2024 - Wild In Westport

Itinerary

County Mayo & Beyond

Day 1 - After joining your holiday coach, travel north with suitable stops for lunch and refreshments. Arrive at your overnight hotel, 3* Beaufort Park in North Wales in time to freshen up for your evening meal. Dinner and overnight. Breakfast will be taken on board the boat during the crossing to Ireland

Day 2 - An early start as you drive to Holyhead for the morning crossing to Dublin with breakfast included on board. After disembarkation, head west through the heart of Ireland to bustling Westport to check in for your 4-night stay at the 4* Castlecourt Hotel. DBB

Day 3 - 5 - At leisure in Westport with two included excursions and a walking tour of Westport with leisure time 

Your hotel is well located to explore the town (approx. 5 minutes' walk to the Carrowbeg River), ideal for exploring the agreeable, easy-going centre with its fine architecture, striking octagonal square, artsy, cosmopolitan feel and array of local shops, cafes and pubs. You may like to visit Westport House on your free day (entrance not included - approx. €14.50 pp in 2023). Dubbed 'the most beautiful house in Ireland', Westport has been home to the Browne family for over 300 years. This graceful, Georgian mansion enjoys a superb parkland setting with a lake, terraces and magnificent views overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The house is a good 20 - 30 minutes' walk from the hotel and the local guide will explain the best way to get there during the walking tour of the town.

INCLUDED EXCURSIONS
WESTPORT WALKING TOUR
Enjoy a day at leisure to explore fabulous Westport, regularly voted Ireland's Tidiest Town. Join the included one-hour morning walking tour of the town with an expert local guide for an orientation and insight into its fascinating history as well as inside info on all the best places to go - from the best pubs for Irish music to the best ice cream and hot chocolate! For those that are interested, the guide will point out how to get to Westport House, a true jewel in the crown of Ireland's historic family homes, 

KYLEMORE ABBEY & FJORD CRUISE
Head south through scenic County Mayo to Nancy's Point on the south side of the Killary Fjord, the nine mile inlet that is Ireland's only fjord, to join a 90-minute cruise. Set off west along sheltered waters to the mouth of the fjord with hills rising steeply from the sea and pass between the Maam Turk mountains in the south and the Mweelrea mountains in the north. Later on, it is just a short distance to Kylemore Abbey, the crenelated 19th century neo-Gothic home of the monastic community of Irish Benedictine nuns. Photogenically perched on the shores of Pollacapall Lough, Kylemore is famous for its miniature 'cathedral' and the extravagant Victorian walled gardens (a free shuttle bus to the gardens operates in summer). The self guided tour tells the stories of the many generations of people who have lived, worked, studied and prayed inside Kylemore Abbey’s solid granite walls. The Visitor Experience brings these stories to life in stunning fashion with the use of historical photographs, audio-visual presentations, displays of artefacts from the Kylemore archive, historical costumes, and beautifully restored period rooms. Head back to Westport after the visit.

CLARE ISLAND
According to tradition, beautiful Clew Bay has 365 islands, one for every day of the year. Today you head to Roonagh quay for the 15-minute boat trip to the biggest island of Clare, which guards the entrance to the sheltered bay. Known as the ancestral home of the legendary Pirate Queen Grace O'Malley (Granuaile), this tiny island is just 5 miles by 3 miles. On arrival, a local guide will give a heritage talk and introduction to the island's rich history and culture. You can enjoy a leisurely stroll around the picturesque harbour and beach before a soup and sandwich lunch is served at the Sailor's Bar. Return back to the mainland by ferry to meet the coach for the return to Westport

Day 6 - After a farewell hearty Irish breakfast, you head back towards Dublin to take the mid-afternoon crossing back to Holyhead. It is recommended to have a meal on board as it will be mid-evening before arriving at your overnight at the Beaufort Park Hotel in Mold. BB

Day 7 - After breakfast, return homewards, arriving back at your local joining points early to mid-evening.

Tour Highlights

• Hotel for 4 nights in Westport with breakfast & dinner
• Porterage 
• Entertainment each evening in Petie Joe's Bar incl music, bingo & quizzes
• 1 overnight hotel with dinner and breakfast on outward ferry
• 1 overnight hotel with breakfast 
• Guided walking tour of Westport  
• Entrance to Kylemore Abbey and Killary Fjord Cruise
• Excursion to Clare Island with return ferry, snack lunch and heritage talk

Accommodation

Castlecourt Hotel, Westport

You'll be sure of a warm Irish welcome at this refined 4* family-run hotel, located within 5 - 10 minutes' walk of Westport's shops, restaurants and the Carrowbeg River.

This popular hotel has grown and developed under the ownership of the Corcoran family for 50 years.

There is an elegant restaurant, a casual bistro and Petie Joe's Bar, a classic pub with entertainment each night. There is also a fitness centre with an indoor pool, a whirlpool and a sauna. as well as an upscale spa (fees apply). There is a lift to all floors. Classic guestrooms offer free WiFi, TV, hair dryer, ironing and tea / coffee making facilities

                                                                                                                                Credit: Castlecourt Hotel, Westport