North West Ireland - Donegal & Sligo holidays
The rugged and beautiful wildernesses of Sligo and Donegal form a corner of Europe that somehow the rush of the modern world overlooked.
Sligo and Donegal are perhaps Ireland’s best-kept secret – at least when it comes to the coast! Rugged and remote, Sligo and Donegal are home to a plethora of rolling mountains, towering cliffs, swathes of white sandy beaches, Neolithic monuments, crumbling ruins and tiny villages. From learning how to Donegal tweed is made to winding down the amazing Glengish Pass to visiting the surfing mecca of Ireland or hiking Yeats Country, North West Ireland is a dream come true for those looking to get off the beaten track. Donegal was rated as National Geographic’s Coolest Place on Earth – need we say more?
Sligo and Donegal are full of myths and stories – hear tales of warrior Queen Maeve, the tragic lovers of Diarmuid and Grainne or the even the mysterious selkies sometimes spotted off the coast. Spot sea birds, basking sharks and dolphins along the northwest coast, and in the evening, catch some traditional Irish music in one of the numerous pubs in Sligo town, a coastal town recognised for its food and musicians!
Things to see and do in Sligo & Donegal:
- Hike the Slieve League Cliffs – among Europe’s highest sea cliffs
- Bike through the Mamore Gap, one of Ireland’s most famed bike routes
- Explore the eerie and remote Glenveagh National Park and its idyllic Victorian castle
- Learn how to weave Donegal tweed in Adara
- Explore Yeats Country by kayak such as Lough Gill and the Atlantic coast of Sligo
- Explore the plethora of neolithic monuments, as the region is a hotspot for these structures that are older than the pyramids of Giza!
- Stand at the northernmost point of Ireland at Malin Head, also a Star Wars filming location!