Things to do in Letterfrack
For the outdoor-minded visitor, Letterfrack, Connemara offers a wide range of leisure and sporting amenities. Whether your interests lie in walking, cycling or equestrian sports or in more energetic pursuits such as rock climbing and mountaineering, you will find a wonderful array of natural amenities and organised facilities to suit your needs.
Walking
What better way to absorb the beauty and diversity of Letterfrack and the surrounding countryside than to take a walk through the highways and byways? Here in Mountainside B&B in Letterfrack we are in a hill-walkers paradise, surrounded by 3 mountain ranges: Twelve Bens, Maam Turks and Diamond Hill in the Connemara National Park. Just a 2 minute walk away from Mountainside B&B is Diamond Hill which offers a most enjoyable and safe way to discover hill-walking, with a recently built wood and cut stone path all the way to the summit. The self-guided tours include a choice of nature trails and hill walks of various lengths and levels. If however, you would prefer a longer walk, a variety of way-marked routes cover some of the most scenic areas and are clearly signposted at all junctions – such as the Western Way, which is a 50km (31 miles) trail. The route through Connemara leads from the village of Leenane to the secluded Maam Valley to the town of Oughterard.
Croagh Patrick- Ireland’s Holy mountain (762m). Pilgrimage Sunday is the last Sunday in July but can be climbed all year round. There are many other possible walks in the Connemara region, with varing degrees of length and requiring different levels of fitness, most of which are available with maps in Letterfrack or Clifden. In Mountainside B&B, with our wealth of local knowledge, we will be delighted to point you in the right direction.
Diving
The clarity of the water and abundant sea life of the west coast of Connemara attracts divers from all over to this area. Frequent dolphin and seal sightings, plenty of dive sites and splendid visability make this region in Connemara a very rewarding place to dive. Scuba Dive West situated near Letterfrack offers wonderful facilities and courses in diving. Find out more at their website: www.scubadivewest.com
Boating
Experience boating as never before in Ireland’s only glass-bottomed boat with Letterfrack Sea Tours and see the underwater world as only seen by divers. Boating off the 9 mile inlet of Killary Harbour –Ireland’s only fjord, where you might be lucky enough to see otters, seals, several sea birds and the local school of dolphins that follow the boat on its route! The cruise starts from the beautiful village of Leenane where the film, "The Field" was shot, starring Richard Harris and John Hurt. See www.killarycruises.com/ for more and to book your ticket.
Fishing
A wide choice of fishing is available here in the Letterfrack area: Wild Atlantic salmon and sea trout returning to the rivers and streams of their birth, brown trout to challenge the most skilful fly fisher and great stocks of sea fish off our coast
The lakes and rivers of Connemara offer lovers of freshwater angling both small and large catch such as salmon, brown trout, rainbow trout and eel. Meanwhile fans of deep-sea angling will look forward to an adventure on the open sea with an infinite selection of fish including pollock, ray, mackerel, turbot, flounder, plaice, dogfish and even shark!
The Dawros River just beside Mountainside B&B in the heart of Letterfrack is only one of three rivers in Ireland that stocks Margaritifera (Fresh Water Mussel) - the reason being that the water has to be crystal clear for the mussels to survive.
Horse Riding
The West of Connemara, near Mountainside B&B in Letterfrack is a great place to sit on a horse for the first time, take some lessons, canter down a deserted beach or do a challenging long-distance trail. Here in the neighbourhood of Mountainside B&B in Letterfrack we have riding schools and trekking centres that are surrounded by some of the most picturesque scenery in the country. Ireland is famous for its horses and to see the pick of the crop in action it’s well worth visiting the local horse and pony shows. In August each year breeders, owners and admirers gather in the town of Clifden for the Connemara Pony Show which showcases the finest of the breed. Sturdy horses were needed in Connemara, with its uneven and rocky terrain. As a result of these conditions, a breed of pony known as the Connemara Pony evolved. This breed has become famous world-wide. In July each year we have the Claddaghduff and Ballyconneely Pony shows with the Errismore Horse and Pony races on the last Sunday making all of these events a great day out for all the family. The Bank Holiday in August sees the Omey Strand Races, having being revived only 3 years ago after dying off in the 60s.
Golfing
The Connemara Championship Links in Ballyconneely, a short drive from Mountainside B&B in Letterfrack is one of the most beautiful and demanding in the country. Nestled between the Twelve Bens mountain range and the Atlantic Ocean, every shot of this challenging par 72 course is set against an incredibly scenic backdrop. The course designer Eddie Hackett has set the golfer a stiff test in this 27-hole links on the edge of the Atlantic. Its back nine have been described as “equal of any in the world”, making it very difficult to achieve the par 72.
Sheepdogs Trials
Joyce Country Sheepdogs just a 20 minute drive from Mountainside B&B, offers you the opportunity to visit a working hill sheep farm and watch the Border Collie Sheepdogs herding Connemara Blackface sheep. The Farm is nestled in the Maumturk Mountains on the shores of Lough Na Fooey, so why not enjoy the Sheepdog Demonstrations, Talks on Hill Sheep Farming and See the Hill Sheep and Rams.
