Achill Island, Mayo – An Essential Travel Guide for 2025

Achill in County Mayo is the largest of Ireland’s islands, with a population of around 2,350. While places to stay can be limited, the drive from Westport to Achill Island takes just 50 minutes, meaning Westport is a great base. Rich in culture, much of the area is in a Gaeltacht where the Irish language is still spoken every day. Many visit for the stunning beaches at Keem and Keel, but there’s so much more to explore beyond these.

Check out the best the island has to offer below!

Public Transport: The island has been connected to the mainland via Michael Davitt Bridge since 1887. The seer Brian Rua O’Ceabhain foretold the arrival of a railway here and two centuries later it duly arrived. He also tragically foretold that the first and last trains to Achill Island would carry the dead. Sure enough, the first train conveyed the bodies of 32 unfortunate souls who drowned when their boat capsized in Clew Bay. Eerily, two weeks before the Achill Railway Station closed forever in 1937, a train brought home the bodies of 10 people who died in a fire in Scotland!

Bus Eireann’s route 450 runs runs to Westport and Louisburgh several times daily. You can hop aboard in Keel, Dooagh, Dugort, and Achill Sound. The reliable TFI Local Link buses also serve the island. The cheapest way to ride these is by purchasing tickets via the TFI GO app.

You need your own set of wheels to get the most out of your visit, so that you can follow the Atlantic Drive.

When it comes to food on Achill Island, your best bet is undoubtedly one of the welcoming pubs. In Keel, the Amethyst Bar robust menu has everything from soup and sandwiches to roast dinners and local seafood like oysters. It’s budget-friendly, celiac and vegan-friendly and charming.

Ted’s Bar and Restaurant in the heart of the island is a no-frills, family-run spot with tasty pub grub, turf fires and live music. During the summer the Blásta truck serves food and hot drinks in the car park. Bar food is available from 11am to 6pm daily and until 7pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

Hot Beverages: Many of the cafés are seasonal, like the aforementioned Blásta. The best bet for a year-round cup of coffee is therefore Beehive Crafts and Gifts in Keel Village. This family-run establishment doubles as a cute little craft shop. There is an extensive food menu but it’s also a great spot to grab a scone and a cup of tea on a chilly day!

Alcohol: The tiny Lynott’s Pub is an absolute gem and unquestionably the best bar on Achill Island. It’s small and packed with energy so don’t expect a quiet chat, but if you can squeeze in you’re in for a treat. Locals often randomly play live music by the open fire, when sports aren’t being shown on the big screen. The friendly staff serve a top-notch pint of Guinness too.

If Lynott’s is too cramped then head to the Amethyst Bar in Keel Village. Opened in 2017, this modern gastro bar is spacious and comfortable, with a varied menu of soups, light bites and large dinners. It’s a lively, welcoming spot with great atmosphere.

Minaun Heights is a must-see detour just off of the Atlantic Drive. A steep and narrow paved road with pull-in spots takes you to the car park, from where a short walk takes to the peak. There you can enjoy one of Achill Island’s best views. On a clear day, wander along the top and admire stunning sights of Blacksod Bay and Clare Island.

Achill Island boasts five amazing Blue Flag beaches. Dooega Bay Beach on the south coast is peaceful and secluded, with rock pools and stunning views of Clare Island and Minaun Heights. It’s better suited to quiet strolls rather than sunbathing due to it being a pebble beach.

Golden Strand Beach near Dugort on the island’s north side is the last stop on the Atlantic Drive. It has soft sands and great views, making it a great alternative to the busier beaches.

Although Dooega and Golden Strand are pretty beaches with toilet facilities and good car parks, the breath-taking Keel and Keem beaches warrant full sections of their own below.

Life here very much revolves around the sea, which has shaped the history and culture. While it is an island, the vibe is completely different from remote islands like Inishmore. The fact that it is connected by bridge to the mainland has led to Achill Island becoming more modern, but it is still wonderfully beautiful.

Bring a picnic with you as there are so many perfect spots to enjoy one while soaking up the peaceful surroundings. Achill’s ruggedness makes it easy to see why The Banshees of Inisherin, starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, was filmed between here and Inishmore.

