2 Into the Atlantic
Stage 1 Donegal Town to Ballyshannon
Stage 2 Ballyshannon to Sligo
Stage 3 Sligo to Ballina
Stage 4 Ballina to Belmullet
Stage 5 Belmullet to Achill
Stage 6 Tour of Achill Island
Stage 7 Achill to Foxford
Stage 7A WAW link from Newport (Stage 7) to Westport
Stage 8 Foxford to Sligo
Route 2 Route cards
Route 3 Tour of Connacht
Stage 1 Westport to Roonah Quay
Stage 2 Tour of Clare Island
Stage 3 Roonah Quay to Tully
Stage 4 Tully to Clifden
Stage 5 Tour of Inishbofin
Stage 6 Clifden to Kilkieran
Stage 7 Kilkieran to Galway
Stage 8 Galway to Cong
Stage 9 Cong to Westport
Route 3 Route cards
Route 4 The Aran Islands and the Burren
Stage 1 Galway to Inishmore
Stage 2 Tour of Inishmore
Stage 3 Tour of Inisheer
Stage 4 Round the Burren
Stage 5 Doolin to Kilrush
Stage 6 Kilrush to Ennis
Stage 7 Ennis to Limerick
Stage 7A WAW link from Limerick to Tarbert
Route 4 Route cards
Route 5 The Dingle and Kerry Peninsulas
Stage 1 Tarbert to Tralee
Stage 2 Tralee to Dingle
Stage 3 Tour of the Dingle Peninsula
Stage 4 Dingle to Killorglin
Stage 5 Killorglin to Portmagee
Stage 6 Portmagee to Caherdaniel
Stage 7 Caherdaniel to Kenmare
Stage 8 Kenmare to Killarney
Stage 9 Killarney to Tralee
Route 5 Route cards
Route 6 The Fuchsia Coast
Stage 1 Kenmare to Allihies
Stage 2 Allihies to Glengarriff
Stage 3 Glengarriff to Schull
Stage 4 Schull to Clonakilty
Stage 5 Clonakilty to Kinsale
Stage 6 Kinsale to Cork
Route 6 Route cards
Appendix A Useful contacts
Appendix B Glossary
Appendix C Deviations from the Wild Atlantic Way driving route
Appendix D Further reading
Appendix E Calibrating your cycle computer
THE WILD ATLANTIC WAY CYCLE ROUTE
This table lists the stages from the six cycle tours devised for this guide (see ‘Six cycle tours in western Ireland’) that make up the route of the Wild Atlantic Way. Details of any variations from the official WAW driving route are set out in Appendix C.
SIX CYCLE TOURS IN WESTERN IRELAND
INTRODUCTION
Sunset at Strandhills (Route 2, Stage 3)
Officially launched in 2014, the Wild Atlantic Way winds along more than 2000km of coastline at Europe’s far northwestern shore. Here, breakers rolling in from the Americas have shaped ancient rocks into a land of special beauty. The people, too, have forged a distinct cultural identity. Gaelic is still spoken along the Atlantic coast and the island’s story is etched into the landscape in prehistoric remnants, early Christian architecture, castles, grand 18th century houses and contemporary Nationalist murals. From Derry/Londonderry and Malin Head in the north to Mizen Head and Cork in the southwest, fine beaches, harbours and towering cliffs await the turn of your pedals.
This guide adopts and adapts the Wild Atlantic Way to suit the cycle tourist. The official Wild Atlantic Way is a driving route. As such it includes long stretches of main road when quieter and more scenic alternatives are close at hand for cyclists. The ‘Way’ also skips two excellent cycling spots – the Aran Islands, where there are no car ferries, and Killarney, which is a sublime day-ride away from the coast. (See Appendix C for a detailed breakdown of the ways in which the route described in this guide differs from the WAW driving route.)
Since not everyone has seven weeks to spare for a full Wild Atlantic Way tour, this guide offers six self-contained tours based on sections of the Wild Atlantic Way, each of which can be fitted into one week or two. For the full Wild Atlantic Way experience, the distinct routes link together into a 44-stage, 2400km trip along Ireland’s west coast.
Geology
The beauty of Ireland’s Atlantic coastline is based on its geological foundations.
