Why go
If the Wild Atlantic Way has started to feel a bit busy, keep driving. Past Westport, past Ballina, out along a long, lonely bog road, you reach the Erris Peninsula: sea stacks standing alone in the Atlantic, five-thousand-year-old fields hidden under the bog, and white beaches where the only footprints are yours and a confused sheep’s. This is the far west at its wildest and quietest.
Belmullet is your base, a friendly little town on a narrow strip of land between two bays, with the hammerhead-shaped Mullet Peninsula stretching south from it. It’s a long way from anywhere, which is exactly the point. Give it three nights and you’ll come home with windswept hair, a camera full of cliffs and an urge to move here and open a café.
The north coast: Downpatrick Head and the Céide Fields
Spend a full day on the coast road east of Belmullet. Start at Downpatrick Head, near Ballycastle, where a short walk over grassy headland brings you to the cliff edge and Dún Briste, a 45-metre sea stack that broke away from the mainland in a storm in 1393. Its striped layers of rock are packed with nesting seabirds in early summer. Keep well back from the edge: there are no railings, and the Atlantic wind has strong opinions.
Ten minutes along the coast are the Céide Fields, the most extensive Stone Age monument in the world: field walls, houses and tombs that lay hidden under the bog for over five thousand years. The visitor centre has views out over huge cliffs and guided walks across the dig, though it keeps shorter hours outside summer, so check before you go.
On the way back, take the turn for Benwee Head near Carrowteige, where a loop walk follows sea cliffs as dramatic as anything at Moher, with a fraction of the visitors. On a clear day you’ll see the Stags of Broadhaven, a row of jagged rocks standing out at sea.
The Mullet Peninsula and Blacksod
Give the second day to the Mullet itself, following narrow roads south to Blacksod Lighthouse, which has an extraordinary claim to fame. In June 1944, the weather readings sent from here by the Sweeney family, who kept the lighthouse, warned of a storm heading for the English Channel and helped persuade General Eisenhower to delay the D-Day landings by a day. Not bad for a small granite lighthouse at the end of a peninsula.
- Walk the white sand at Elly Bay and Cross Beach, and look out across the sound to the Inishkea Islands, abandoned in the 1930s. Boat trips run in summer.
- Stop at Annagh Head on the west coast, where waves crash into the oldest rock in Ireland, about 1.75 billion years old.
- Do the Erris Head loop walk north of Belmullet for cliffs, sea arches and big skies.
- Pack a picnic: cafés out on the peninsula are few and far between, which is part of its charm.
Wild Nephin: the darkest skies in Ireland
On your way home, head south to Wild Nephin National Park, around 15,000 hectares of blanket bog and mountains near Ballycroy. It’s part of the Mayo Dark Sky Park, one of the best places in Europe for stargazing, so if the night is clear, drive out after dark and look up: you’ll see the Milky Way without trying.
By day, the Claggan Mountain Coastal Trail is an easy boardwalk through bog and dwarf woodland with wide views over Bellacragher Bay, suitable for most ages. The park visitor centre in Ballycroy has a café for a warm-up before the long drive back.
When it rains
It will, at some point. Rain is what keeps the place this green. The Céide Fields visitor centre and the Ballycroy visitor centre are both good indoor stops, and Belmullet’s pubs and cafés are made for sitting out a shower with a pot of tea or a pint. Better still, put on a good jacket and go anyway: the cliffs are at their most dramatic with a bit of weather rolling in.
Where to eat and drink
This is seafood country. Look for chowder, brown crab, mussels and whatever came off the boats that morning on menus around Belmullet. Book dinner on bank holiday weekends, as there aren’t many restaurants and the good ones fill up. In the evenings, Belmullet’s pubs often have traditional music, especially in summer, and the welcome is as warm as the fires.
A three-night plan
Friday: arrive in Belmullet, check in, walk around the harbour and have a seafood dinner. Watch the sunset over Broadhaven Bay if you make it in time.
Saturday: Downpatrick Head, the Céide Fields and Benwee Head along the north coast.
Sunday: south along the Mullet to Blacksod Lighthouse, the beaches and Annagh Head, with the Erris Head loop if your legs allow.
Monday: Wild Nephin and the Claggan Mountain trail on the way home.
Not sure which weekend? The June bank holiday gives you long evenings and the best chance of calm seas, and the annual leave planner will turn any bank holiday into a longer trip. If you love it out here, Westport and Achill are a natural next stop.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive to Belmullet from Dublin?
About three hours 45 minutes to four hours, depending on traffic and stops. Ballina is about an hour and ten minutes before Belmullet, so it’s a natural place for a break.
Is Erris worth it for just a weekend?
Yes, if you can make it three nights. The drive is long, so a Friday to Monday bank holiday weekend gives you two full days to explore.
Can I visit without a car?
It’s possible but slow. You can get the train to Ballina and a bus to Belmullet, but you’ll need a car or a bike to reach the cliffs, beaches and Wild Nephin.
Is Downpatrick Head safe?
Yes, if you’re careful. There are no railings, so stay well back from the cliff edge and keep children and dogs close, especially around the fenced-off blowhole.
Plan your trip: When is the next bank holiday? Escapes on the west coast
Where we’d stay
Boutique hotel in the centre of Belmullet with stylish rooms and a well-regarded seafood bistro.
On the edge of town overlooking the bay, with spacious rooms and a leisure centre.
Family-run B&B out on the Mullet Peninsula, with Atlantic views and generous cooked breakfasts.
We may earn a small commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.
Getting there
By car is easiest: take the N4 and N5 west, the N26 to Ballina, then the N59 and the long, empty bog road (R313) out to Belmullet. Allow about four hours from Dublin.
- Without a car: train from Dublin Heuston to Ballina (change at Manulla Junction), about three and a half hours, then a local bus from Ballina to Belmullet.
- Flying in: Ireland West Airport Knock is about an hour and three quarters by car.
- Once you’re there: you’ll want a car or a bike for the cliffs, beaches and Wild Nephin. Fuel up in Belmullet before heading out on the peninsula.
Timetables change, especially on bank holidays, so check with the operator before you travel.
