Westport walking tour & city guide

The town

The Mall runs along the river with lime trees and stone bridges. The Octagon square and Bridge Street have pubs with traditional music. Westport House is a historic mansion with grounds.

Mountain and coast

Croagh Patrick, where St Patrick is said to have fasted, is climbed by pilgrims. The Great Western Greenway is a cycling path along old railway lines to Achill Island.

A day in Westport

Walk the tree-lined Mall along the river and visit Westport House. Cycle part of the Great Western Greenway.

Climb Croagh Patrick, Ireland's holy mountain, for views over Clew Bay.

Good to know

Westport is a lively town with music pubs. Achill Island is an hour away.

Clew Bay is said to have 365 islands.

Why people love it

Westport was designed in the 18th century as a planned town, which is why its streets feel unusually neat, with a tree-lined Mall along the Carrowbeg River, stone bridges and an octagonal central square. It has won awards as one of the best places to live in Ireland, and the friendly atmosphere is easy to feel, especially in the evenings when the pubs fill with traditional music.

The landscape around the town is spectacular. Croagh Patrick, the cone-shaped holy mountain, is climbed by thousands of pilgrims on the last Sunday of July, and on clear days the top offers views over the islands of Clew Bay. The Great Western Greenway runs 42 kilometers from Westport to Achill Island along an old railway, and is one of the most popular cycling routes in the country.