Achill Island Trails
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Achill Island Trails: Loop Walks and Atlantic Mountain Hikes
HikeList Score
Achill Island Trails scored 81/100 on HikeList's trail-quality metrics.
See score breakdownHide breakdown
- Ideal length 62
- Balanced challenge 70
- Scenery & wildness 85
- Varied terrain 89
- Accommodation 100
- Food & support 88
- Path quality 84
- Season flexibility 89
Computed from length, challenge, scenery & wildness, terrain variety, accommodation, food & support, path quality and season flexibility.
Achill Island Trails are a network of day walks on Achill Island, County Mayo, not one continuous thru-hike. The verified waymarked loops are 4.4 km, 6.7 km and 8 km, taking about 1–3 hours; the unmarked Croaghaun mountain walk is about 5 km round trip and strenuous. Difficulty ranges from easy bog-and-road walking to hard, pathless mountain terrain. This is a flexible Ireland walking base for hikers who want coastal loops, village starts and optional Atlantic mountain days.
Route Overview
Achill walking is based around loops and short mountain routes rather than a point-to-point trail. The recognised loops start at Dooagh village, Johnny Patten’s pub at Derreens, and The Valley in north-east Achill. The Dooagh Loop follows quiet road, gravel track and blanket bog beside the Owenavally and Chongie rivers; Granuaile Loop links Derreens, Kildownet/Kildavnet and Ashleam Bay; the Valley Loop circuits northern-coast ground between loughs and coves. Croaghaun is a separate unmarked summit hike from Keem Bay car park. Access to the island is by road over the Michael Davitt Bridge at Achill Sound. Nearby options include the Great Western Greenway, while comparable island walking includes the Aran Islands Loop Trails and Inishbofin Loop Trails.
Achill Island history and walking context
Achill has been settled since prehistory, with megalithic tombs and Iron Age promontory forts on the island. For centuries, communities combined small-scale farming, fishing and seasonal booleying, moving livestock to summer pasture. The Slievemore Deserted Village was largely abandoned around the Great Famine. In the 20th century, Keem Bay was known for its basking-shark fishery, and German Nobel laureate Heinrich Böll lived and wrote on Achill, recording island life in his Irish Journal.
Notable highlights
- Keem Bay: A sheltered horseshoe beach below Croaghaun and the trailhead for the Croaghaun walk. It was once the base of an Atlantic basking-shark fishery.
- Croaghaun sea cliffs: Croaghaun rises to 688 m and its north-east face holds Ireland’s highest sea cliffs. The unmarked route gives major Atlantic exposure in good visibility.
- Slievemore Deserted Village: A line of 80–100 ruined stone houses at the foot of Slievemore. It is linked with booleying and was largely abandoned around the Great Famine.
- Minaun Cliffs and viewpoint: A roadside summit at 466 m with the classic panorama over Keel Strand and Lough Keel.
- Keel Beach: A long Blue Flag surf beach backed by Minaun Cliffs, useful as a walking base and a post-hike swim or surf stop.
- Granuaile heritage: The Granuaile Loop passes Kildavnet/Kildownet, a tower house associated with the 16th-century pirate queen Grace O’Malley.
Challenges to expect
Expect exposed Atlantic weather: wet, windy conditions are possible year-round, even in the May–September walking season. The recognised loops are waymarked, but Croaghaun is unmarked, boggy, pathless and steep in places, with slippery ground when wet. Do not attempt the Croaghaun route in poor visibility unless you have suitable navigation skills and mountain equipment.
HikeList Score
Achill Island Trails scored 81/100 on HikeList's trail-quality metrics.
See score breakdownHide breakdown
- Ideal length 62
- Balanced challenge 70
- Scenery & wildness 85
- Varied terrain 89
- Accommodation 100
- Food & support 88
- Path quality 84
- Season flexibility 89
Computed from length, challenge, scenery & wildness, terrain variety, accommodation, food & support, path quality and season flexibility.
IrelandShow more data Show less
- Coastal
- Mountainous
- Blanket Bog
- Paved
- Gravel
- Boggy
- Pathless
- B&Bs
- Guesthouses
- Hostels
- Hotels
- Campsites
- Family Friendly
- Pet Friendly
- Restrooms
- Water Sources
- Campsites
- Picnic Areas
Photos from hikers
Taken on the trail by people who've reviewed Achill Island Trails.
Easy Sport Ireland-recognised loop from Dooagh village, taking about 1 hour with 60 m ascent. It follows quiet road and gravel track through blanket bog beside the Owenavally and Chongie rivers, marked with purple arrows.
Moderate, well-marked loop from Johnny Patten’s pub at Derreens, taking about 2.5 hours with 334 m ascent. It passes Derreens, Kildownet/Kildavnet and Ashleam Bay, with views linked to Grace O’Malley’s sea kingdom.
Moderate loop from The Valley in north-east Achill, taking about 2.5–3 hours. It forms a northern-coast circuit between loughs and secluded coves.
Strenuous, unmarked mountain walk from Keem Bay car park to the summit area of Croaghaun, taking 2–3 hours. The ground is boggy, pathless and steep in places, passing Lough Bunnafreva West with views towards Achill Head.
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