Walk Details » Island Day Trips

Guided Island Adventures

Walk Connemara offers guided trips to the stunning islands off the spectacular coast of Connemara and Mayo. Day trips or multi-day tours can be arranged to these special islands, including inhabited (Inishbofin, Inishturk North and Clare Island) and uninhabited (Inishshark, Inishlyon, Caher, High Island, Achill Beg and the Inish Keas). These islands are rich in monastic, pre-christian, bronze age and megalithic archeological remains including churches, cross slabs, burial grounds, holy wells, field systems, fullachta fiadh, cairns, megalithic tombs, enclosures and even a clochan.

The Inishbofin, Inishturk (North) and Clare Island trips can use standard ferry services, special ferry services or charted boats.

For day trips to Inishbofin using the standard Cleggan ferry services, the guiding cost is currently €260. This is for a group of up to 20 persons and excludes your group's ferry cost (standard fare is €20/person, but we may be able to negotiate a discount for you). Larger groups can be handled with extra guides (€260 each).

Our full day Inishark and Inishbofin guided island adventure day trip on the ferry and a high-performance boat costs €70 per person, for groups of at least 10 people. Download Details as PDF

For day trips to Inishturk (North) or Clare Island using the standard Roonagh ferry services, the cost is currently €280 (excluding your group's ferry cost) for a group of up to 20 (extra guides €260 each).

For exclusive trips on high-performance chartered boats we can cater for groups of up to 11 people. Current prices for guided Island day packages (including the boat) range from €500-€1000 depending on the location, the duration and the lunch. These trips provide full flexibility, circumnavitation of the island and the possibility to visit uninhabited islands (see example below).

Western Explorer: the high-speed RIB available for Island Day Trips

One of our boatmen with his fast RIB (Photo courtesy of Declan Rush)

Island treks can be organised around various themes:

Monastic: Caher, High Island, Inishbofin, Inishshark, Clare Island;

Pre-Christian, Bronze Age: Inishbofin, Inishshark, Inishlyon, Clare Island

Megalithic: Clare Island;

Geology: Caher, Inishbofin, Inishshark;

Flora: Wild Stonecrop, Orchids, Heathers, Sea Pinks, Rare plants

Birds: Fulmars, Puffins, Corncrakes, Shags, Guillemots;

Fish and Sea Mammals: Seals, Dolphins, Whales, Sharks

We can also organise multi-day island trips (e.g. with five overnights it is possible to cover most of Inishbofin, Inishturk and Clare Island). Larger groups can be accommodated with additional guides. The trips are customisable.

Lunch options are many. The simplest option is an outdoor picnic on the beach or coastline. Sandwiches, soup and light meals can be had in the island pub (which on Inishturk is also the Community Centre). There is even the possibility to arrange gourmet feasts with local produce (lobster, crab, mackerel) served in an island hotel restaurant or even outdoors (Inishbofin's disused East End pier is a spectacular location).

Below are a couple of examples. Variations on these trips or other destinations are possible (e.g. Inishark full day, High Island, Caher, Clare Island, Inishkeas). Check the Scheduled Walks page for forthcoming scheduled trips which may be able to cater for individuals or smaller groups.

Caher, Inishshark and Inishbofin - Full Day

Depart Cleggan (near Letterfrack) in comfortable boat to Caher Island and spend two hours on this important monastic island. Visit the remains of the chapel (several carved slabs and a cursing stone) and hike the island to the holy well;
Circumnavigate Inishark to view stunning coastline including cliffs, coves, sea stacks, and wildlife (seal colony, breeding seabirds) and on to Inishbofin;
Visit the beautiful living island of Inishbofin with 200 permanent residents, see everyday life & have lunch/refreshment in a local pub;
Motor to Inishark to visit this fertile but now uninhabitedisland. Visit the deserted vilage, promonotory fort and hike back through the pre-historic field system to the cliffs overlooking an impressive sea stack;
Return to mainland at Cleggan.

Inishturk (North) - Half Day

Depart Derryinver Pier/Quay (near Letterfrack) in comfortable chartered boat to motor north west along the spectacular Ballynakill coastline with coves/caves, cliffs and islands;
Cross the clear Atlantic water to the beautiful living island of Inishturk (Island of the Wild Boar), with 60 permanent residents;
Guided walk on the unspoilt Inishturk with rare plants (orchids in spring), spectacular views of the mainland and nearby islands (Caher, Clare Island, Achill), breathtaking sea cliffs, sea birds (fulmars and puffins in spring/summer), archaeology (fort, early church, pre-Christian graveyard, Fulachta Fiadh, standing stone), geology (Ordovician folds linked to Croagh Patrick on the mainland) and maritime history (signal tower);
Lunch in the comfortable Inishturk Community Centre bar;
Circumnavigate Inishturk to see the cliffs and seabirds (Puffins in April-July);
Return to mainland at Derryinver

On the boat to Inishark

Inishark and Inishbofin - Full Day

Depart Derryinver/Cleggan in comfortable boat to motor north west along the spectacular Ballynakill/Cleggan Head coastline with coves/caves, cliffs and islands;
Cross the clear Atlantic water to the uninhabited island of Inishark, with deserted village (since 1960), holy well, stone huts, Fulachta Fiadh (prehistoric cooking site), unspoilt environment, rare plants, sea cliffs, blowhole, sea birds (fulmars in season). Short visit to Inishark provided sea conditions allow safe disembarkment;
Circumnavigate Inishark to view stunning coastline including cliffs, coves, sea stacks, and wildlife (seal colony, breeding seabirds) and on to Inishbofin
Visit the beautiful living island of Inishbofin with 200 permanent residents – see everyday life & have lunch in a local pub;
Guided walk of Inishbofin island with rare plants (orchids in spring), fine sands, spectacular views of mainland and nearby Islands (Inishturk, Clare Island, Achill), archaeology (forts, prehistoric field systems, early Christian monastery), spectacular sea caves, blowholes, geology (soapstone) and maritime history (Grainne Mhaol, The Royal Oak, Cromwellian fort, Kitty Brigg);
Return to mainland at Derryinver/Cleggan.

Before making a trip to Inishark it is recommended to view the excellent 50min documentary film “Inis Airc, Bás Oileáin” (Inishark, Death of an Island) by Inishbofin filmmaker Kieran Concannon (2006).

View of mainland from Inishbofin East End