A trip to Connemara National Park

One of the basic pillars of the Connemara area is the lakes. The largest and perhaps the most interesting for fishermen is Lake Corrib, which is located just outside the town of Galway. The reason why so many fishermen go to this area, especially around June-July, is the salmon, which pull from the sea across the weirs in the town of Galway by the river to the lake, where they spawn.

Just before you enter Connemara National Park, you can't miss Kylemore Abbey, which sits on the shores of Pollacapall Lough like a ghostly white ghost. Inside, it is possible to see the period furnishings or take a walk in the surrounding gardens and promenade along the lake to the nearby Gothic church. Or who needs, just like us, to stop at the lookout on the opposite side of the lake and enjoy the view of the abbey set in the surrounding countryside.

In Connemara National Park, we chose the ascent to Diamond hill (442m.nm), which is very well marked with a modified path, so even complete beginners can handle it. The ascent according to mapy.cz is estimated at 1.5 hours with a 375 m elevation gain. The route starts at the visitor center in the town of Letterfrack.

The routes to the top are arranged in two circuits, where it is possible to bypass only the lower circuit below the mountain and the circuit back to the visitor center or continue to the upper circuit through the top. The road leads in some places through peat bogs and thanks to frequent rains, sections of the route are built on wooden footbridges.

The ascent effort is then rewarded at the top with a distant view of the surroundings of the ocean bay, islands and long beaches on one side and on the other peaks of the higher mountains in Connemara, not which, unfortunately (at least according to Mapy.cz) does not lead the way.

The Connemary area has several beaches, from the smaller ones hidden in the bay to the long beaches, perfect for walks. The Irish climate is not very pleasant for swimming, but if you are hard, on warmer days, where temperatures are at 23 ° C, you can soak in the ocean or at least bask in the lee.

In the north of the Connemara area, you will also find one natural phenomenon that is rather typical of the Scandinavian landscape, and that is a fjord or a long sea bay that goes deep into the mainland. This fjord separates County Galway from County Mayo, which lies further north. You can take a ride along the fjord on a boat and see it as closely as you can on a road that lines it from the south to the town of Leenaun and enjoy the reflection of the green hills in the calm blue surface.