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Connemara is a stunning part if Ireland. With its mountains, bogland,lakes and stunning beaches, it's one of Ireland's regions we keep visiting year upon year. Within the heart of this stunning region is Within the heart of Connemara is Ionad Cultúrtha an Phiarsaigh, a stunning visitor centre that deals with Padraig Pearse legacy. So who is Padraig Pearse? He was a writer, educator and leader of the 1916 rising who was drawn to the area around Ros Muc, County Galway. In 1909, he built a cottage for himself on the shores of Loch Oiriúlach. The cottage was his summer retreat from 1903 to 1915 where he spent his summers getting inspiration for his poems and short stories. It was because of his love of the Irish language and culture that Pearse first travelled to Rosmuc in 1903 as an Irish-language inspector with Conradh na Gaeilge. As part of the Gaelic revival of that period, the aim was to save the language in areas like Rosmuc, where it was still spoken.
The visitor centre and cottage are located on an elevated site overlooking the stunning Connemara landscape with beautiful views of the Maamturk mountains and the Twelve Bens in the distance. And when you walk from the visitor centre to the cottage, we recommend taking loads of breaks allowing you to admire the stunning scenery. The gorse and heather were in bloom when we visited, and the buzzing bees were active flying from flower to flower collecting nectar. The interactive visitor centre which was built on the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising, introduces you to the Irish language, the area and Padraig Pearse. With its brown colour, it manages to blend in nicely with the surrounding area. The centre focuses on the importance of the Irish language and its cultural significance, providing visitors with a comprehensive understanding of its role throughout history.
One of the aims of Conradh na Gaeilge was to bring the Irish language back onto the curriculum for all students. Pearse went a step further opening a bilingual school, St Enda’s, in Dublin. Where he saw the importance of bringing English speaking students to the Irish-spreaking community around Rosmuc so that they could fully immerse themselves in the language and culture, this is something that still happens now 100 years later. Where the cottage is a good size, it couldn't accommodate large groups of students. So in those days, tents were erected around the cottage for the students to sleep in. Following his execution for his part in the 1916 rebellion, the cottage fell into disrepair, mainly due to the fact that it was set on fire by the Black and Tans in 1921. But the locals renovated the cottage as a mark of respect and eventually, the cottage was handed over to the state
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The village of Fore is located in a quiet valley in County Westmeath. In the village, you can find the spot where St Feichin founded a Christian monastery in the 7th Century AD. The monastic House at Evreux in Normandy provided Fore with its first community. Because of this direct relationship with a French Abbey, Fore was regularly seized by the crown as alien property when England was at war with France. It is believed that up to 300 monks lived in the community.
The priory was built around the central cloister or courtyard. The rectangular church was built around 1200 AD. Two towers, one on its western end and another on above the sacristy at the south-east were built in the 15th century when the priory's buildings were incorporated into the town's fortifications. The cloister and domestic buildings - which include the chapter house , the dormitory and the refectory all date to the 15th Century, but they include earlier 13th Century work. To the north-east of the church is a rare example of a columbarium where pigeons were kept to provide food for the large community.
50 meters to the south-east is the gate house that originally was built in the 13th or early 14th Century, but had to be rebuilt at least 4 times. Among the remains on site, visitors can also see St Fechin’s church which was built about 900 AD. The area is perfect for walking, and the St Feichin's way is a 3km looped walk around the site that brings you along local places of interest. Search for the 18 Fore crosses which are scattered throughout the region or discover the renowned "seven wonders of Fore". These include a monastery in the bog, a mill without a race, water that flows uphill, water that won't boil,...
At 580 metres high, Cabo Girão is the highest promontory in Europe. It’s here where you find a spectacular suspended glass platform that opened to the public in November 2012. With 1800 of daily visitors, it has turned into one of Madeira’s most popular tourist attractions. Located close to the village of Câmara de Lobos on the Southern coast of Madeira, the views from the platform are just spectacular. From this point, visitors can see the municipalities of Câmara de Lobos and Funchal.
To get to the viewing platform, you can either take the bus (line 7 from Funchal to Ribeira Brava) or use your own car. There is plenty of parking around the platform, and a short walk will bring you to the ticket machines. Yes, where once, this attractions was free, there is a fee to be paid to enter the platform. The price is 2 euro per adult and children under 12 go in free (Also free for residents). Opening hours are 8am to 7pm in winter sand 8am to 9pm in summer with no time limit on your visit, so take your time and admire the stunning views.
The glass viewing platform (or skywalk) is the highest skywalk in Europe, and provides you with its transparent glass floor with stunning views. Below the platform are lush fields that look like something taken from a miniature landscape. Once they were only accessible by boat, but since 2003 , they can also be accessed by cable car.
Between the seaside town Sain-Cyprien Plage and Canet-en-Roussillon is a vast wetland that is a refuge for thousands of birds. As a backdrop, you have the snow-peaked mountains of the Pyrenees, on the other side you have the Mediterranean Sea. Stroll along the discovery trail that is set up at the edge of the lagoon and admire the many birds from the observation areas. When walking the trails, always stay on the paths in order to protect this unique site. A worthwhile stop is Le Village de Pecheurs (fishing village) where you can walk between 10 wooden huts. Rehabilitated in 1993,the huts provided fishermen protection against rain, wind and summer heat. Where nowadays, they are no longer used as a place of residence by fishermen, they are still used to store fishing equipment. In the center of the village is the "Maison Commune", a friendly place where fishermen meet, often to prepare a bouillinade of eels, one of the areas traditional dishes. The huts rounded shapes where built to withstand the Tramontane, a powerful wind that blows from the North. Inside the huts are three rooms partitioned by reed hurdles... One of the rooms was to store the fishing gear, another room was a roughly furnished bedroom and the third was a living room/kitchen. For the built of these huts, washed up wood was mainly used for the structure where the reed was harvested at the pond. Around the houses are windbreaks which provide the perfect shelter to grow fig trees, cacti, laurels and other Mediterranean plants. The site still supports a handful of fishermen who catch eel and sea bass.
During the summer months (1st June to 30th September) , the exhibition hut is open to the public every Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 7pm. For the last 5 years, a blue crab has made an appearance in the lagoon disrupting the ecosystem of the lagoon. Fishermen try to reduce the blue crabs by fishing it massively. Earlier on, we mentioned bouillinade of eels. This is prepared by placing cleaned eels in a cast iron pot with potatoes, lard, chilli and garlic. The pot is filled with water and small crabs are added to enhance the flavour even further. The heavy cast iron pot is suspended above the fire and cooked over high heat.
There are plenty of great farmers markets around Madeira, but the most famous one is Mercado Dos Lavradores in Funchal. Inaugurated in 1940, the market has been part of everyday life, but has turned into one of the island's most visited tourist attractions. Housed in a cool art-deco building designed in the 1930's by Edmundo Tavares, the building has many interesting features. The facade, the main door and the fishmonger's shop are decorated with large tile panels that were manufactured in the Battistini factory, each of these panels painted with regional theme.
Within the basement, you are greeted by the morning hustle and bustle of the fish market. Within this marble-lined building, the freshest of seafood is sold. These range from the popular black scabbard fish, fresh tuna, blue jack mackerel to seabream,.... For a fish market, it must be said how clean it is, stallholders continuously replenishing the ice and cleaning the ground and tables. Watch them skilfully deboning the fish and cutting big tuna steaks.
Above the fish market is a green square that is surrounded by the building. It is here that you find the many stalls selling exotic looking fruit and flowers. The colours are just stunning, and you would wonder how long it takes the stallholders to stack the fruit. Taste the ripe passion fruit, admire the finger-length bananas or try the delicious fruit as it is known in Madeira. Sugar cane, dried fruit and nuts are also on display.
Surrounding the market are many makeshift stalls where you can buy small nick nack's , get knives sharpened or get your shoes repaired. We would advise to arrive early at the market when the produce has been just stalled out, allowing you to admire the fresh produce , but also avoid the 1000s of tourists.
Not to far from Letterkenny (County Donegal) are the Newmills corn and flax mills. Located on the Churchill Road beside Newmills bridge, the flax and corn mills have been located on this site since the early nineteenth century providing jobs to many locals. The pay was good, but came with risks. The equipment was dangerous, the air was filled with small particles from the processes making work at the mills high risk. A 1 km long millrace provides enough power to power two separate millwheels. One of these is one of Ireland's largest working waterwheels and is used to grind oats and barley, where a smaller wheel powers the equipment in the flax mill. One of the only industrial monuments under care by OPW, the mills are worth a visit. When you visit the mills, go for the guided tour as it is the only way of getting into the mill buildings and admire the working equipment. In 1892, Patrick Gallagher bought the mill complex including a forge on the opposite side of the road as well as a farm. The business stayed in operation until the 1980's. During those years, Patrick Gallagher made extensive improvements to the business installing a new waterwheel and improving the machinery.
Corn Mill: The corn mill is a three storey building that could be operated by just one man , "the miller". Using an ingenious combination of hoists, belts and pulleys powered by the water wheel, the moving of grain from one level to the other was easy and efficient. The grain was first dried by spreading it on the drying floor, a perforated metal floor that was heated by the kiln on the lower ground floor. Rather than the local turf, mulled coal was used for this process. Reason for this is that the turf gave the oats an unpleasant flavour. After the drying process, the grain was shelled by the shelling stones, a process to remove the husk from the kernel. After this process, it was ground into oatmeal by the heavy milling stones. The meal was then moved to the top floor where it went through a cleaning and sieving process. the mill was busy right from harvest time up to April or May from the following year.
Flax Mill: During the second World War, Patrick took advantage of the flax industry revival when the British Government offered grants to increase the production of flax to guarantuee the supply of linen. Where the corn mill could be operated by one person, the flax mill required multiple operators. Newmills steadily expanded to include a public house, a scutcher’s cottage and a forge. By the early 1900s Newmills was also exporting food – the earliest supplies of butter, bacon and eggs for Sir Thomas Lipton’s nascent grocery empire in Glasgow came from there.
If you are interested in visiting the mill complex, visit the OPW website to plan your visit (Link). It's amazing entry to this great tourist attraction is currently free.
The Office of Public Works has recently purchased the mill owner’s residence, bar/grocery store and out offices at the Newmills Complex as well. On this particular day, we decided to visit the Corlea trackway near the village of Kenagh in County Longford. This Iron Age Bog Road dates back over 2000 years and was only discovered in 1985 during turf harvesting work conducted by BordNaMona. The trackway was discovered more than 1.5 meters buried under the bog, and it was thanks to the foreman who had a keen interest for archaeology that he immediately halted the work to preserve the exciting discovery. Built in 148 BC, it's the largest of its kind to be uncovered in Europe. Arriving at the OPW visitor centre (Link), we were the first visitors of the day. Our first introduction to the Iron Age bog road was by watching an introductory video that explained the discovery, excavation and preservation of the road. One of the many things we took away from watching the video was the hard work the archaeologists done during the excavation works, moving tons of peat and water-drenched soil to expose the well preserved road. Once it was exposed, each of the wooden beams had to be kept moist to stop decay or warping from happening . Where the beams had been preserved by the anaerobic environment of the bog, it meant a large stretch of the road remained largely intact throughout the duration of 2000years. But to preserve them after their excavation, each of the beams was shipped to the UK where they were treated and freeze-dried.
After the movie, we were guided into the temperature and humidity controlled room where we could admire an 18-meter stretch of the excavated and preserved road. While its exact purpose hasn't been determined, historians agree that it was part of a routeway of great importance. Where it might have been a section of a ceremonial highway connecting the Hill of Uisneach with the royal site of Rathcroghan, other believe it could have been built for another reason. Our guide of the day gave us some other plausible examples, but it's for you to visit the Corlea track and see and hear for yourself. The craftmanship is just amazing, many of the beams still showing axe marks where the Celts would have carved out sections so that pins could be driven through the beams to keep them in place.
Within the visitor centre, you can learn about life of the Celts, how they would have built these tracks,... During the excavation, fragments of pots and plates were found as well giving us an insight in life of the Celts. An oak dough board was also found during the excavations and can be seen in the visitor centre. Fragments of an old cart are also on display, and where it once must have served the purpose as a cart, the broken cart was used as support to the Corlea track when it was built.
After the visitor centre, it is worthwhile going for a walk around the Corlea bog. Looped walks take you around the natural bogland where you can admire the native flora and fauna. Where a large portion of the bogroad is still underground, large ponds have been created to keep the area's water table constant. The boardwalk from the visitor centre to these ponds is where the Corlea bogroad was excavated. Further walks bring you through the protected area where you can admire the bog cotton waving in the wind or try to find round-leafed sundew or orchids.
 Nearby the beautiful village of Laxe, you find Playa de los Cristales. In this beautiful part of Galicia, there are plenty of stunning beaches all with beautiful white sand. But Playa de los Cristales (Praia dos Cristais or crystal beach) is different, it is made up by thousands of green, white and brown pieces of glass. Once an old landfill for glass, the sea returned the glass as polished pieces throwing them back upon the shore. Where the beach is unique in its own way, there are other beaches like this around the world. One beach like this is Glass Beach near Fort Bragg, California. This beach has also an abundance of sea glass created from years of dumping rubbish into an area of coastline.
Note: It is forbidden to remove glass from this beach, so just enjoy this unique experience and snap a few pictures. Also, the beach is not suitable for swimming due to strong currents within the area.
The Cueva de Nerja was discovered by 5 boys in 1959. Where they used to visit a small cavity (Las Minas del Cementerio), this time they decided to enter the cave through an opening used by bats. This brought them to a large space known as the ballet hall and the hall of the ghosts. After telling their teacher about their discovery, the cave system was introduced to the world. In the years that followed the discovery, further sections were discovered through the systematic speleological explorations of the cave system. On June 1960, the cave was opened to the public. With a length of 4823 meters, it is one of the most extensive caves in Andalusia. The cave can be divided in two sections: The tourist-accessible section and the non-visitable section. The tourist section has a total length of 546 meters along which tourists have to climb/decent 458 steps. Along this route, many of the galleries are accessible (Vestíbulo, Belén, Cascada or Ballet, Fantasmas, and Cataclismo,...)
The cave stands out archaeologically for housing one of the largest collections of cave art in the world. There are 589 cave paintings as far as they know, and although you won't be able to see these cave paintings during your walk due to conservation requirements, the cave is more than spectacular enough to impress even the most unlikely to be impressed. The chambers within the cave are just huge, and some of the stalagmites and stalactites are just huge. The cave art dates back to around 35,000 years ago, with the largest number of paintings dating back 20,000 years ago. Over 50 figurative paintings that were executed in red and black pigment have been identified to be deer, horses, goats, seals and fish. Through excavations within the cave system, traces of activities like production of stone and bone tools, daily food preparation ,.... have been found. Many of these artifacts can be seen at the Nerja museum, a museum definitely worth a visit. When we visited the cave, we decided to do the whole tourist package. This meant first visiting the Nerja museum where we were introduced to the cave, its artifacts ,.... After that visit, we took the tourist train at Av. Mediterraneo which brings you in about 15 minutes to the cave which is located approximately 5km from Balcon de Europa. The drive is fun, especially for kids who love nothing more than waving to the many pedestrians and cars.
Visiting the Nerja cave system will leave you in awe, especially when you get to see the world's longest stalactite that with can be found in the Cataclysm Hall. Standing beside this 33 meter high monster is just spectacular. The paths throughout the cave are very easy to navigate/walk, but many steps need to be taken to reach the lower parts of the cave system
Another interesting experience that is included in your ticket is the VR room. The Virtual Reality Room at the Nerja Cave complex represents an innovation that brings visitors even closer to the cave after they finish the physical tour. The Virtual Reality technology implemented in Nerja Cave allows visitors, through special glasses, to feel as if they are actually in the place being shown, thanks to a 360º immersive simulation. Food: A large restaurant with a beautiful terrace overlooking the Mediterranean Sea provides a great choice of food and drinks, but many picnic options are also available within the forest. Tickets: The best place to buy tickets is the official website: Link Each day, there are 60 free tickets available for entrance at 9:30AM, but looking at the website, they are booked out months in advance The chapel of Notre-Dame de la Lanzada is a small chapel located in the civil parish of Noalla, in Sanxenxo, in the province of Pontevedra, in Spain. The chapel, which is located at the western end of a point that juts out into the sea at the stunning A Lanzada beach , was built in the 12th Century in the late Romanesque style. Once an island but now connected with the mainland by an isthmus, the area was inhabited since ancient times. The old village of Castros and the necropolis with numerous Roman remains serve as evidence for this. The Romanesque chapel was built on the remains of another older church linked to the fortress built in the 10th century to defend, with the western towers of Catoira and Cambados, the lands of Santiago de Compostela from Viking and Norman invaders. The chapel went through numerous phases of war where it got destroyed in the 13th century. It was later rebuilt in a more robust way, but got damaged again in the 15th century by the Irmandiña revolts. Finally, in the 16th century, it was definitively abandoned. Currently, only the remains of one of the towers and the chapel are preserved.
Legends: The chapel has been associated since ancient times with the fertility rite of the bath of the nine waves on the beach of La Lanzada. The last weekend of August, the pilgrimage of the Virgin of La Lanzada is celebrated. On Saturday night, hundreds of women come to this location to end their infertility; for this they must undergo the bath of the nine waves at midnight. This ritual involves the following: a) The women must swim in the water at midnight and receive 9 waves over their belly b) They must then visit the cliff under the chapel and look for a stone with a shape of a seat called 'Bed of the virgin' or 'crudle of the saint' c) When leaning back or sitting on the stone, they must pronounce their wish to become a mother Sailors also ask for the favours of the virgin to protect them from the dangers of the sea, as evidenced by the votive offerings in the form of miniature boats suspended inside the chapel.
The Castlestrange Stone is rather small when you see it for the first time. Located in the grounds of Castlestrange House nearby the town of Athleague in County Roscommon, this granite boulder dates back to the Iron Age. The boulder, decorated with spiral design in the La Tene style, is one of four that can be found in Ireland. While the function of these cult stones is not clear, it is presumed that they had a ritual or religious purpose. The stone, with a height of 60cm and a length of 90cm is located under a magnificent tree close to the entrance to the demesne and is poitioned on some pebble stones with a cattle grid placed around it for protection.
Nuns Valley (or Curral das Freiras) is a small parish nestling between the high mountains in the centre of Madeira. The huge cauldron in which the parish is sitting was either formed by erosion, or as some believe by volcanic activity. In 1566, the nuns from the Santa Clara convent fled from pirates that were raiding Funchal and found seclusion in the inner heart of Madeira's mountains. Until 1959, the only connection to the outer world was a winding footpath along the steep mountain face. This road has now been replaced with a much safer option, a tunnel right through the mountain. On this particular day, we took bus 81 from the centre of Funchal (nearby the cable car) allowing us to relax and take in the stunning views. The bus trip along Madeira's narrow, winding roads takes about 45 minutes. With steep ravines along the route, you are in for a treat. We could only admire the bus driver who passed cars and trucks on these steep , narrow roads. We still don't know how he did it, but he did it without to much effort. The bus takes a stop at Eira do Serrado, a magnificent viewpoint high above the parish before it carries on with its journey going back along the same route back down the mountain to turn left into the new tunnel towards the parish. What we recommend is to get off the bus at Eira do Serrado and walk down towards the parish along a clearly marked path.
And that is what we did. Eira Do Serrado is at high altitude (1094m) and you will find a large car park, a hotel, a restaurant and a souvenir shop here. The walk itself starts from the right hand side of the hotel and is well signposted. The footpath is for most of the way semi-paved. Where the path decents quite quickly into the valley, it's never to steep or difficult. That being said, there are many hairpin bends to take and when the incline becomes steeper, little steps have been installed to make the journey a bit easier. Most people seem to take the path towards Curral das freiras, where if you were to walk the route in the opposite direction, your effort would be 10-folded. Making our way down the mountain, we noticed the old 1959 road clinging clinging to the mountain flank. Luckily, the safety of a tunnel has eliminated the need to drive along this scary road.
After what seemed like 100 hairpin bends, we reached the chestnut forest through which the path gradually meanders. Curral das Freiras is famous for its chestnuts and has a festival dedicated to them. Where the chestnut festival is an opportunity for all visitors to taste the Madeiran chestnuts which are used in the preparation of chestnut soup, but also in delicious cakes and liqueurs. You don't have to wait for the festival to taste these delicious treats, each of the restaurants in the parish have some chestnut related dishes on the menu. Eventually, the path reaches the main road along which you have to walk to the village. This 1km stretch is along the road without a dedicated footpath, so watch out for traffic. But nothing to worry about, there isn't much traffic on this stretch of road.
