The vibrant, colorful, and bustling town of Westport on the west coast of Ireland is filled with promising tourist destinations.
You can definitely enjoy a lot of indoor and outdoor activities in Westport on your own, with friends, or with your family. In fact, Westport is already known as the “Adventure capital of Ireland”.
If you fear missing out on all the fun you can do here, here’s a guide to the top things to do in Westport, Ireland.
READ MORE: Best Hotels In Westport
Things you'll find in this article
- Top 15 Things To Do In Westport, Ireland (For 2024)
- 1. Visit Westport House and Grounds
- 2. Drive to the Clew Bay Beaches
- 3. Explore the water of Clew Bay
- 4. Bring your family to the Pirate Adventure Park
- 5. Bike through the Great Western Greenway
- 6. Test your endurance at Westport House Adventure Activity Center
- 7. Sight-see Westport with a train
- 8. Try golfing at Westport Golf Club
- 9. Stroll around the quaint town
- 10. Enjoy a pint of beer in Matt Molloy’s
- 11. Dive in some Irish foods in Port Mor
- 12. Hike Ireland’s holiest mountain
- 13. Visit the Old Coastguard Station
- 14. See what’s interesting in Custom House Studios and Gallery
- 15. Take the tour in Mescan Brewery
Top 15 Things To Do In Westport, Ireland (For 2024)
1. Visit Westport House and Grounds
The Westport House has a lot of stories to tell. This historic ground has not only been home to the Browne family for over 300 years but it was also the building site of Grace O’Malley’s castle, the Pirate Queen of Connaught.
This castle is considered one of the most beautiful historic homes in Ireland with over 30 rooms and 6 permanent exhibitions.
Outside these homes is the beautiful scenery comprised of a lake, a beautiful garden, and a breathtaking view of the Clew Bay, the Atlantic Ocean, Clare Island, Achill, and Croagh Patrick.
The Westport House and Ground is open for guests from March to October and weekends from November to December.
2. Drive to the Clew Bay Beaches
If you want a chill morning to spend in Westport, you can drive to Clew Bay where you can find unspoiled beaches. It only takes a 10-minute drive from Westport to reach Clew Bay and you can stay all you want for your satisfaction.
The beach gives a relaxing therapy to everyone who visits it. There are also exciting activities that you can do on the beach if you want to stay longer.
3. Explore the water of Clew Bay
Located in the beautiful Clew Bay, you can find a network of water trails called the “Blueway”. One of the trails is in the Old Head where you can experience a lot of water activities like kayaking, snorkeling, coasteering, and stand-up paddling.
Coasteering is one of the most popular water activities here where you can try adventure swimming, rock scrambling, and cliff diving. It is perfect for adrenaline junkies.
You can also visit Collanmore Island and Clare Island for more water sports activities. Collamore Island is a private island that hosts a fantastic water park equipped with water trampolines and slides.
Water skiing is also one of the top activities you can do here. On the other hand, Clare Island has land and water-based activities. Coasteering, snorkeling, and raft-building are the most popular things to do here.
4. Bring your family to the Pirate Adventure Park
If you’re visiting the Westport House, you might as well take time to go to the Pirate Adventure Park. The park is named in honor of the Pirate Queen of Connaught. In 2015, the park earned the title as the Best Family Holiday Destination.
With or without kids, this is one of the top-rated attractions in Westport because of its wide range of rides.
This is the only park in Ireland where you can find the Log Flume Ride. The Swinging Pirate Ship is also one of the best rides in the park along with the Cannonball Run slide, Swan Pedalo Boats on the lake, and Go Kart.
5. Bike through the Great Western Greenway
Take a break from the bustling city life by biking through the Great Western Greenway. It is hailed as the longest off-road cycling and walking trail in Ireland. You will surely enjoy biking in this 42-kilometer and traffic-free trail as you pass through its beautiful landscape.
Families with kids usually enjoy this place as it is safe and kid-friendly. Don’t worry about which bike to use because you can find a lot of bike rental companies in the area.
