Stephen and Cathy Brinkman Wild Atlantic Way Adventure - Final Information

Day 1 - Saturday 31^st August - Mizen Head

Meet your guides David and Kevin, this morning and travel together to the far-flung signal station that marks Ireland’s southernmost tip at Mizen Head, and the starting point of your biking journey.
You’ll set off on a scenic ride past rocky coves and through adorable wee fishing villages that dot West Cork’s coastline. This isolated region of Cork offers the perfect opportunity to breathe in your first blast of fresh Atlantic air as you get to know your bike and explore a region of Ireland that most bypass. You’ll spend tonight in the village of Bantry where the fantastic local seafood is the order of the day.

Overnight: Bantry | The Maritime Hotel
Room Type: Standard Double
Meals Included: Lunch
Ride Details: 45 km / 28 miles | 557 m / 1,827 ft elevation gain

Day 2 - Sunday 1^st September - The Cork & Kerry Peninsulas

Today’s route sweeps you across three of southwest Ireland’s amazing peninsulas and through a fabulous mountain pass that is a perennial favourite among local cyclists. Starting at the coast, the road winds its way through lush valleys and into the foothills of the Caha Mountains for the first real climb of the trip. Epic views await atop Moll’s Gap, the summit of your second climb and a perfect coffee stop, before finishing the day with a fantastic long and speedy descent into the bustling town of Killarney.

Overnight: Killarney | The Lake Hotel
Room Type: Lake View Double
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Ride Details: 77 km / 48 miles | 710 m / 2,329 ft elevation gain

Day 3 - Monday 2^nd September - Killarney & Dingle

The famous Dingle town is beloved throughout Ireland for its lively pubs and incredible restaurant scene. The Dingle Peninsula is a place that has attracted artists, craftspeople and artisans from all over the world. This region is a Gaeltacht, meaning Irish is the daily spoken language for most people. Today’s route skirts below the gentle Slieve Mish mountains before opening out onto ocean vistas as you track along the southern edge of the Dingle Peninsula. If you are up for a little extra distance today, your guides can lead you along one of our favourite short biking loops in Ireland – the stunning route around Slea Head. Ireland’s westernmost promontory, this wild headland cycle includes opportunities to stop at early medieval beehive huts and prehistoric tombs.

Overnight: Dingle | Cill Bhreac House
Room Type: Deluxe Double
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Ride Details: 64 km / 40 miles | 360 m / 1,181 ft elevation gain

Day 4 - Tuesday 3^rd September - Dingle to Ballybunion

The Conor Pass, formerly a cattle-driving route through the mountains, is the last of Kerry’s collection of stunningly beautiful mountain passes on this Wild Atlantic Way trip. Climbing hills and mountain passes, at the summit you’re met with views of the miles-long sandy beaches that characterise the northern part of Kerry. Winding down towards the ocean, this brilliant descent is one of our favourites. For the rest of the day, you’ll pedal through quintessential Irish countryside views far from other visitors. Expect wildflower-laced hedgerows, vividly green fields and quiet roads lined with small-holdings. This is real, off-the-beaten-path Ireland where the only other people you’ll see are the locals.

Overnight: Ballybunnion | Cashen Course House
Room Type: Standard Double
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Ride Details: 77 km / 48 miles | 590 m / 1,936 ft elevation gain

Day 5 - Wednesday 4^th September - Ballybunion to Doolin

Today’s route follows the Wild Atlantic Way as it winds northwards along the coast. The day starts flat, giving your legs a bit of a rest before ferrying across the Shannon Estuary, the mouth of Ireland’s longest river, and into County Clare. The southern part of Clare is often by-passed by the less adventurous so you’ll enjoy incredibly quiet roads for a lot of today. You’ll pass by the Cliffs of Moher, Ireland’s most famous landmark, and into the village of Doolin – a bastion of Irish music where traditional Irish music is deeply ingrained in local culture. You will be staying here for the next 3 nights, so you can properly unpack your bags tonight!

