The Great Outdoors

The Great Outdoors

While the West's rugged scenery has always been popular with outdoor types, the biggest growth area in recent years has been in provision of facilities for walkers and hikers. The last decade has seen the completion of various "way-marked" (signposted) walking routes. Better, there are also several new tour operators specializing in customized walking holidays, providing accommodation and a guide, or annotated walking maps. If you like challenging hills and relatively rough terrain, the West is excellent hiking country. The unusual, almost lunar landscape of the Burren in County Clare is less demanding than the terrain in Connemara. Here, and in the area north of Connemara in South County Mayo, the countryside is sparsely populated and subject to sudden changes in weather, usually a shower of rain. There are four signposted trails in the area, but it's always advisable to buy a good map locally before setting out. The Burren Way runs from Lahinch to Ballyvaughan on the shores of Galway Bay, a distance of 35 km (22 mi). The most spectacular part of the trail runs along the top of the Cliffs of Moher from Doolin to the coast near Lisdoonvarna, a distance of about 5 km (3 mi). The trails continue through the heart of the Burren's gray, rocky limestone landscape, with ever-changing views offshore of the Aran Islands and Galway Bay. The Western Way's County Galway section extends from Ougheterard on Lough Corrib through the mountains of Connemara to Leenane on Killary Harbour, a distance of 50 km (30 mi). Its 177-km (110-mi) County Mayo section, known as the Western Way (Mayo), continues past Killary Harbor to Westport on Clew Bay to the Ox Mountains east of Ballina; this trail includes some of the finest mountain and coastal scenery in Ireland. A new, 224-km (140-mi) hiking route, slí Chonamara through Irish-speaking Connemara, stretches along the shores of Galway Bay from An Spidéal to Carraroe, Carna, Lettterfrack, and Recess.