6. Test your endurance at Westport House Adventure Activity Center
Looking for adrenaline-pumping activities in Westport? Try the Westport House Adventure Activity Center. Whether you’re going with an “all adult” gang or with your little ones, you will surely have the time of your life here. Just remember that visitors aged 8 and up are only allowed to try these breath-taking activities.
The activity center offers laser combat games, archery tag, zip wire, tree climbing, zorbing, archery, and the sky challenge high rope course.
The availability of these activities also depends on the time of the year and some of them require to be booked in advance.
7. Sight-see Westport with a train
If you want to see all of Westport in a unique way, you should try booking the Westport Train Tour. This all-weather sight-seeing tour tells the story of Westport in a fascinating way.
The tour starts in the Westport House’s town center gate, run through the Westport House estate, the Quay, and towards the historic town. It covers 46 sights in this 50-minute train tour.
However, this is only available from March to October though. If you’re visiting Westport during these months, you better check out this tour for a unique experience.
There’s no wonder why this is considered one of the best things to do in Westport.
8. Try golfing at Westport Golf Club
The 260-acres of parkland located just five minutes away from the town of Westport is one of Ireland’s finest parkland courses. Visitors can not only enjoy the vast golf field but also the magnificent view of Clew Bay shores and Croagh Patrick.
This is a tourist destination package that you should tick-off from your list.
9. Stroll around the quaint town
You should not miss this in your itinerary if you’re visiting Westport. This Georgian town deserves a lot of tourist attention because of its fine-stoned bridges, tree-lined promenades, and historical value. Just in the heart of the town, you can find Rockfleet Castle and Burrishoole Abbey.
There’s a lot of ties in the town which is related to the Pirate Queen, Grace O’Malley. This small town can be toured by foot and you can find a lot of shops, bakeries, pubs, and restaurants along the way.
10. Enjoy a pint of beer in Matt Molloy’s
There is no known English equivalent for the traditional Irish Craic but basically, it should be one thing that you should be doing during your tour in Westport. Craic, for the lack of better words, is synonymous to “having fun”. It could mean a lot of things but many people think it means “to gather and play music”.
This is why you should visit pubs in Westport, most specifically Matt Malloy’s. This old-school pub is known to be a reflection of County Mayo’s musical heritage.
Enjoy a pint of beer in Matt Malloy’s while listening to some traditional Irish music.
11. Dive in some Irish foods in Port Mor
Hungry for some Irish foods? Port Mor is one of the most recommended food hubs in Westport. This award-winning restaurant serves foods inspired by local produce. The rustic and quirky vibes of the place make it also more special.
Port Mor is also known for the gutsy flavors which usually leave a good impression on its customers. The seafood meals are the most popular ones here because it is known to be the chef’s specialty.
If you want to try this place, it is located just across Matt Molloy’s pub on Bridge Street.
12. Hike Ireland’s holiest mountain
Croagh Patrick is known as Ireland’s holiest mountain. It is also popular for its Patrician Pilgrimage in honor of Ireland’s patron saint, Saint Patrick.
Once you reach the peak of the mountain, you will be granted with a breathtaking panoramic view of County Mayo’s landscape. It only takes 2 hours to climb Croagh Patrick. The descent takes 1 hour and 30 minutes.
13. Visit the Old Coastguard Station
Learn about the life of the coastguard in Ireland in the Old Coastguard Station. This tourist destination is located 8 kilometers west of the town. You can find exhibitions related to the history of coastguards in Ireland most especially to the 12 families who used to live in this station.
You can also find a display of 12 Currachs, a traditional Irish canvas, and tar-covered boats.
14. See what’s interesting in Custom House Studios and Gallery
You can find seven studios, a gallery space, and a printmaking workshop if you visit the Custom House Studios and Gallery in The Quay. The view from the studio is also overlooking the harbor.
From time to time, international artists visit the studio to work and gain inspiration from their experience in Westport and its surrounding views.
15. Take the tour in Mescan Brewery
If you’re looking for an activity to complete your itinerary in Westport, you can take the tour in Mescan Brewery where you can learn about the story of the brewery’s developments.
The tour specifically talks about the Belgian-style brewing which is a unique process brought to Westport.
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