Connemara National Park: An impressive day guide!

A quick google search will show you that there are not many National parks in Ireland – 6 to be exact! Although the number is small, it is abundant for the size of this country. National Parks in Ireland are some of the best you will ever visit. With stunning views to beautiful landscapes and with the choices of hikes available for a novice or seasoned hiker, I can easily say that Ireland National Parks are some of the best in the world.

Connemara National Park is one of those rare parks where each trail leads to a rewarding view. With great views of the Connemara region immersed in the beauty of lush green fields and farm animals, this was the perfect family friendly activity we did with our girls.

The park is surrounded by the magnificent Connemara mountains with lakes cutting in between these mountains. The views reminded me of the time we visited Spirit Island in Jasper. Although the contrast in colours was not as sharp, the views were just as stunning.

There were little tea rooms, coffee shops and bakeries lining the narrow roads on way to the visitor center. There are multiple viewpoints along the way with sheep’s walking along the side of the roads and there is a little feeding area for the goats as well – something the girls really enjoyed. If you truly want to enjoy Connemara National Park, make sure you stop at these points. The views are very different from the trails. 

So let’s jump right into it!

Where is Connemara?

Connemara is a region of County Galway located in Western Ireland. It lies west of Galway City and the Corrib and Mask lakes. You can pick up a Connemara map from the visitor center to give you an idea of the vastness of this region and all the wonderful things to do in Connemara. We drove from Galway to Connemara National Park in less than 90 minutes. 

While making your way to Connemara National Park, you will pass little towns – one of which is Letterfrack. Letterfrack is a vibrant and beautiful little town and worth a stop. When you enter the Connemara region, you are greeted by peninsulas, small lakes, islands, coves, and mountain ranges called the Twelve Bens. It is mostly a rural area and the largest settlement in the area is in a town called Clifden. 

Connemara Ireland is paradise for those wishing to hike the beautiful trails. Although at an incline, there are a few options you can choose that are relatively easy to hike specially with kids. 

Connemara weather is dependent on so many factors. There are countless days when it rains, and there are times when the winds pick up. One thing that is constant is that you will need a light jacket or sweater if you plan to hike to higher elevations. Although there was a heat wave when we went to Connemara, the chill in the air during our hikes had us thanking each other for carrying our hoodies. No matter what the weather forecast is, make sure you carry a light jacket with you – anywhere in Ireland for that matter.

How to get to Connemara National Park

While traveling through Ireland, I highly recommend renting a car. There are so many benefits to this! You can explore at your pace, especially when you are traveling with kids. You can stop where you want or choose your own spot for a lunch break. I do understand though that driving is not for everyone and just because you choose not to drive, it does not mean you cannot explore the pretty regions of Ireland.

There are bus tours from Dublin to Connemara and there are options for Connemara day tours from Galway. The Connemara tour is quite common amongst tourists so if you plan to book a tour, make sure you pre-book your tickets, specially in the summer months or peak season.

If you choose to take local transportation from the bigger cities and plan to spend a night here, make sure you book your Connemara hotels well in advance! They are a popular choice amongst tourists and they full up quickly.

Things to do in Connemara National Park

Now here’s the meat-y part! The best way to explore the region is through walks in Connemara National Park. 

The Connemara loop comprises of 4 trails in Connemara Parc National and each one of these start from the visitor centre. 

TIP: Parking near the visitor centre is very limited. You can park along the road leading up to the parking lot OR you can aim to get there earlier in the morning. 

4 trails in Connemara National Park:

• Ellis Wood Nature Trail – This is a 0.5km trail marked in green across the park. It’s an easy and flat trail and especially easy to do with kids.
• Sruffaunboy Trail – This is a 1.5km trail marked in yellow across the park. There is a bit of elevation to this trail, but the views are beautiful and well worth the hike.
• Lower Diamond Trail – This is a 3km trailed marked in blue across the park. There are steps to climb up and the elevation keeps rising but again, this is a beautiful spot to see the view.
• Upper Diamond Trail – This is a 3.7km trail and it starts midway from the Lower Diamond trail. It is marked in blue and red across the park. This trail is challenging with kids, and we chose to skip it! It takes you to the peak of a mountain and although the views would have been stunning, we won’t dare attempt it. We still had 7 days to go in Ireland and the last thing we wanted was tired kids.

No matter what trail you choose to hike in Connemara, they are all beautiful and give you a taste of how splendid this National Park is. There is a trail for every kind of hiker in this park and the one thing I loved was, each trail was rewarding. Each trail had splendid views but of course they kept getting better the higher you climbed.

Final thoughts

I had no idea how famous this region was till I went there. We wanted to visit a few National Parks during our time in Ireland and we had planned to stay in Galway for 2 nights. This is how this park got added to our list of things to do in Galway. Once there, we quickly realized how famous Connemara National Park was and how many tour buses went there in a day.

It was truly a remarkable day. We remember all the beautiful sights like it was yesterday. The girls remember the great playground they had and where they spend hours after our hike. All in all, it was an impressive day. A day I will remember and cherish for a very long time. 

If you enjoy reading our blogs, make sure to subscribe for our newsletters. That being said, if you are planning a trip to Ireland, make sure you check out our blogs on visiting the Dingle Peninsula and the Ring of Kerry loop.