Activities in Co. Sligo West of Ireland

Activities in Sligo on the North East border of Co. Mayo

Walking

County Sligo has a large number of walks available to all walkers. The most popular trails are the Sligo Way and the Arigna Miners’ Way.

The Sligo Way is a 74km walking route starting in the Ox Mountain Range where it links with the Western Way. It runs through Sligo and ends at Dromahair in Co. Leitrim.

The Arigna Miners’ Way is a circular route from Arigna in Co. Roscommon which passes through Sligo.

Other breathtaking walks can be found in the Bricklieve, Ox and Curlew Mountains, Knocknarea Mountain, the Glen, Lough Arrow, Lough Gara and of course around BenBulben.

Kkocknarea Walk is a moderate climb and offers a relatively easy walk to the summit of some 45-50 minutes. On the summit, there is the tomb of Connaught’s legendary Queen Maeve, a cairn 10 meters high and visible for miles around.

The very pleasant Sligo Town has a walking trail, and there are also relaxing walks at Dooney Rock, Slish Wood and Hazelwwod, Union Wood, Culleenduff and Lady’s Brae.

Enniscrone Seaweed Baths

Seaweed baths are indigenous to Ireland and very popular since Edwardian times.

They are ordinary baths, but the hot water is seawater pumped in from the unpolluted waters of the Atlantic filled with wild organic seaweed such as Fucus serratus.

On arrival, the visitor is immersed in an enormous luxuriant refined oil bath which will give him an intense feeling of lightness.

A wonderful experience that relaxes and detoxes!

In Enniscrone, a seaside village near Ballina, there are seaweed baths established in 1912, situated on the Cliff Road and they have full treatments comprising of Steam and Seaweed Baths and Sea Water Showers.

Yeats Trail

The Yeats Trail has been developed for visitors and holidaymakers who love grand old houses, fascinating scenery and landscape, Irish literature, history and culture which inspired the Yeats brothers.

The trail showcases the strong connection the Yeats family had with the county.

The Yeats Trail in Sligo includes four points:

Visit Yeats Grave at Drumcliffe Church, where, in the churchyard, is the final resting place of W.B. Yeats. Not far from there is Lissadell House (19th century), a majestic castle, open to the public. Here all Yeats writings can be seen.
Yeats Memorial Building which houses a permanent exhibition on the life and works of W.B.Yeats, an exhibition of Jack Yeats prints and shows DVDs, videos, talks and guided tours.
The Model, where one of the most significant collections of Jack B. Yeats can be seen.
Sligo County Museum Sligo which displays a variety of memorabilia depicting the life and works of William Butler Yeats.

Cycling

Cycling on any of the smaller roads is a delightful way to explore the county at a leisurely pace and discover hidden gems.

Also, you can cycle part of the historic Tour de Humbert through the lovely countryside.

Surfing

Sligo is famous for the quality of its waves with good reef and beach breaks in the area; Easkey, Enniscrone and Strandhill are top class surfing location.

Easkey has a rich surfing history and is recognised internationally as a surfing hotspot. Recognising this, the Irish Surfing Association headquarters are now based in Easkey.

The devoted surfers can don their wetsuit and brave the water all year round. Lessons are available to newcomers to the sport and wetsuits and surfboards can be provided.

Golfing

Golf is one of the most played sports in Ireland, nowadays considered as the Mecca of golf in Europe.

Sligo is very well known as a golfing destination where it is possible to golf in challenging courses located in a superb green countryside.

It features three of Ireland’s truly outstanding links courses: County Sligo Golf Club at Rosses Point, Enniscrone Golf Club and Strandhill. There are also good 9-hole courses at Tubbercurry and Ballymote.

Fishing

Fishing in Sligo is of excellent quality and, there are many beautiful locations such as Lough Gill, Lough Arrow, the Duff River, Lough BO, Lough Na Suil and Glencar Lough.

Here shore angling is also particularly good because of the proximity of deep water to the shore. The most popular angling destinations are Mullaghmore, Rosses Point and Ballymote.

Wild Atlantic Way

The Wild Atlantic Way is a 2500km driving route, stretching from Kinsale in County Cork to the Donegal village of Muff on the Inishowen peninsula along Ireland's rugged and spectacular coastline.

It traverses the entire west coast of Ireland from Cork through counties Kerry, Clare, Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim, ending in Donegal and has become one of the country's main tourist attractions.

You can have a fantastic drive along the Sligo’s section of the Wild Atlantic Way and discover exciting places to see and explore, which will fascinate your heart and mind, long after you have returned home to the ordinary routine of day-to-day living.

Here are some of the Discovery Points around Mayo: