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Route 4

Sligo to Achill Island – Into the Atlantic

Stage		Terrain	Distance (km)	Summit (distance from start/height)
1	Sligo to Ballina	Low coast, can be windy	88.4	21km/50m
2	Ballina to Belmullet	Gentle coastal hills	100.1	50km/120m
3	Belmullet to Achill	Low coast; gentle climbs	64.9	52km/60m
4	Tour of Achill Island	Hilly	75.1	22km/160m
5	Achill to Foxford	Low hills	68.5	47km/80m
5a	Link from Newport to Westport (Route 5)	Flat with a few drumlins	(14.6)	14km/210m
6	Foxford to Sligo	Stiff climb over the Ox Mountains	69.9	14km/210m
		Total	466.9

This circular route from the lush fields and limestone scenery of Sligo to the ancient rocks and pounding Atlantic of Achill Island can feel like a trip to the end of the Earth and back. Indeed, on a stormy day Achill and, to the north, Belmullet do feel like the end of the known world. Along the way there are the unspoilt beaches of western County Sligo, the beautiful mountain-bound sea inlet of Broad Haven, the glacial glens leading to the twin loughs of Conn and Cullin, and the quiet lanes and roads nestling behind the Ox Mountains.

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Options

Stage 5a links to Route 5 at Westport, see Onwards, below.

Getting to the Start

Below are the options to consider for this route.

By Air

Sligo has an airport with regular commuter flights to Dublin. Cycles are carried, but should be booked in advance (www.aerarann.com, Ireland 0818 210210, UK 0870 876 7676).

By Sea

No direct services.

By Rail/Bus

Sligo has a main line service to Dublin, but at the time of writing bicycles are not carried on trains – check before you make plans. The town is well connected to other major towns and cities via the Bus Eireann network.

When to Go

Achill is popular with visitors from Northern Ireland, and noticeably busier from mid-July, but nowhere on this route is a ‘tourist hotspot’, so consider travelling at any time from spring to early autumn.

Accommodation

West of Ballina the budget accommodation thins out. There is, however, a hostel at Pullathomas (Stage 2), which actually balances the distances better between Stages 2 and 3. On Achill Island, hostellers and campers have plenty of choice, but on the return leg to Sligo there are only limited options, although Foxford has a hostel and camping.

Maps

The Ordnance Survey 1:250 000 Ireland West sheet covers the whole route. At 1:50 000, sheets 24 Mayo Sligo, 25 Sligo Leitrim Roscommon, 23 Mayo, 22 Mayo, 30 Mayo, and 31 Mayo are needed from the OSI Discovery series.

Onwards

This route links to Route 5 via a short extra section from Newport (on Stage 5) to Westport. This is called Stage 5a.

Stage 1 Sligo to Ballina

88.4km Low and coastal; can be windy.

The stub of land to the west of Sligo is dominated by the 327m limestone mountain Knocknarea, with delightful Strandhill at its foot. From this mountain-foot village, another limestone massif, Benbulbin, dominates the view across Sligo Bay. Both these mountains are visible for many miles along the coast heading west, but it is the far older Ox Mountains that soon dominate the scenery.

Some of Sligo’s prettiest coastal scenery hides along the strip of land between the Ox Mountains and the coast. Along the 3–4km wide fertile plain between the bare grey quartzite and gneiss ridge and the Atlantic, cattle graze languidly amongst hay meadows, in neat rectangular fields marked by blackthorn-smothered stone walls. Protected by Aughris Head is untouched kilometre-long Dunmoran Strand (38.0km).

The fine coastline continues as the way turns to the southwest, towards the head of Killala Bay, although the road tends to drift away from the shore until the seaside resort of Inishcrone/Enniscrone (74.0km). The strand makes it tempting to stay here rather than push on to Ballina, just across the County Mayo border.

On the Road

There is a short section (200m or so) of rough track behind the beach to the east of Aughris Head. It can be a bumpy to ride, but is not a problem to push. The turn that commits to this is at 42.2km. As an alternative, take the next right (about 400m) and pick up the directions by turning left at the first crossroads (44.6km on the main route). Note that a change to the Ballina one-way system has been mooted – this may affect the directions.

Accommodation

The Blind Brook Activity Centre (096 76838, www.blindbrook.ie) has hostel accommodation and camping facilities, about 4.0km out of Ballina on the main Sligo road (N59). Just north of town is the excellent Belleek Caravan and Camping Park (096 71533, www.belleekpark.com), which is on the edge of the Belleek Demesne. Stage 2 goes past the site (3.0km), or head out of town on the R314 towards Killala and look for the signed turn on the right a couple of kilometres out of Ballina.

