Nature Walks in Sligo

Here are some suggested nature walks in Co Sligo, if you have others that you enjoy, please let me know, and I'll add them! In Sligo we are very fortunate to have the options of sea, river, woodlands, hills and mountain walk ways. These are my favourites:

Mullaghmore - both headland and beach walk. The headland coastal walk can take about an hour and has 360 degree views of ocean, mountains, wildlife and Lord Moutbatten's Castle. The rock formations, cliff ledges and waves crashing over the reefs are truely remarkable. The beach is equally stunning .. a very flat, safe and family oriented beach it stretches approximately 1.5 miles across the bay. Both are ideal for a leisurely stroll, marathon run or simply photo opportunities.

Coilte A lovely choice from Hazelwood, Slish Wood, Deer Park, Union Wood or Dooney Rock

Gleniff Horseshoe Millsite a lovely small nature trail, with picnic areas too

Knocknarea Mountain (452m) is six miles from Sligo town and offers a good walk of about 45-60 minutes. There is a notice in the car park which explains the route. Knocknarea has a mound of stones at the top, reputedly the tomb of Connaught’s legendary Queen, Maeve. From the top are views of Donegal, the Ox mountains, Sligo Bay and Mayo. Queen Maeve's Grave is located at the summit of Knocknarea mountain, which, at 1,014 feet, dominates the landscape to the west of Sligo. Maeve was the warrior Queen of Connacht in Celtic mythology. The cairn measures some 180 feet across and over 30 feet high, making it the largest such tomb in Ireland outside the Boyne Valley. Its shape and structure (and the results of archaeology in the area) have led to the tomb being classified as a Neolithic passage tomb. It is estimated that the stones used in the construction would weigh approximately 40,000 metric tons

Ballintrillick - there are some lovely quiet road walks around Ballintrillick in the North of the County. Perfect for maybe testing out the bicycles also!

The Sligo Way For families with older children for a bit of a challenge... The Sligo Way is a 74km, long-distance walking trail. It is divided here into 7 sections each representing a half days walking. The trail starts at Lough Talt and ends in Dromahair.

• Snacks and drinks
• Tissues/baby wipes and a few plasters are always handy
• Weather appropriate clothing- wellies/rain macs/hats/scarves/swimming gear/sun protection...
• And maybe a change of clothes for emergencies
• Net for fishing/catching butterflies, buckets and spades
• Box/bag for treasures like feathers/shells/leaves etc
• A packet of sweets (kept secret in your pocket) can prove invaluable towards the end of a long walk in order to bribe the children to keep plodding on back to the car!
• For a really fun Nature Walk with the kids, the road LESS travelled is your best bet in our opinion! There are lots of exciting things to do - here are some of our faves