Where Village Life Meets Wild Atlantic Coast
Wander through the villages of Achill Island and you will find great food, sweeping views and the warm welcome of island life. Follow the coast to Keel Beach, where the Atlantic sets the pace, then continue to Keem Bay with its clear water, golden sand and cliffside path. From quiet laneways to dramatic ocean scenery, Achill Island brings together the very best of Ireland in one remarkable place.
Explore Things To Do
Achill Island (Acaill)
Achill Island, or Oileán Acaill, rises from windswept blanket bog to towering cliffs and pristine sandy beaches, creating some of the most striking scenery on the Wild Atlantic Way. Reached by road from the Corraun Peninsula, the island blends natural beauty with over five thousand years of history, from ancient tombs and promontory forts to Kildamhnait Castle and the deserted villages at Slievemore and Ailt. Drive the forty kilometre Atlantic Drive for sweeping coastal views, or explore the island’s quiet lanes and the Great Western Greenway on foot or by bike. With opportunities for fishing, surfing, diving, kayaking and visiting craft studios and galleries, Achill offers a perfect mix of adventure, culture and wild Atlantic charm.
Achill Bikes – Bike Rental
Start your Achill cycling adventure in Dooagh with Achill Bikes, just five kilometres from the iconic Keem Bay and perfectly placed for exploring the island’s three scenic cycle loops. With more than a decade of experience, Michael Anthony Lavelle and his son Michael have built a hire service that combines local knowledge with top quality equipment. Choose from premium electric bikes, adults and children’s bikes and a range of accessories including child trailers, tag alongs and even a doggy trailer for your four legged companion. Every hire includes a helmet and high visibility vest, with panniers available on request and free parking at their base behind Teach Cruachán. Just pick your bike and set off to discover Achill at your own pace.
Deserted Village Achill Island
The Deserted Village at Slievemore is one of Achill Island’s most atmospheric historic sites, a line of stone cottages that appear frozen in time on the southern slopes of Mount Slievemore. Once home to a community that may have lived here for more than five thousand years and up to the mid-19th century, the village was gradually abandoned and fell into ruin. Although the exact reasons remain unclear, it is believed that changes in land ownership and possible evictions played a role in its decline. Today, the ruins stand as a quiet reminder of Achill’s past and the lives shaped by this wild mountainside.
Ronan Halpin Gallery
Discover the Ronan Halpin Gallery on Achill Island, showcasing Ronan Halpin’s sculptural work and paintings and jewellery by Amanda MacMahon. Drawn to Achill’s shifting light and rugged coastline, Ronan has lived and worked near Keel since 1998, creating handmade pieces in steel, brass and bronze inspired by the island’s dramatic landscape. Open during the summer months, the gallery features small sculptures, furniture, mirrors and lighting, along with Amanda’s evocative local landscapes. Ronan’s large scale sculpture Sentinel can also be viewed in nearby Westport.
The Colony Tour
Explore the history of Achill Island on the Colony Tour in Doogort, County Mayo, a two-hour gentle walk through the ruins of the Achill Mission with BAFTA-winning writer Kevin Toolis. Discover how Edward Nangle’s arrival in 1831 sparked fifty years of conflict marked by bibles, guns, famine and starvation, as he clashed with the local Catholic community and Archbishop John MacHale in the struggle for Ireland’s destiny.
Clew Bay Bike Trail
The Clew Bay Bike Trail is the first looped cycling route around Clew Bay in County Mayo, combining scenic bike paths with short ferry crossings to both Achill Island and Clare Island. Covering 105km, including an optional 10km loop on Clare Island, the trail links the charming seaside towns of Westport, Newport and Mulranny, all under the shadow of Croagh Patrick. This flexible route can be completed in a day or enjoyed over two days for a more relaxed experience, and it can be cycled in either direction depending on your starting point, with ferries running from Roonagh Pier and Cloughmore when in operation.
Achill Experience Aquarium & Visitor Centre
Discover Ireland’s native sea life and fascinating exotic species at the Achill Experience Aquarium & Visitor Centre, County Mayo’s first and only aquarium. Located in Keel on Achill Island, the centre’s expert guides lead visitors through engaging marine exhibits while the museum explores Achill’s rich heritage, from the Coffin Trail and the Achill Mission to a traditional boley house. After your visit, enjoy delicious Cosmic Coffee and pick up a memorable souvenir in the gift shop. Tar, féach, foghlaim – come, look, learn.
Dugort Beach, Achill Island
Dugort Beach on Achill Island, County Mayo, is a scenic sandy shore overlooking Blacksod Bay and popular for windsurfing, swimming, surfing and peaceful coastal walks. Also known as Pollawaddy or Silver Strand, it sits at the foot of the Slievemore Mountains and forms part of a Special Area of Conservation, with rich machair flora and fauna. This semi-exposed beach has a sandy base with occasional rocks and pebbles on the upper shore. Parking and picnic tables are available, lifeguards are on duty from June to August, and further visitor information is provided on the beach noticeboard.
Golden Strand, Achill Island
Golden Strand on Achill Island, County Mayo, is the larger of the two beaches in Dugort and offers sweeping views across Blacksod Bay. Located around 3km east of the village, this sandy exposed shore, also known as Barnyagappul Strand meaning gap of the horses, features gently sloping dunes and a pebble-strewn upper shore. It is a popular destination for swimming, walking, surfing, sailing, canoeing, jet skiing, water skiing, scuba diving, snorkelling and fishing, and is home to a variety of native plants and wildlife.
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