Wild Atlantic Way North - Connemara, Mayo and Donegal by MotorhomeConnemara, Mayo and Donegal by Motorhome

Galway is bursting with life, where street musicians fill Shop Street with cheerful sounds. By the harbor stands the Spanish Arch, a historic archway that recalls bygone eras. The colorful houses of the Long Walk offer charming views over the water. You can wander through the narrow alleys of the Latin Quarter or discover the green oasis of Eyre Square. The evenings are lively, with live music echoing from the many pubs along The Quays.

Roundstone charms as a fishing village with a lively quay full of lobster pots and the majestic Twelve Bens in the background. Nearby are Dog's Bay and Gurteen Bay, two crescent shapes of white coral sand that look almost Caribbean even in a storm. The scenic coastal road R341 from Galway via Carna offers a much more beautiful view than the N59 through the interior. Here you will find an authentic Irish atmosphere where the rugged nature of Connemara meets the coast.

Purple heather fields and rugged mountain peaks dominate the landscape of Connemara National Park. Those who follow the paths to the top of Diamond Hill look out over the white towers of Kylemore. From the cliffs at Clifden Bay, you have a view of the islands Inishturk and Turbot. In the valley lie the overgrown ruins of Clifden Castle among grazing sheep. In lively Clifden, music often plays from the pubs on Main Street.

Westport is a Georgian town with a river through its centre and a series of pubs, of which Matt Molloy's, belonging to The Chieftains' flautist, is the best known. Croagh Patrick, the holy mountain, is right next to it: the climb from Murrisk is steep and stony and takes three to four hours up and down, with a chapel at the top and views over the three hundred islands of Clew Bay. Those who don't climb can cycle the Great Western Greenway towards Achill.

Achill is connected to the mainland by a bridge, yet it feels like the end of the world. Keem Bay, at the end of a road climbing along the cliff, is a bay of white sand between green slopes; the Atlantic Drive along the south coast is a narrow road above the surf, which a motorhome must navigate slowly with mirrors folded in. The deserted village at the foot of Slievemore tells the story of the famine. Keel has a wide beach, and the Croaghaun Cliffs are only accessible on foot.

The River Moy flows right through Ballina, a lively market town where salmon fishing is central. The imposing St. Muredach's Cathedral dominates the riverbank with its neo-Gothic architecture. Along the Moy, Belleek Woods stretch out, an extensive forest area with peaceful walking trails. A short detour takes you to the ruins of Rosserk Abbey, beautifully situated at the mouth of the river. In the evening, tranquility returns, and you can enjoy the friendly atmosphere in the pubs around the center.

Benbulben rises like an inverted ship's hull from the meadows north of Sligo. Yeats is buried in Drumcliffe at the foot of the mountain, with his own epitaph: cast a cold eye on life, on death. Sligo itself is a lively city with an abbey, good restaurants, and Lough Gill, the lake with the island of Innisfree. The walk to the Gleniff Horseshoe, on the back of the mountain, is an hour-long loop through an empty valley.

Slieve League drops almost vertically into the sea at six hundred metres, three times higher than the Cliffs of Moher, and is barely commercialised. From the lower car park at Bunglas, you walk half an hour to the viewpoint; the narrow road up is forbidden for motorhomes, and rightly so. Those who dare can continue along the path of One Man's Pass to the summit. Teelin is the small harbour at the foot, with boat trips along the cliffs and a pub with music.

Ardara is a village of tweed weavers, with shops where the looms are still in the back room. The Glengesh Pass south of the village is one of Donegal's most spectacular roads, featuring numerous hairpin bends that wind through a stunning U-shaped glacial valley. While the road is steep, it is well-paved and sufficiently wide to accommodate a motorhome comfortably. Further along the coast, the beautiful Assaranca Waterfalls and the intriguing Maghera Caves can be found on a scenic dead-end road, offering breathtaking natural beauty and a peaceful escape.

Glenveagh National Park unites the rugged Derryveagh Mountains with the refined gardens of Glenveagh Castle. You walk along the shore of Lough Veagh to this Victorian castle, where exotic plants grow in the sheltered gardens. In the Poisoned Glen, the summit of Errigal stands out sharply against the sky above the barren valley. Sometimes golden eagles circle above the rock faces of this remote area. The deep silence at the viewpoint over the lake makes the vast emptiness of Donegal tangible.

Fanad Head has the most photographed lighthouse in Ireland, white on a black rock with Lough Swilly bay next to it; you can climb it and even stay overnight in the keeper's house. The Rosguill loop a little further on, the Atlantic Drive around Downings, is a narrow road with views of Tramore Strand and Horn Head. Ballymastocker Bay is a beach regularly named one of the most beautiful in the world.

Malin Head is the northernmost point of Ireland. At Banba's Crown, there is an old signal tower, the word ÉIRE is spelled out in white stones from the war, and on a clear day, you can see Scotland. The surrounding Inishowen peninsula features the Mamore Gap, a pass suitable only for short motorhomes, and Kinnagoe Bay, a beach where an Armada ship was lost. Grianán of Aileach, a hilltop ringfort at the southern entrance to the peninsula, overlooks three counties.