menu facebook twitter instagram pinterest youtube search chevron-down chevron-up
Be My Travel Muse
  • About
    • About
    • Contact Me
    • Press
    • Work With Me
  • Blog
    • Archives
    • Best of BMTM
  • YouTube
  • Solo Female Travel
    • Bucket List
      • The 31 Cheapest Places to Travel in 2025
      • 31 BEST Places in the USA for Solo Female Travelers in 2025
      • 25 Unexpectedly Awesome Destinations for Solo Female Travelers
      • 25 Best Countries to Travel Alone for the First Time
      • 13 Perfect Weekend Trips for Solo Female Travelers in the USA
      • 10 Best Weekend Trips from Phoenix, Arizona
    • Resources
      • How to take the best travel selfies
      • 41 safety tips for solo female travelers
      • The ultimate solo female travel guide
      • Best group tours for solo female travelers
      • Why Every Woman Should Travel Alone
    • All solo female travel blogs
  • Be My Travel Muse
  • Tours
  • Destinations
    • USA
      • Hawaii
      • California
      • Nevada
      • Idaho
      • Arizona
      • Florida
      • Alaska
      • Utah
    • North America
      • Mexico
      • Costa Rica
      • Canada
    • Asia
      • Thailand
      • Philippines
      • Indonesia
      • Japan
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Aruba
      • Chile
      • The Galápagos
    • Europe
      • Germany
      • Iceland
      • Italy
    • All Destinations
  • Trip Planning

The Best of the Wild Atlantic Way from Galway to Donegal

11/09/2016 by Kristin Addis 21 Comments

Insider tips, where to stay, where to eat, and what to see from Galway to Donegal on the Wild Atlantic Way. Plus, some secret spots and a map with stops. Read more at https://www.bemytravelmuse.com/wild-atlantic-way-galway-donegal/

There are so many places in this world, sometimes it seems silly to go back when there is so much left unexplored. Then again, it’s silly not to go back when you love a place so much that you know you need to explore more of it, isn’t it?

That’s what Ireland is – a place worth going back to over and over. It’s the greenery of the rolling hills, the sea cliffs that, on a clear day, provide views of the other side or even other islands. It’s the hospitality and the humor that keep me coming back.

…and the oysters too.

MAN I love oysters.

This time it was all about exploring a new part of the Wild Atlantic Way, a road that wraps around the island and is the longest clearly defined coastal drive in the world. While it’s always been there, it’s only lately that it’s had this name and become popular, and the little towns along the way are still quaint and small, and some of the roads still small and winding.

From Galway to Donegal, here’s the best of the Wild Atlantic Way (IMHO):

Galway

wild atlantic way galway to donegal
If the song, ‘Galway Girl’ wasn’t in your head before it is now, sorry

The Wild Atlantic Way is famous in part for the food. Chefs are taking Irish cuisine to a whole new level, showcasing local seafood, lamb, and beef.

The dinner at Ard Bia, a restaurant just under the Spanish Arch, was the perfect introduction to this food culture. Trust me on this one: The lamb croquettes and steak are heaven.

wild atlantic way galway to donegal
Lamb croquettes and beetroot with feta wrapped in phyllo OMG

Plus, the bartender liked Steve and my corny jokes. Nobody likes Steve’s jokes, so this was pretty cool.

(juuuust kidding, Steve).

Stay: The House Hotel – the location is great and it’s all pretty in pink.

Galway to Clifden 

From Galway to Clifden you can take your time and drive along the coast or do a straight shot. The coast has some great stops so despite the fact that it is quite narrow in places and with lots of turns, it’s worth driving along it and stopping from time to time.

The first stop for us was just north of Galway at a beach called the Silver Strand.

wild atlantic way galway to donegal
A lovely beach and look at those caves!

There were kite surfers and even a swimmer in the water! I couldn’t believe my eyes.

wild atlantic way galway to donegal
Quite the juxtaposition between the swimmer and the passer-by. It was cold!

The receptionist at the House Hotel had also suggested that we stop at Dog’s Bay Beach on the way up, which was a stellar beach as well, with white sand and light blue water over black rocks.

wild atlantic way galway to donegal
At the bay

I suggest taking your time on this drive, watching out for the Wild Atlantic Way signs and pulling off whenever something looks like it could have potential.

