Welcome to Galway: A City Full of Life and Stories

Salthill Promenade & Blackrock

Big skies and Atlantic air define this seaside walk from the city to Salthill. Locals swim year-round, walkers pause for sea views, and the route ends with the famous “kick the wall” ritual at Blackrock Diving Tower.

Galway Cathedral & Corrib Riverside Walk

A striking modern cathedral meets the steady flow of the River Corrib. Swans, rowing boats and salmon weirs line the paths, offering a calm perspective on how water shapes Galway’s rhythm.

University of Galway, Hidden Details

Historic grounds filled with overlooked details. Look closely to uncover quiet courtyards, forgotten symbols, and traces of the city’s past woven into everyday student life.

Dangan Woods & Menlo Castle

Woodland and biodiversity trails follow the Corrib beyond the city’s edge. Across the river, ivy-covered Menlo Castle rises in silence, a former Blake family home, best admired from the paths rather than entered. Nearby, Dangan House Café offers a much-loved locals’ stop for slow lunches and garden walks.

Connemara National Park & Diamond Hill

Mountain paths wind through bog, heather, and open sky. From the Diamond Hill summit, the Twelve Bens, islands and Atlantic coastline stretch endlessly, a classic walking day on the edge of the Wild Atlantic Way.

Roundstone, Gurteen & Dog’s Bay

A colourful fishing village paired with two white-sand beaches that feel almost Caribbean on bright days. Ideal for gentle coastal walks, café stops, and unhurried afternoons by the sea.

Inishbofin Island

A small Atlantic island shaped for walking. Loop trails trace cliffs and quiet lanes where light constantly shifts. After a day outdoors, warm up in a local pub, or unwind in a seaside sauna overlooking the harbour.

Aran Islands, Inis Mór

Stone walls, ancient forts and Atlantic cliffs define this island landscape. Irish is still spoken daily, and life moves to the rhythm of weather and tides. Whether arriving by ferry or scenic flight, Inis Mór offers a full-day or overnight escape into an older, quieter Ireland.

Athenry Heritage Town

One of Ireland’s best-preserved medieval towns, just east of Galway. Castle walls, narrow streets and fragments of town defences make this an easy, history-rich alternative to the coast.

Blackrock Cottage

WYLDE Café

Dela

Dangan House Café

Jungle Café

Brasserie on the CornerBrasserie on the Corner

Rúibín

The Seafood Bar @ Kirwan’s Lane

Moran’s Oyster Cottage

The Connacht Hotel

Skeffington Arms Hotel

Corrib House

The Snug Townhouse

University of Galway

Radisson Red

St. Judes Bed and Breakfast

Winacre lodge

Glenlo Abbey Hotel