark, bird of prey, I'm reminded of how violent these coasts were at one time instead of the fun-packed surf-spot-with-a-view they are today. Born and raised in California, to sit on a surfboard out beyond the reef and see this ancient castle dominating Hobbit-land was fucking unreal. Instead of rocks, houses, trees or piers to mark where I needed to paddle to catch waves, I was gauging my location with a castle! That's just about as cool as it gets. Oh and yeah, the water is effing cold but it burns off quickly enough as you paddle against the currents and a pub, as always, is never too far away. I believe this castle is called "O'Dowd Castle". http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=easkey%20ireland&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDMQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FEasky&ei=DJh0UeKIGcmgigLxnoDYCg&usg=AFQjCNHk3-j8XdCV6dCa7ndESmEsKJ3RNA&sig2=p_yoNBX-wu_1sb8uqNwo4g&bvm=bv.45512109,d.cGE I mentioned in my Sandhouse review that I'd met Barry Britton, Ireland's artist and surfer and he named one of his daughters after it so it's a precious place in more ways than one. Easkey is also Ireland's #1 female surfer. Her roots began right here. As with any surf spot anywhere, you won't have any problems if you put on your happy face, respect the pecking-order and charge it. Remember, you're on their turf and in their surf. And they have the leprechauns on their side with all that magic faerie dust to blow in your face. (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=easkey%20ireland&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CD8QtwIwAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DgTKnGDMCQxw&ei=DJh0UeKIGcmgigLxnoDYCg&usg=AFQjCNF09TSeqmjtBqd3hus7Ou8TRtBuOg&sig2=m9Qh-ENtJQ-CNFpvvwDKHA&bvm=bv.45512109,d.cGE)

A beautiful castle (tower) dating back to 1207 on a rocky coast. Popular surfing spot. Worth…read morestopping to get a picture or two next to crashing waves.

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.

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.

From the owner: We are a mobile outdoor company based in and around Connemara, which is one of Irelands premiere…read moredestinations and located along the Wild Atlantic Way. We deliver top quality, personal outdoor experiences at an affordable price. We will provide you with all the best equipment to ensure you have an enjoyable outdoor experience. Our instructors have years of experience in the industry, are extremely friendly, have a passion for showing others what the outdoors has to offer and are highly qualified in their field. Our activities include kayaking & snorkelling tours, rock climbing & abseiling, surfing, coasteering and hill walking.

"No one looks their best while camping" this is said by the immaculately turned out English girl…read morefrom the tent next to ours. I presume she was being charitable as she has looked over at my family's area which looks like a bunch of hobos have somehow managed to get by security and set up camp. This was our first attempt at living in the great outdoors - so we decided to go for the gentle introduction, with toilets, showers and a pool table close enough for comfort. The camp also offers laundry and a kitchen to the guests which was a great thing to know (though we didn't use them in the end). Overall facilities were brilliant and we were less than 5 mins walk from Keel beach - in good weather it was nothing short of spectacular. Cost for 2 adults, one child, car and dog was 22 Euro a night which seemed reasonable. Just as I turned the pork chops over on the grill I was visited by a familiar stranger "Hello! Have we reached that time again?" "We have" confirmed Bjorn.. "900 reviews, overall not bad but your spelling is definitely getting worse" "I have always believed in quantity over quality" I confirmed "your chops are burning" "you mean I talk a lot?" "no, your chops are really burning".. I look down and see my bbq in flames. We sit back, Bjorn and I, and watch as the dinner goes up in smoke. __________________ Previous Bjorn reviews: 500: http://www.yelp.ie/biz/residence-dublin?hrid=HXGfO0v6VQfcjhda9qt_ww#src:self 700: http://www.yelp.ie/biz/next-door-off-licence-dublin?hrid=RHOFRhIvh8EIPebmfdlXdQ 800: http://www.yelp.ie/biz/colosseo-roma?hrid=s2xjv59eoUR7mpkyj5LAkw

The start of the 2017 camping season and the great folks here are already in full swing! We hadn't…read moreplanned on staying more than one night - but the warm showers and roomy kitchen were too much for even the most hardened traveller to resist . Add to that a very cost effective Internet and nearly two weeks later we are still here. The campground staff are very friendly and welcoming. They work hard at making this one of the most clean and comfortable camping spots we have found. At first I thought they owned the place, but no - just humble employees - they work hard at making camping perfect. Good job - we will be back. Now if only it was open all year round.... Giggle