Clifden was the stopping point for the day where we took a walk through the bogs and through history with a local guide who told us about the landing spot of the first transatlantic flight, as well as one of the first and largest radio receivers in history. It’s always nice having a local tell you about his home, isn’t it?

wild atlantic way galway to donegal
Plus there were so many hipster sheep!

Stay: Clifden is a good stopping point for the day since the drive up from Galway, especially with stops, can be pretty long. I stayed at the Quay House and it’s one of the quirkiest and funkiest places I’ve been. Each room has a theme, including the Napoleon room or mine, the Blue room:

wild atlantic way galway to donegal
You’ve gotta see this place!

Plus, they had oysters on the menu, for breakfast! You had me at oysters.

Clifden to Delphi

Upon leaving Clifden, the Sky Road, which only takes about 20 minutes to drive, offers some gorgeous views. Or at least I’m sure they would normally be pretty gorgeous, but it was a misty and cloudy day for us.

I still enjoyed the drive anyway, and that’s Ireland, after all.

wild atlantic way galway to donegal
The mist adds a little something to it

Next you’ll come to Kylemore Abbey, which was a highlight for me. I’d seen a photo of this famous abbey when I was younger and painted it for my grandmother, who had also traveled through Ireland (and much of Europe and the rest of the world), so it had sentimental value as well. 

wild atlantic way galway to donegal
So cool to see it in person all misty and with the fall foliage

That’s when I started to really appreciate the mist:

wild atlantic way galway to donegal
Ok now I like the mist (check out my Autumn in Europe packing guide for links to the outfits in this post)

Entrance to the abbey is €14, which includes the gardens, the church, and the walkway pictured above. You can still get the iconic photo of the Abbey from the bridge, without the entrance, if that’s all you’re after.

There’s also a short but steep hike to a statue of Christ just above the abbey if you feel like getting your sweat on.

wild atlantic way galway to donegal
So beautiful with the fall leaves

From there we made our way to Killary and took a fjord cruise, amazed that during low season, we had the boat to ourselves! There were so many little streams coming down each of the seaside cliffs, it looked like mini waterfalls on the changing orange grasses, dotted with sheep. On a lucky day you can see dolphins as well.

wild atlantic way galway to donegal
Delphi Resort & Spa

Stay: From there you can head inland a bit to Delphi Resort and Spa, which is situated in a gorgeous little valley near the tallest mountain in the area (at just over 800 meters). It’s family friendly and their seaweed bath had my skin feeling like it had reverse-aged about 20 years, it was so soft!

wild atlantic way galway to donegal

Delphi to Templeboy

The next morning you can either take the coastal route or the route through the mountains, which is what we did, and found a few perfect little photo stops along the way:

wild atlantic way galway to donegal
A viewpoint along the way on a clear, sunny day
wild atlantic way galway to donegal
A little brook surrounded by baa-ing sheep

For lunch I suggest you make your way to Westport which is building a name for itself as a foodie spot.

What I loved about it is the nature of the locals there, who emphasize working together to achieve success with tourism, their main industry. When Steve and I took the food tour there, sampling soft local baked goods, delicious craft beers, mussels, crisp apples, and super flavorful homemade pesto and hummus, locals kept recognizing our guide and joining us.

wild atlantic way galway to donegal
Baked goods at Becca’s Bakery in Westport

By the end there were 6 of us altogether, which, to me, so perfectly illustrates what I love about Ireland – the friendliness and the feeling that everyone is practically family. You can contact Redmond for a tour here.

For the night, we stayed at an inn connected to a pub in a tiny town south of Sligo called Templeboy.

This is the type of place where you can really feel Irish friendliness and hospitality. Within a few minutes of walking in, there was a group playing the fiddle (and very well I might add), and a group of guys who invited Steve and I to join them for two pints of Guinness.

Honestly, where else do you walk into a pub and you’re everyone’s new best friend? It happens all the time in Ireland!

Stay: Beach Bar & Aughris House, particularly room 9 which has a nice view of the beach and cliffs of Sligo.

wild atlantic way galway to donegal
The beach at Templeboy, taken from my room

Templeboy to Donegal (and Slieve League)

When passing through Sligo, Strandhill is a popular stop to watch the surfers. Steve and I were on a mission to make it to Slieve League and then onward to Derry for Halloween the same day, so we bypassed it but if you have the time, definitely stop by.