The best way to soak up the stunning landscapes is by driving the Atlantic Drive, stopping at every scenic viewpoint along the route. It’s an unforgettable experience that captures the island’s wild charm and natural beauty.

Read our Travel Guide to Inishmore

The Atlantic Drive is undoubtedly the ultimate way to see Achill Island. Set aside a full day to tackle this stunning 55km long route which starts in the town of Newport and hits many great sites before it even reaches the island.

The first stop is usually Burrishoole Abbey, a peaceful lakeside ruin of a Dominican friary. We recommend making the scenic detour north to the lake at Furnace instead. You’ll encounter stunning scenery and plenty of sheep wandering these narrow roads!

Stop at the Mulranny Causeway for a short but scenic walk over Clew Bay’s marshes offering stunning views of Croagh Patrick. Follow this with quick stops at the Dumhach Bheag and Spanish Armada viewpoints for views across the bay to Clare Island. The latter is where five defeated Spanish Armada ships ran aground in 1588.

Finally, cross onto the island at the village of Achill Sound. From here the drive is just beginning, as you’ll follow the brown Wild Atlantic Way signs on a loop that takes you to all of the island’s best sights covered below.

The first two viewpoints on the drive are to the south of Achill Island. An Cheibh Bheag viewpoint offers pleasant views from Cloughmore Pier of Clare Island and the Tower at Kildavnet, whose origins are can be traced back to the pirate queen Grace O’Malley.

Further along the route sits Cloughmore Viewpoint and its 360-degree views of Ashleam Bay and the roaring Atlantic Ocean. It was here that the famous pub from The Banshees of Inisherin was constructed and later dismantled. Megastar Taylor Swift has asked for the pub to be rebuilt so she could visit, but alas, we are still waiting!

The sight of the waves crashing against the dramatic White Cliffs of Ashleam is absolutely surreal. Pull over in the carpark and walk to the picnic bench to get brilliant views of Ashleam Bay Beach below. This disappearing strand only appears every seven years or so, with the most recent sighting being in 2018!

Until the 1940s local families fished here in yawls for cod, mackerel, coalfish, and herring, fostering the area’s rich maritime history.

Keel is the first of Achill Island’s truly world-famous beaches that you’ll encounter, known for its sweeping sands, clear blue waters, and dramatic cliff backdrop. This sprawling strand is perfect for a walk or surf session, with lessons available at the Achill Surf Education and Adventure Centre.

The habitats here are home to mosses and liverworts of international importance, as well as bird species including whooper swans, shags, snipe, oystercatchers and lapwings.

Ice-cream trucks line the car park next to the toilets and the nearby Keel village is home to the best selection of cafés and restaurants on the island.

Book Surf Lessons at Achill Surf

The Achill Experience Aquarium, just outside of Keel village, is Mayo’s only aquarium and features over 55 Irish and exotic marine species. This recently refurbished aquarium is small but brilliant, with passionate guides and a neat little gift shop.

At just €13 it’s easily worth the entry fee, with a discounted rate of €6.50 available for kids. Last admission is 4pm each day and it’s very popular during the summer so book ahead online. This is a super fun stop for families with young children!

Book Tickets for the Achill Experience Aquarium

Keem Bay, the jewel of Achill Island, is possibly the most famous beach in Ireland. The cliff-top road here from Dooagh was constructed in the 1960s and is utterly breath-taking. It leads to a perfect horseshoe bay, with azure waters that are skirted by the towering cliffs of Benmore and Croaghaun, the third highest sea cliffs in Europe.

Basking shark, the world’s second largest fish, visit Keem every Spring to feed in these plankton rich waters. The livers of these behemoths are rich in oils, and the oil shortages of World War 2 meant fishing flourished here in the 1950s. Overfishing eventually brought the fishery to a close in the 1970s.

The beach has toilets, a food truck (cash only) and ample parking. Legend says St. Patrick blessed the bay, promising that no one would ever drown in these waters.

Slievemore Deserted Village is a striking, if slightly sombre, site to visit. For over 6,000 years people lived here on the windswept slopes of Slievemore, Achill’s second highest peak. Monuments built by the first inhabitants to their dead are still visible here today.

The current ruins were abandoned after the Great Famine of 1845 to 1849. A waymarked trail gives information about the people who once lived here, though it is often muddy so bring good boots!