Hotels near Connemara National Park and Kylemore Abbey

Connemara National Park covers 2,957 hectares of blanket bog, heath and mountain around Letterfrack, and the Diamond Hill loop is why most people make the trip. The full upper walk is about 7 kilometres, takes three hours, and climbs 400 metres to a summit looking over Ballynakill Harbour and the Twelve Bens. Park entry is free and the lower loop is a manageable 3 kilometres. Trail conditions and closures are posted on the official Connemara National Park website.

Kylemore Abbey sits 6 kilometres east: a Victorian castle built in 1868 by the Manchester businessman Mitchell Henry and run by Benedictine nuns since 1920. The six-acre walled Victorian garden and the miniature neo-Gothic church are the strongest parts of the visit, since only a handful of rooms in the house itself are open. Tickets are around 18 EUR and timed in summer. Paired with Diamond Hill this fills a full day including the drive.

Pro Tip: Climb Diamond Hill first thing and save Kylemore Abbey for after lunch. The hill is fully exposed with no shelter, so you want to be off it before the weather turns, and the walled garden is perfectly pleasant in drizzle.