Mullaghmore is also an absolute must. Steve and I actually drove up there for sunset and then back down to Templeboy for the night, which doesn’t make any sense logistically, but we wanted to make the most of the gorgeous sunset unfolding given that we’re photographers and that kind of thing is how we get our kicks.

wild atlantic way galway to donegal
Mullaghmore’s Classiebawn Castle, so much beauty

It would be stunning at any time of day, though.

wild atlantic way galway to donegal
The cliffs on the other side

Then it was onwards to Slieve League, which is a must-see.

A photo posted by Kristin Addis (@bemytravelmuse) on Nov 1, 2016 at 10:20am PDT

If you saw and loved the Cliffs of Moher, and especially if you didn’t, Slieve League is equally as impressive:

wild atlantic way galway to donegal
Full rainbow arc over the cliffs? C’mon now, just stop it, Ireland

They’re one of Europe’s tallest sea cliffs, and at least at the end of October, were free to view.

wild atlantic way galway to donegal
A little stop on the walk up
wild atlantic way galway to donegal
And yet another

Bonus: Head into Northern Ireland

That night we made our way to Derry, Ireland’s only completely walled city, for the Halloween festival:

wild atlantic way galway to donegal
Spooky in Derry

If you have the time, it’s so worth road tripping through Northern Ireland as well, with towering basalt columns at the Giant’s Causeway, gorgeous beaches, and Game of Thrones filming locations which, even for someone who isn’t a fan of the show (I don’t watch TV or movies because I have no attention span), were a delight.

Those are a few of the best (of many, of course) great stops between Galway and Donegal in one of the friendliest and greenest countries in the world. Sit back and enjoy the twists and turns and narrow roads, driving on the left and self-fiving yourself for getting better and better at it with each passing day. A road trip down the Wild Atlantic Way is an adventure you’ll never forget.

*This post is brought to you in partnership with Tourism Ireland who helped me experience yet another part of the Wild Atlantic Way. Opinions of Ireland, a country I’ve happily returned to 5 times and expect to visit many more times to come, are my own.

Get the guidebook for solo female travelers!

About Kristin Addis

Kristin Addis is the founder and CEO of Be My Travel Muse, a resource for female travelers all around the world since 2012. She's traveled solo to over 65 countries and has brought over 150 women on her all-female adventure tours from Botswana to the Alaskan tundra.

« How I Found a Flight from Europe to the US for $400 on Skyscanner
How to Get SIM Cards in Southeast Asia »

Hello There!

headshot

Welcome to Be My Travel Muse, one of the top female travel blogs in the world, welcoming over 5 million readers annually.

I'm Kristin, and my vision of a better world is one where more women are empowered and living out their dreams. Solo traveling is the best method I've found to become the best, bravest version of me. This site is all about how YOU can have the adventure of a lifetime in an easy, fun, approachable way, so that you can feel empowered, too. Want to learn more about me?

Click here!

Get the Solo Female Travel Guidebook

Popular Posts

I am currently in:

The USA!

Check it out on Instagram Stories!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Emily says

    11/10/2016 at 5:57 am

    Loved this post! Personally my favourite part of the WAW is from Galway to Kerry but the views in Donegal are pretty insane! I haven’t gotten to explore it as much as you have but your pictures make a pretty convincing argument for me to plan a trip there!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      11/10/2016 at 9:36 am

      Didn’t make it to Kerry but adding it to the list now!

      Reply
  2. Lynn says

    11/10/2016 at 6:24 am

    Thanks for another great post, and for taking me into the northern part of the Wild Atlantic Way! On my around the world journey I was lucky enough to cover the south-western part and it was amazing , but time ran out & I missed the north – looks like it’s worth a trip back…
    http://www.travelynntales.com//?s=Ireland+&x=0&y=0

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      11/10/2016 at 9:35 am

      I did the same a few years ago. It’s good in bits and pieces too!

      Reply
  3. Aisling says

    11/11/2016 at 2:02 am

    Im from Ireland and its so nice to see people enjoying our countryside! We take it all for granted but when someone else shows us their photos or opinions of the country, it reminds you just how beautiful Ireland is. I only recently did the Wild Atlantic Way myself and loved every second of it!