Overnight: Doolin | Doolin Inn
Room Type: Standard Double
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Ride Details: 85 km / 53 miles | 500 m / 1,640 ft elevation gain

Day 6 - Thursday 5^th September - The Wild Burren National Park

Having explored the coastline over the past week, today’s route takes in the wild rolling interior of the Burren National Park. It’s easy to see how this exposed limestone landscape fed inspired JRR Tolkien’s Middle Earth in his fantasy masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings. As you pedal along quiet roads lined with quaint limestone walls that weave through this limestone expanse, marvel at the stony crevices dotted with pockets of rare wildflowers. There are holy well sites here as well as mysterious neolithic tombs including one of Ireland’s largest dolmens. We will stop at a perfumery that uses the landscape to inspire their fragrances as well as create the most delicious freshly-baked organic goodies. After all that cycling, you’ve earned a treat!

Overnight: Doolin | Doolin Inn
Room Type: Standard Double
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Ride Details: 60 km / 37 miles | 557 m / 1,827 ft elevation gain

Day 7 - Friday 6^th September - The Clare Coast

One of our favourite biking routes in the west of Ireland takes you from the village of Doolin along winding coastal roads and past the wild and windswept headland of Black Head. Here, the highest peaks of the Burren flank one side and the crashing waves of the Atlantic fall off to the other. The village of Ballyvaughan is a perfect spot for a cosy picnic lunch with a view and after taking on the switchbacks at the short but accurately named ‘Corkscrew Hill,’ your day finishes with a long and gentle descent into Doolin town. Wrap up your day with a traditional music session at one of the local pubs for which Doolin is famous.

Overnight: Doolin | Doolin Inn
Room Type: Standard Double
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Ride Details: 55 km / 34 miles | 360 m / 1,181 ft elevation gain

Day 8 - Saturday 7^th September - The Spectacular Sky Road

This morning, hop into the van for the first and only transfer northwards along the Wild Atlantic Way. If you’re looking for a little cosmopolitan liveliness, you have the option to stop in the famous west coast city of Galway. Soak up its vibrant atmosphere and spend a few hours wandering Galway’s cobbled streets. Part of the magic of Ireland is the sheer variety of landscapes – north of Galway, you’ll leave the windswept rocky expanses of the Burren behind for the heather-clad hills and craggy granite peaks of Connemara. Today’s route is a short local classic that is a favourite with cyclists. Cycling along Sky Road, expect a blast of fresh air and stunning sea views as you follow this rewarding loop. You’ll finish up back in the fantastic village of Clifden, your home for the next few nights.

Overnight: Clifden | Clifden Station House
Room Type: Deluxe Double
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Ride Details: 18 km / 11 miles | 160 m / 525 ft elevation gain

Day 9 - Sunday 8^th September - Connemara’s Southern Shores

A bike route around Connemara’s most picturesque coastline awaits you today. Pedal along the beautiful Coral Beach and Dog’s Bay and into the picturesque fishing village of Roundstone. Enjoy amazing views and a seaside lunch in Roundstone before heading back towards Clifden town via the ‘bog road’ – a long stretch that traverses the heart of the blanket boglands that are an ever-present feature of the Connemara landscape. In the distance, the peaks of the Twelve Bens and the Mamturks make an evocative backdrop to your Connemara route. We recommend dinner in one of Ireland’s best seafood spots that sources some of the best local Connemara produce.

Overnight: Clifden | Clifden Station House
Room Type: Deluxe Double
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Ride Details: 43 km / 27 miles | 103 m / 337 ft elevation gain

Day 10 - Monday 9^th September - Connemara National Park

Circumnavigating Connemara National Park, wild and empty scenery awaits. Pedal along Connemara’s myriad of tiny lakes, heading for the pass between the region’s two prominent mountain ranges. Turn for home through the picturesque Inagh Valley where a Victorian fishing lodge makes for an epic rest stop. Sheep and the occasional fly fisherman are usually all you have for company on this stretch but keep an eye out for golden eagles that are enjoying a resurgence here. Finish the day – and wrap up your anniversary trip to Ireland – with a final pint of Guinness in one of Clifden’s lively pubs.

Overnight: Clifden | Clifden Station House
Room Type: Deluxe Double
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch
Ride Details: 64 km / 40 miles | 230 m / 755 ft elevation gain

Day 11 - Tuesday 10^th September - Departure

After breakfast and a bit of time for a morning stroll around Clifden, your guides will drop you to your chosen hotel in Galway, The Skeffington Arms, Eyre Square, where you can explore this colourful city some more.

Please feel free to reference our attached ‘Eat, See, Stay’ packet for any recommendations for a few extra days here!

Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch