Sligo, scenery, surfing and thalassotherapy | The Wild Atlantic Way

Sligo contains some of the most spectacular coastal scenery along the Wild Atlantic Way and that’s saying something compared to the crowd stealers Cork, Kerry and Donegal.

Hidden gems in Sligo

The reward for independent travelers keen for adventure and alternative routes is quiet, traffic free roads with unlimited photo opportunities.

From the surfers paradise of Mullaghmore in the North, where those infamous 90 foot waves came in last winter, drawing dare devil surfers from all over the world, to the lonesome, fairy tale Classiebawn Castle which belonged to the late Lord Louis Mountbatten, a cousin of Queen Elizabeth II of England. Towered over by brooding Ben Bulben, Ireland’s own table mountain to the right and Knocknarea on the left, the highest mountain in Connaught with its stone cairn dedicated to the Irish Queen Maeve at the top.

You can visit William Butler Yeat’s grave in Drumcliffe with its immortal effigy “Cast a cold eye on life, on death, horseman pass by”. Strandhill is another great surfing location where you can take a seaweed bath which is a unique and rejuvenating Irish experience. Harvested daily, Fucus Serrata is credited with the ability to draw toxins from the body and restore lost vitamins and minerals which are essential for good health, not to mention leaving you deeply rested and your skin silky smooth.

Another place you can enjoy a spot of Thalassotherapy is Enniscrone, further along the coast with its miles of smooth sandy beach. Inland there’s a Windy Gap that winds through the mountains via Lough Talt, where you can visit the Eagles Flying at Ballymote. With several different species of raptors including hawks, peregrine falcons and sea eagles with a wing span of 3 meters you can becoming a bird handler for a day or enjoy one of the many lightening fly pasts.

Use one of our Sligo B&Bs as a base for traveling around. Your host will be there to advise you on the locality should you need it; as well as offering you a warm welcome, comfortable accommodation and a hearty breakfast.