Overview

Meet your Trek Travel host at 12:00 PM in the hotel lobby in bustling Westport, an utterly charming coastal inlet town, near to countless wildlife wonders including seals and humpback whales. After familiarizing you with your upcoming itinerary, your host will fit you to your Trek bike, ensuring the best comfort on your bike for the week. Then you'll start your Ireland Self-Guided Bike Tour with a ride through the rolling, green Mayo countryside, along a traffic-free bike path that follows the route of a converted Victorian railway. After tracking between hills and sea, you will turn inland toward the quaint riverside village of Newport and circle back to your hotel in Westport town. If you want to experience some great live music, don't miss the opportunity to visit one of the many local pubs and mingle with the locals over a pint of Guinness! For dinner we recommend trying a traditional Irish meal chosen from the list of our favorite places in town.

Overview

This morning, savor your first hearty Irish breakfast at the hotel and get ready for a tour through the sweeping hills, bogs, and lakes that make up this little known corner of Ireland. Heading out from your hotel by bike, you'll pedal past the shores of Lough Beltra before turning south and approaching the classic local climb known as Windy Gap. From the top of the gap you have spectacular views of the iconic Nephin, the highest standalone mountain in Ireland. From there it’s a long gentle descent all the way to the Museum of Country Life where a permanent exhibition on the history of the bicycle in Ireland is just one of the many windows into the rural history of this part of the world. The return journey is a more leisurely ride on the Greenway that runs along the banks of the Castlebar River. At the hotel take some time to relax with some spa treatments if you wish. Tonight, make good use of our hand-selected recommendations by our local experts when choosing the restaurant that best suits your palate.

Overview

Today, get ready to explore Connemara’s breathtaking landscapes, where rugged peaks and rocky hillsides create one of the most spectacular settings in the country. Head south toward the heather-covered Maamturks, one of two striking ranges that, along with the Twelve Bens, shape Connemara’s iconic skyline. It’s the biggest day in the saddle and the most varied with the initial bogland giving way to rising peaks as the day wears on. There’s a perfect stop halfway at the picturesque village of Leenane on the shores of the Killary fjord. Here you can enjoy lunch at your leisure, taking in the dramatic scenery of the mountains plunging into the sea. You might also consider joining a wool-spinning demonstration at the Sheep and Wool Centre. Learn the history of the local woollen industry and observe how the sheep's wool is made into yarn and cloth. In the afternoon you'll skirt the banks of Lough Nafooey before turning north again through the remote village of Tourmakeady with its beautiful waterfall tucked away in a cleft in the hills.

Overview

Don’t forget your camera today as you embark on one of the most scenic rides surrounded by unspoiled nature! Today’s ride takes you in a south-westerly direction into Delphi Valley and along the Doo Lough, a lake with a tragic history from the 19th Century Great Famine in Ireland. You'll ride past Glen Keen Farm where you can schedule a sheepdog demo and watch the incredible work of sheepdogs as they help farmers round up and direct sheep or learn about an historical farm tour, all by calling in advance. After this optional visit you will reach the small settlement of Delphi, shadowed by the Mweelrea Mountains. Don’t miss the opportunity of stopping at the Delphi Adventure Resort, one of Ireland’s oldest adventure hubs. This is a great place to grab lunch and a coffee and get your bearings amid the mountainous terrain. The afternoon ride will have you go over the famed Sheefrey Pass, a dramatic mountain pass well known to Irish cyclists for its breathtaking views and twisting descent. Tonight, celebrate with one last dinner of your choosing in Westport and toast to an incredible self-guided Ireland bike tour in this understated yet incredible part of the world!

Overview

Take this morning to sleep in and relax, savoring a long breakfast, or choose to have a final blast of Atlantic air as you ride past tiny and lively harbors, headlands and inlets that make up the Mayo coast overlooking Clew Bay. Back in Westport, your Trek Travel host will meet you at the hotel at 12:00 PM to take your bike and say farewell before you make your way to Galway or other wonderful Irish destinations.