20 Attractions to Explore Near Glencolumbkille Folk Village

This stack sits off the right-hand side of the sliver strand beach by Malinbeg. This beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in Donegal. Access to the stack is by a wee bit of coasteering for as far as you can from the right-hand side of the beach. A high tide approach simply paddle out direct from the beach.

The Slieve League Cliffs are located about an hour's drive west of Donegal. It is one of the outstanding natural wonders of the Wild Atlantic Way. With a height up to 600 metres, these steeply sloping cliffs are one of the highest sea cliffs in Europe. Slieve League is often photographed from a viewpoint known as Bunglass. It can be reached by means of a narrow road that departs from Teelin.

The Maghera Caves are located beneath Slievetooey mountain and some are accessible at low tides from Maghera Strand. Maghera Beach stretches out into the bay. Access to the beach is via a car park and a short 200 metre walk to the caves. There are over 20 caves, 8 arches and 5 tunnels which can be visited, ideally by Kayak or other small craft, and would be enough to sate the appetite of any explorer.

A beautiful white sandy beach located beneath Slievetooey mountain and some are accessible at low tides from Maghera Strand. There are over 20 caves, 8 arches and 5 tunnels which can be visited, ideally by Kayak or other small craft, and would be enough to sate the appetite of any explorer.

A majesitc irish waterfall located 8km from Ardara. The waterfall, named Eas a’ Ranca in Irish, is set in idyllic surroundings close to Maghera Beach and is one of the real gems in County Donegal. Even during periods of beautiful weather the waterfall continues to flow but it is on a rainy day that the true beauty of Assaracana Waterfall comes to light.

This is a winding section of road which links Glencolmcille to our beautiful Ardara. The route is a very popular road to take on your way back from Slieve League. If you’re in search of scenic drives while visiting Donegal, you’ve found a mighty one here. Over the course of your spin, you’ll encounter quiet open countryside, plenty of green fields, narrowish roads and sheep.

This a very impressive beach just a few kilometers outside the fishing port of Killybegs on the south-west coast of County Donegal. In summer this makes a good destination for a family day out with plenty of opportunity to play beach games, build sandcastles and splash around in the waves. The sandy beach is backed by dunes and grassy hills and provides a vast open space.

The Kilclooney Dolmen is a portal-tome or dolmen, prominent on the skyline north-north-west of Ardara. It well displays the classic features from which this type of monument derives its name. The monument comprises a huge capstone approximately four by six meters, supported by two 1.8 meter uprights, known as portals and a back stone on which the capstone rests. A notable feature of the back stone is the chocking stone.

Inishkeel is a small tidal island and a townland off the coast of County Donegal, Ireland. The closest village on the mainland is Narin. The island is located in Gweebarra Bay around 250 m from the coast. A sandy tidal bank connects, with low tide, the island with the mainland.

A hidden gem of a beach that is easy to miss travelling from Glenties to Dungloe in Co Donegal. Long sandy beach with sand dunes. There is a surf school here called Wild Atlantic Surf School.A blue flag beach at the heart of Donegal. Nearly 2km of golden sand, sand dunes of special significance, safe for swimming, surfing and bathing.

Inishmurray Island has been uninhabited since the 1940's wth the last occupants vacating in 1948. Located in Donegal Bay 7km off the coast of Sligo. There are remains of an early Irish monastic settlement. Laisrén Mac Decláin reputedly founded a monastery here in the 6th century. The island's ecclesiastical settlement was attacked in 795 and again in 807 by the Vikings, and eventually the monks abandoned the island.

Situated on a hill overlooking the village of Mullaghmore, Classiebawn Castle is an Irish castle located in County Sligo. It is a fairy tale castle that sits on the steep coastline of the Irish coast, with a breathtaking view of the Ben Bulben, one of the most famous mountains in the area. It was designed in the Baronial style by Dublin architect James Rawson Carroll, and is constructed from a yellow-brown sandstone brought by sea from County Donegal.

Mullaghmore Head in County Sligo is a very special place and a deserving Signature Wild Atlantic Way Discovery Point. The village of Mullaghmore is a charming fishing village with a working harbour and a beautiful sandy beach with great views of Benbulben. It is a holiday destination with a skyline dominated by Ben Bulben mountain. It is in the barony of Carbury and parish of Ahamlish.

Mullaghmore Beach is situated in North Sligo next to the picturesque village of Mullaghmore. It is approximately 3km of white sandy beach and is a very popular surfing spot. This rural sandy beach is backed by an extensive dune system and with view of Ben Bulben, overlooked by the majestic Classiebawn Castle on the headland. It is also renowned for being a base for licensed angling/passenger boats for charter, sea angling and trips to Inishmurray Island.

The beautiful island of Dernish is located at Carns, off the coast of Moneygold, close to the old church at Ahamlish, in Carbury, the ancient kingdom of North Sligo. It is a tidal island, cut off from the mainland except at times of spring tides, when it is possible to walk out across the beach from O'Connor's Island.

Mountcharles Pier is set within a small expanse of flat land, densely populated on the rising ground immediately behind it by a dense field structure. The area was originally known as Tamhnach an tSalainn. This refers to a salt mine in the area. It was renamed Mount Charles by the local 17th century landlord Charles Conyngham after himself. Charles Conyngham was a direct ancestor of the current Lord Henry Mountcharles of Slane Castle in County Meath famous for it’s music festivals.

This is a vast sandy beach with dunes and a lagoon behind with fantastic views over the sea to the mountains of Donegal.This is an exposed beach with reef breaks which create ideal surfing conditions all year round. Located close to the village of Grange with restaurants and pubs and an outdoor play area.

This well preserved site is said to be one of the largest court cairns in Ireland. The monument is located in the N15 Donegal to Sligo road, 200 meters north of Creevykeel cross-roads close to Cliffoney village in County Sligo. The original name for the Creevykeel monument is Caiseal an Bhaoisgin, the Fort of Bhaoisgin, Tober an Bhaoisgin being the name of the well near the cairn. A second megalithic monument existed 300 meters to the north, but it was demolished around 1890.

The Rougey Walk is a circular walk taking in views of the Atlantic Ocean from Rougey and Bundoran's bustling Main Street in County Donegal. It is a moderate walk and care should be taken on exposed sections in windy or wet weather. The walk continues on around the headland with the Atlantic Ocean on one side and Bundoran's Championship Golf Course on the other side.

This is one of Donegal's renowned surf beaches, of Bundoran Town. It possesses an extensive network of sand dunes and is framed by a scenic back drop provided by the Sligo-Leitrim Mountains. Here the sand is white, the water is turquoise, and the rollers are impressive! Head to the village of Bundoran in County Donegal to discover it.