    The Burren, Kerry and West Cork are all instagram ready too…absolutely gorgeous!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      11/11/2016 at 10:46 am

      I love reading other people’s opinions of where I’m from too! It’s nice to see things from a visitor’s point of view. Glad you like the photos!

      Reply
  4. Faith Coates says

    01/16/2017 at 7:40 am

    Off in a few weeks back out to the WAW and headed up to stay with friends in Donegal for a month or so cannot wait. I think Donegal is truly my favourite area of Ireland although a housesit for 7 weeks in Tipperary almost had me convinced to move there…lol…

    I love the wild rawness of Donegal and the lack of tourist and people most of all it allows me to breathe and that is so wonderful

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      01/16/2017 at 11:30 am

      That part of Ireland is really nice for heading off the beaten path a bit and being around locals, for sure!

      Reply
  5. Nadia says

    03/07/2017 at 2:38 pm

    Would you mind suggesting a itinerary for Ireland like you did for Iceland? I follow your guide for Iceland and loved it! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      03/09/2017 at 2:22 am

      This is my best one for this part of the coast, and you can find my northern ireland one linked in there as well, however I haven’t traveled the whole country so it’s hard for me to comment on the rest of it!

      Reply
  6. jo says

    09/10/2017 at 10:53 pm

    this has made me so excited as we are doing the same for my 50th in october, wonderful and helphul, thanks
    jo from manchester

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      09/11/2017 at 9:07 am

      Have fun!

      Reply
  7. joanne marie augustyn says

    03/20/2018 at 9:54 pm

    We’re travelling to Ireland for the first time this coming June. We only have 10 nights, and are starting and ending in Dublin. We need to visit Northern Ireland (Bangor), since that’s where my family was from, and originally the reason we are going. Now that I’ve been studying Ireland, I realize how much more of it I want/need to see. What a beautiful Island. We’re just trying to figure out a route for our 10 night stay. Everywhere looks like heaven to me, and I know that 10 nights is not nearly enough. I can say that hopefully I’ll be back, without even having gone yet.

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      03/21/2018 at 8:56 pm

      I did this route in about a week, in case that helps! You can drive back down to Dublin via a more major highway instead of the WAW and get it done in a few hours.

      Reply
  8. Delaney says

    06/21/2018 at 8:10 pm

    I was planning on going to Derry for halloween this year and I am so happy I saw this post beforehand. I would love to do this road trip there! Do you think this drive would be doable for a single female? It sounds like everyone you met was very friendly so that gives me hope!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      06/21/2018 at 11:46 pm

      Yeah I’d definitely do it solo!

      Reply
  9. Jodi Artman says

    08/08/2019 at 1:10 pm

    Kristen, Love Your Photos!
    Came across your blog while researching for our family trip to Ireland in 3 weeks. I spent a couple of years traveling solo across Asia and Nepal early 2000s, but now traveling with hubby and 2 kids….so
    doing a bit more planning this time 😉
    We have about 10 days for travel before heading to a wedding in Connemara. So many amazing choices and so little time! Hubby is a lover of nature and rocks, not a fan of lots of people or tourist sites. I’m thinking of forgoing the Ring of Kerry and Cliffs of Moher to take the road less traveled and follow your route N of Galway to Derry! Thanks for posting all this info and the photos 🙂

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      08/09/2019 at 10:47 am

      You should have more solitude on this route. Have fun!

      Reply
  10. Social Traveler says

    05/03/2020 at 10:53 am

    Great that you got to see the 40 shades of green.

    Reply
  11. Hannah says

    01/19/2022 at 7:12 am

    Do you have any advice for traveling around Ireland or experiencing the WAW under age 25? I’m planning a trip to Ireland in the coming months, but I’m struggling to find a way to travel without renting a car, and from what I’ve read Ireland has very strict car rental regulations. Do you think it would be better to wait until I could find a way to rent a car? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      01/19/2022 at 3:09 pm

      I have driven it and it’s definitely easier/best done by car, but I was over 25 at the time. Is that too young to rent in Ireland? The bus system is pretty good there as well, and I’m sure you could find an organized tour if you’re open to that.

      Reply

Stay Connected

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact Me
  • Archives
  • Privacy Policy and Disclaimer

© 2025 · Be My Travel Muse. All Rights Reserved

footer-icon