After 14 years of visiting Ireland, I was slowly losing my passion for exploring the island, however I am happy to say I have found a corner of the country that has revived my love for all things Irish. County Mayo on the Wild Atlantic Way, on the west coast of Ireland, with the Atlantic Ocean as both its northern and western border is my new favorite place on the Emerald Isle.
Mayo really is the Ireland you have visualized in your dreams. Its scenery ranges from craggy, rocky cliffs to vast areas of squishy bog land to rolling green hills covered in sheep. Visitors come to County Mayo to discover unspoiled nature, idyllic towns and to get close to Ireland’s heritage and history. It is truly is a hidden treasure waiting to be explored.
Ever since the Wild Atlantic Way campaign started in 2014, I have longed to spend some time on the 2500 km route that stretches all along the coast from Cork to the top of the island in Donegal. County Mayo was the perfect place to explore the Wild Atlantic Way as it has more than 500 km of this scenic route, which also happens to be where much of Mayo’s most spectacular scenery lies.