Options

There are upwards of five Bus Eireann services a day to Dublin.

Stage 2 Ballina to Belmullet

100.1km Low coastal hills.

It is a long way out to northwest Mayo, and if a northwesterly wind springs up, either or both of the first two days can be tiring. Accommodation is also sparse along this coast, and the first hostel is at Pullathomas (Kilcommon Lodge, 78.0km). This is a day to get an early start, and if time permits, stop and visit some of the interesting sites along the way.

On the way out of Ballina are the fine Gothic gates of the Belleek Demense and house, built in 1831 and now the Belleek Castle Hotel. Further along, the Franciscan Moyne Friary (13.0km) has a fine tower and almost intact cloister. Ecclesiastic architecture is the order of the day, and Killala has a round tower (16.0km). It was in this area that General Humbert landed with his French forces to support the 1798 rebellion by the United Irishmen.

As this stage leaves Killala Bay the country begins to open up, slowly the field sizes increase, there are fewer trees, and the landscape foreshadows the windswept rocky Atlantic coastline of the far west. In this transition zone to the west of beautiful Downpatrick Head is Ceide Fields (50.0km) – Europe’s most extensive Iron Age monument. This field system, buried in bog, has been mapped to over 1000 hectares.

By the time Pullathomas is reached, mountains, moor and sea dominate the scenery, and this is clearly Atlantic Ireland. Belmullet, with about 1200 inhabitants, is the most significant settlement hereabouts. It lies at the neck of a tombolo joining the Mullet Peninsula to the coast.

On the Road

There are shops at Killala (16.0km), Ballycastle (42.0km) and Belderrig (57.0km), but after that not much until close to Belmullet. Civilisation is sparse out here, so do not get caught running out of supplies. Pullathomas (78.0km) has a small shop, but if staying in this area it is better to stock up at Ballycastle or earlier.

Accommodation

Pullathomas (78.0km) has the pleasant Kilcommon Lodge Holiday Hostel (097 84621, www.kilcommonlodge.net). Belmullet has bed and breakfast accommodation.

Options

Rather than turning off for Pullathomas at 71.6km, continuing via the R314 and R313 to Belmullet saves about 9.0km. If heading straight to Achill Island, Belmullet can be skipped by turning left at 95.7km and taking up Stage 3 from the 4.3km mark.

Stage 3 Belmullet to Achill

64.9km Low coast; gentle climbs.

South to Achill Island is a potentially fast stage through lonely windswept boglands, which despite a certain melancholy, also hold a captivating beauty. Bangor (19.0km) is the only town of note along the way, and even here a frontier atmosphere prevails, as the grey slash of a gravel quarry hangs over the town, and the rounded green summits of the Nephin Beg range swell up to the south.

Close to the turn to Achill Island, Claggan Mountain almost pushes the road into a quiet inlet, where neat rectangles of small buoys mark out aquaculture pens. The stage then swings north and west to the foot of the bridge across Achill Sound, with the glories of the island still to come.

On the Road

This is a simple route to follow with few surprises. Bangor (19.0km) is the obvious place to stop for supplies, and there is a picnic area by the river and a supermarket on the way into town. There is a big supermarket at Achill Sound, just across the bridge, along with an ATM. While this route was being measured for this guidebook, extensive works were being done on the Achill bridge – hence this stage stops on the mainland side of the bridge and the next starts on the other.

Accommodation

The Railway Hostel (098 45187) at Achill Sound, based in the old railway station, is a comfortable place to stay with fine views over the sound. The entrance to the hostel is on the right just before the bridge across the sound. There are bed and breakfasts scattered around the island – for an up-to-date list, see the Achill tourism website www.achilltourism.com.

Options

The main decision to make here is whether to push on and stay on the island proper, or to base yourself at Achill Sound and take a day trip around the island. The far-flung corners of the island are mountainous, and a lightly loaded bike is a definite plus, particularly if you fancy the 330m climb up Minaun Mountain (Baran Mhionnain). Pushing on takes you closer to the beaches however.

Stage 4 Tour of Achill Island

75.1km Hilly.

From Achill Sound this stage follows a lazy figure-of-eight, by heading straight out to the far west of the island along the R319, before backtracking a little way and heading to the north shore. From here it crosses the outward leg to tour anticlockwise along the southern section of the island. Heading to the far west first means a probable tail wind back to Achill Sound, but on a fine morning consider heading straight to the 330m climb of Minaun Mountain. This is the best view you can ride to in Ireland. The road to the top services a transmitter and is well surfaced and not too steep. The turn is just before the tourist information office, heading west.

The Deserted Village (34.0km) is a popular and photogenic destination. Tours start arriving by mid-morning, after which it is unlikely to be deserted.

The beaches on the north shore are sandy and attractive, although none quite measures up to the dune-backed strand at Keel (15km) on the south shore. Keem Bay (24.0km) at the far west of the island is a sandy cove protected by the knife-edged ridge of Achill Head – which can be explored on foot. The island’s most scenic road is the southern loop from Dooega (Dumha Eige) (56.0km) round to Achill Sound.

On the Road

The best shop on the island is the supermarket at Achill Sound – there are other choices, but this has the best selection of fresh food. Across the car park is the island’s only ATM. Most signs around the island are in Irish, and spellings vary considerably, so take care.

Accommodation

There are campsites at Keel (14.0km, Keel Sandybanks Caravan and Camping Park, 098 43211, www.achillcamping.com) and Dugort (41.0km, Lavelle’s Golden Strand Caravan & Camping Park, 098 47232). Also on the north side of the island is the Valley House Hostel and Bar (42.0km, 098 47204, www.valley-house.com), where tents can be pitched – for the quick way there, turn on to the L1406 at the 8.1km mark and follow the signs for about 3.0km.

Options

At the time of writing new local cycle routes were being signed on the island, although no other information was available.

Stage 5 Achill to Foxford

68.4km Low hills.

From Achill it is a pleasant two-day run back to Sligo. Away from the coast, this is a road less travelled – cyclists are rare and, away from the main towns, so are cars. While there are no spectacular attractions along the way, the quiet roads and the wide, lake-filled glacial valleys make Stages 5 and 6 ones to savour.

During the first part of the day, Stage 5 retraces Stage 3 to Mallaranny crossroads, then pushes eastwards along the north shore of Clew Bay. The stage misses the centre of Newport, but it’s worth a slight detour to visit the town, with its wide main street set high above the river.

The back-to-back glens of Glen Hest and Glen Nephin provide an escape route through the mountains to the bridge over the narrow confluence of loughs Conn and Cullin (62.0km). Nearby Foxford is a hospitable and interesting town, where fishing is a big tourist activity – Foxford sits on Ireland’s most famous salmon river, the Moy.

On the Road

There are no ATMs until the end of the stage at Foxford. Newport is the best place to stop. To reach the town, carry straight on at the R317 turn (31.1km) and the town centre is a few hundred metres further on, then there is a park by the river.

Accommodation

Gannon’s Hostel (094 9256101) at Foxford also has camping – it is at the post office on the left as you leave town on the N26 towards Swinford.

Options

Ballina is only 20.0km to the north, for an alternative route back to Sligo via the coast (Stage 1 in reverse).

Stage 5a Link from Newport to Westport (Route 5)

14.6km Flat with a few drumlins.

See the route card for Stage 5a for the link to Westport and Route 5. No further description is needed for this short extra stage.
If you need bike repairs, J P Breheny’s garage (098 25020) at 45.0km is the best bet in the area

Stage 6 Foxford to Sligo

69.9km Stiff climb over the Ox Mountains.

The Ox Mountains are survivors. They began as marine sediments over 1000 million years ago, before being pushed deep into the Earth’s crust and reforming as the hard gneisses and quartzites that are now some of mainland Ireland’s oldest rocks. Approaching their rounded summits from the west is another survivor – an old Irish country lane (at 4.5km). This grassy track winding between moss-covered rough stone walls and tunnelling through overgrown hedges is a step back into the 19th century.

After an initial climb into the mountains, this stage follows a gently sloping plateau through fertile farmland in the lee of the hills. The ridge thins out towards the west, but the Ox Mountains are still a barrier all the way to Lough Gill, making the wide col, filled by Ballygawley Lough, a welcome route into Sligo. Keep an eye out for the old handball court at Kilmacteige (18.0km).

On the Road

Aclare (19.0km) and Coolaney (46.0km) both have shops. Coming from the south is the easiest way into Sligo – just follow the signs.

Accommodation

See Route 3, Stage 6 for Sligo accommodation.

Options

As an alternative way into town, turn right at 68.3km and after 700m take a left turn, signed ‘Cleveragh Retail Park’ (Route 3, Stage 6, 82.1km) which leads to the cycleway along the river.