Achill Island Getaway
In this post I will share with you details of a recent weekend getaway in Achill Island - where we stayed, and some of the things that we did while we were there.
Achill Island with it's rugged mountains, peat bogs, sea cliffs, beautiful beaches and little villages is one of my favourite places in Ireland. It was a bank holiday weekend, so we packed our bags and off we went for a short getaway!
We arrived at our accommodation The Pure Magic Achill Lodge on Friday evening having watched a gorgeous sunset on the way. We had booked a room with a sea view and weren't disappointed - it was fabulous! A plentiful, tasty breakfast was included in the booking and we choose to eat our evening meals there too - the food was fantastic and there was a great variety of options available.
We knew that the weather forecast wasn't particularly good so we went for a walk on the gorgeous beach at Keel first before the rain came. There's something about a sea breeze blowing the cobwebs away! Chilly, we found refuge in the Beehive Crafts and Gifts Café, where we warmed up with a light lunch.
As the rain had started we choose an indoor activity next - we went to the Achill Island Sea Salt Visitors Centre - a family business combining sustainable production methods with the island's tradition of sea salt production. On a self guided tour we learned about the journey that this family has been on from being a kitchen start-up to being a nationally recognised award winning brand. A visit wouldn't be complete without a purchase to bring home - a remind us of our weekend getaway to Achill while we cook!
The Atlantic Drive takes you through a variety of scenic locations, along cliffs, beside beaches, across bogs and through villages. Beautiful in any weather even the rain.
On Sunday, as it was still raining we decided to take a drive through Wild Nephin National Park as far as the Black Sod lighthouse. We were guided through the history of the lighthouse by a knowledgeable family member of the current lighthouse keeper, He was an excellent guide and well versed in the stories of historical interest and the perils of lighthouse living. His grandmother, Maureen Sweeney had given the weather reports that delayed the D-day landings and his account of this and other tales of life in the lighthouse were really interesting.
The weekend was over all too soon and we made our way home, stopping in Westport on the way - I couldn't resist having a photo with the marmalade sandwich munching Paddington Bear .
We visited the National Museum of Country Life where we wandered through the exhibitions before getting something to eat in the café.
That brings the weekend to a close, we had a fabulous time on our Achill Island and Mayo getaway. The weather forecast had been for rain so we had packed our rainproof gear and planned our stay accordingly.
If you enjoyed this blogpost you might also like to read about our Wexford Getaway Part One and Part Two.
Thank you for reading my blog today, I hope you enjoyed it.
Until the next time may your world be filled with love, peace and happiness.
A little disclaimer with the way the world is today - any blogs that I post that involve me travelling are posted after I have returned home and not while I'm away.
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