Next Stop Ireland: Galway & Connemara

Connemara National Park and one last Irish Pub

Galway is not far from the Connemara region, so it's no surprise that there are numerous day trips from Galway to there. Unlike the visit to the Cliffs of Moher, this time we decided to take the public bus to Connemara National Park to have a less touristy experience.

The morning greeted us with heavy rain, but luckily it was dry when we arrived at the park after two hours. So we set off to hike the longest of the marked trails, about 7 km, up to Diamond Hill. The landscape was noticeably different from what I had seen before - rusty brown, gray and barren. The cloudy gray sky added to the atmosphere. Along the slopes of the mountain, it was (once again) very windy - I enjoyed it! At the top, there was a magnificent 360° view of the surroundings. And on the way back, the rain came. And it didn't stop for a while. The return trip was much faster, and then we were in Letterfrack and found out that there was no suitable bus connection to take us to the next town, Clifden. The result: successful hitchhiking for the first time. Clifden is a nice little town, and we spent the time until the bus back to Galway at the harbor and in the pub. But for next time, it is clear that in Connemara, a rental car allows you to see more of the region.

Take off

The next day it was time to say goodbye to my Ireland companions. We joined a walking tour of Galway and in the evening we went to the pub one last time - thanks to Matt and Jasmijn.