DAY 2 (easy to moderate)
You’ll start the week with a great ride north out of the Lough Inagh Valley to the picturesque Kylemore Abbey, Mitchell Henry’s gothic castle, built in 1865, and now home to Benedictine Nuns. From there, a quick spin will take you to Letterfrack and one of our favorite restaurants in Ireland for a wee bit of lunch before continuing through Tully Cross, Renvyle, Glaasillaum, and Garraun. Your reward for all that pedaling could be a pint or two of Guinness in the lodge's own quaint pub, or the delicious meal to follow.
DAY 3 (moderate)
Time to get serious, for we’ve upped the mileage today as you cycle the Maunturk Mountains, one of the best biking days we could conjure. You will cycle to Leenaun along the Killary Harbour; this ten mile fiord used to be the center of Ireland’s herring industry, and it served as the backdrop to The Field, a classic film starring the late Richard Harris. Some of you might opt for a 90-minute cruise along the fiord before heading back to the lodge. Others will continue to Maam for lunch at a delightful pub, and then on to Maam Cross and Recess before heading home.
DAY 4(easy to moderate)
Today’s bike trip includes a short ferry ride to Inishmore, one of the Aran Islands. The natural beauty will quicken your heart, and you’ll be intrigued by the Irish passion for building stone walls to divide even the most inconsequential plots of dirt. You’ll cycle from the ferry up to the impressive stone fort of Dun Aengus — perched precariously on a dramatic cliff. After touring the island, the ferry will bring you back to Rossaveel — a beautiful tract where Gaelic is still widely spoken — then it’s on to Screeb, Gortmore, and Cashel. It’s a great day.
DAY 5 (easy)
So many options, so little time! For duffers, we can recommend 18 holes at The Connemara Golf Course near Clifden. If food is your passion, we’d suggest spending the morning in the lodge’s kitchen making the region’s the famous brown bread. Then again, your day might be all about exploring, for you can choose to bike through Roundstone, Ballyconneely, and Clifden — where Marconi's wireless station exchanged the first transatlantic radio signal with Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, in 1907. Clifden is a place of many firsts, for Alcock and Brown landed here after the first non-stop flight over the Atlantic.
DAY 6 (easy to moderate)
Cong, the home of the Ashford Castle, is on today’s itinerary, along with Clonbur, Finny, and Leenaun. You’ll also be biking north of Leenaun, to see the Erriff River tumbling into the Killary, creating Aasleagh Falls. It’s that beautiful! The day will draw to a close as it should, with a farewell dinner and a wee pint or two, celebrating this island, and this vacation, in the traditional Irish style.
DAY 7 (relaxing)
Your tour ends with a transfer back to Clifden, sad that your adventure is ending, but happy for the friends you’ve made, and the places you’ve seen. We’re certain that, one day, most of you will one day return to Connemara. Since most of you will be catching early flights, we recommend that you stay in Ennis, for it’s not far from Shannon Airport, and traditional Irish music fills the night. And some things shouldn’t be missed.