Sky Road

The Sky Road leaves Clifden town heading west, climbs steadily above the coast on a narrow road built largely from reclaimed bogland, and runs for 13 km around the Kingstown Peninsula before descending back to Clifden. The views from the high points of the road are among the best in Connemara — west to the open Atlantic and Turbot Island, south over Clifden Bay with the Twelve Bens behind the town, and north toward the Connemara coast.

The road is single-track in places and requires care — parking at the viewpoints is possible and recommended rather than stopping on the road itself. The highest point of the loop is about 100 metres above sea level, giving a clear sightline over the whole peninsula. In good light (morning light is best for the western views) the colour contrasts between the bog, the quartzite mountains and the sea are exceptional.

Clifden is the most popular base in Connemara and has a good range of accommodation, restaurants and pubs. The Sky Road is the natural evening or morning circuit from the town and takes about an hour by car at a reasonable pace with stops. The Alcock and Brown memorial, marking the landing point of the first transatlantic flight (1919), is about 6 km north of Clifden off the main Galway road — often skipped, always worth seeing.