In the village itself, there isn't to much to do. Grab a drink, enjoy a lunch in one of the restaurants or buy some chestnut related souvenirs in the local gift shop.
Another interesting stop is Museu da Castanha. This museum tells visitors all about the characteristics of chestnuts and chestnut trees, the importance they had for Curral das Freiras, the products made from chestnuts,... Not to far from the village is poco dos Chefes. This natural reservoir was formed when the locals built a dam to retain the water. Now, it is a popular place for the local youth to show off their diving skills and have fun. The water is never to warm and provides for a refreshing swim. The Riu Rissec cuts right through the medieval village of Monells creating two districts, the castle district and the La Riera district. Monells is located in the province of Girona in the middle of the Gavarres Natural park and is very close to the popular Costa Brava, so within easy reach from the more popular resorts along the coast. The castle district is centred around Placa de l'oli and Placa Jaume I (main square). It is here that once one of Catalonia's most popular cattle and cereal markets took place. Although there are hardly any remains of the old castle left, you can still admire the medieval walls and the beautiful quaint cobblestone streets surrounded by stone houses and arches. One of the most famous streets in this area is Arch street, a stunning small street that with its many arches is one of Monells most photographed streets. Arch street is a stunning small street that with its many arches is one of Monells most photographed streets. The many potted plants on either side of the street give it a fresh look in the early morning sun.
Crossing the river, you will find the beautiful Esglesia de Sant Genis de Monells around which you find the La Riera district. This church is the most notable building in the area dating back to the 11th Century. The best time to visit this beautiful village is in May or June when it basks under the Catalonian sun, but with no mass tourism around yet. How to get there: By bike: This is the way I discovered the village having cycled through the stunning area By car: Via the AP7 leave at exit 6. From here , continue on the C66 direction La Bisbal until Corca. Once there, take the GIV 6701 to Monells. It can also be reached from the C-31 By public transport: By bus (SARFA) - Line 55
The easiest way to access Maghera beach is from the road that passes Assaranca waterfall. There is actually a local farmer who opens his private land and provides plenty of parking (€5 in 2024) with easy access to the beach. Nestled on the rugged Donegal Coastline, Maghera beach and caves provides you with a glimpse into the stunning beauty of Donegal. Flanked on either side by lush green mountains, the beach is accessed by boardwalk leading you through the dunes towards the beach. On the right is the Owentocleer river that meanders towards the Atlantic, on the left is Crocknamurrin mountain. Over the years, the rough Atlantic waves have battered the rocks creating caves at the foot of the mountain. On a rainy day, it is a spectacular site to see the many streams flowing down the mountain.
The best time to visit the beach is at low tide as this will allow you to reach the caves and explore them safely. During low tide, part of the beach turns into a shallow pool which is the ideal place to cool down (whenever that is needed in Ireland). From a safety perspective, it is really important to check the tides, but also keep an eye on the incoming tide as you could get caught on a sandbank while the Atlantic fills in the large pool between the beach and the sandbank separating you from the beach by a large body of water. Entering the caves can be difficult, even at low tide. In total, there are some 20 caves and arches, but sometimes only a few are accessible. Water as high as a 1 meter or more can separate you from the cave, but a pair of shorts and quick removal of the shoes should do the trick.
Assaranca waterfall can be found a short drive from the beautiful village of Ardara in Donegal. The waterfall is located right beside the route that leads to Maghera Caves and beach (Maghera beach and caves, County Donegal - OUTDOORFITNESSSLIGO) , another must visit location nearby Ardara. The waterfall is one of the easiest to reach with a small car park literally right at the basin. Where the small car park can be full in the height of summer, it becomes much quieter during the autumn and winter months. And that's when the waterfall is at its most impressive, especially after heavy rainfall when the water thunders down the hill. There has been times that the road became flooded due to the amount of water coming down the mountain, especially after those famous Atlantic storms.
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About the AuthorWe are Peter & Dolores De Bie. We love the great outdoors, discovering new parts of the world and writing about our adventures along the Wild Atlantic Way and further afield Categories
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