There are so many great walks in Connemara that it is often difficult to know where to go!
Dunloughan, on the north side of the Ballyconneely peninsula is a great favourite, and can be made shorter or longer according to what you feel like doing. There is a string of sandy storm beaches and grassy landscapes which make for an interesting short hike.
This are is popular with surfers and people come from all over the world to experience the swell that runs in straight off the Atlantic. You can drive from Ballyconneely village along the road signposted Bunowen, and take a right turn signposted Dunloughan. Check the map at the bottom of the page. Park carefully on the verge where the line starts. Leave plenty of room as a tractor may need to use the road.
The sound of the surf and the breeze that drives it ashore is very bracing. There is always a few surfers braving the elements and experienced surfers teaching their skills in the waves.
As you make your way up the last stretch of the walk, a narrow road that leads to a fishing pier you can see the two towers of Slyne Head, one of the most westerly points of land in Ireland. The lighthouse was manned until the 1980s.
When you have reached the little fishing pier you retrace your steps back to where you have left your car.
There are usually a few sheep and ponies around so it is best to keep your dog on a lead.
