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We are back with our 5th travel blog. Don’t forget to check our other travel posts. This time, we decided to visit Galway and The Aran Islands.

Galway is a harbour city in Ireland’s west coast. The city sits where River Corrib meets the Atlantic Ocean. The Aran Islands are 3 rocky isles guarding the mouth of Galway Bay, and we travelled to Inishmore, the biggest of the three islands.

Here’s our 2-day itinerary, places we visited, and some photos we captured along the way.

Day 1

National Aquarium

From Dublin, we headed straight to the Galway Aquarium which is conveniently situated minutes away from the city centre. It features native Irish sealife, popular fish feeding sessions & touch pools.

Due to COVID concerns, fish feeding was stopped and we also felt it was overpriced. It just doesn’t stand up to the other aquariums. However, fair play to efforts of the staff.

Time spent: 1 hr

Price: EUR 13 per person

 

Salthill Promenade

Salthill Prom is a 2km-long seaside promenade running from the edge of the city along Salthill. It is right opposite the aquarium and wonderful for an afternoon stroll. The prom offers spectacular views and boasts enough seating along its length.

Time spent: 1 hr

Corrib River Cruise

This is a 90-minute guided tour of the Corrib Lake & River. We had booked the tickets in advance to avoid disappointment. To our agony, the rain started pelting down just when the cruise tour began so we couldn’t climb on to the top deck.

However – Ireland being Ireland – the rain didn’t last long. Sit tight for the first 15 minutes (the views aren’t great to start with) and once the cruise escapes out dense tree-cover and enters the river, you will appreciate the tour.

Time spent: 2 hours

Price: EUR 17 per person

 

Galway Cathedral

This Roman Catholic cathedral in Galway is one of the largest and most impressive buildings in the city. The entry is free and definitely worth a visit.

After a tiring day’s sightseeing, we stayed overnight in Annaghvane which is close to Rossaveel port from where we had to get the ferry to Aran Islands the following day.

 

Day 2

Aran Islands

We saved the best for the last. Anyone in Ireland would have heard of the Aran Islands, famed for their wild landscapes, limestone rocks, and pretty thatched cottages. The Aran Islands are the 3 isles guarding the mouth of Galway Bay, in western Ireland.

We chose to go to Inis Mor, the largest of the three islands. You can reach there either by ferry or chartered flight. We chose the 10.30 am ferry departing from Rossaveel port.

Price: Ferry – EUR 27 per person, Car Parking – EUR 7 per person

It takes about 40 minutes on the ferry and if you have planned your return the same evening (last ferry at 5 pm), we strongly advise you against choosing to walk to explore the island. There is quite a lot to see, so you can choose from a few different options to save time:

1. Bicycle hire – EUR 15 per day
2. Pony ride
3. Hop-on-hop-off bus
4. Off-road Jeep experience

Our recommendation would, without a doubt, be to rent the bicycle as you can stop as you wish and do the tour at your own pace. Dún Aonghasa, Black Fort, and Kilmurvey Beach should be on top of your list.

The 8km stretch from the harbour to Dún Aonghasa via the Seal colony is the best route to take to enjoy the limestone rock formations, Wild Atlantic, and magnificent scenery.

If you wish to spend your night on the island, check out this camping and glamping.

 

By evening, we headed back to Dublin but not before indulging in some Indian food at the Spiced Barna. The food was not typical Indian and the hospitality was over-the-top. We’d recommend it just for the service.

Heading to the Aran Islands this summer? Give us a shout, we’d be glad to assist in any way possible!

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– Kavi & Ninja