Belmullet Itineraries
Half a day or a full weekend. Here are the best ways to spend your time in Belmullet, planned step by step.
Whether you have a few hours off the DART or a full weekend to explore, these itineraries give you a local’s route through Belmullet. Each one links directly to the restaurants and activities along the way.
The Mullet Peninsula in a day
A full day working the length of the Mullet, from the clifftops of Erris Head to the D-Day lighthouse at Blacksod, taking in the blowhole at Doonamo and a swim at Elly Bay. Best done with a car and a clear-ish forecast.
- 1Morning·
Erris Head Loop
Start fresh with the headline walk of the peninsula. Drive north from Belmullet on the R313 to the Erris Head car park above the Danish Cellar, and walk the 5km waymarked loop to the railed viewpoint at the tip, looking out at sea arches, Pigeon Rock and the open Atlantic. Allow around two hours and wear boots; it is boggy in parts.
- 2Midday·
Doonamo Point
Drive south down the western side of the peninsula to Doonamo Point, a Wild Atlantic Way discovery point with a clifftop promontory fort and one of Ireland's great blowholes. Look out to the Inishkea Islands offshore. Mind the unfenced cliff edges.
- 3Lunch·
Lunch in Belmullet
Drop back into Belmullet for lunch. The seafood bar at the Talbot Hotel works with fish landed by local boats, or the Western Strands on Main Street does honest bar food in a traditional pub setting.
- 4Afternoon·
Blacksod Lighthouse
Drive to the southern tip of the peninsula to Blacksod, where the square lighthouse first lit in 1866 sent the weather forecast that led Eisenhower to delay D-Day by 24 hours. The bay here is sheltered and clear, and the pier is the jumping-off point for the islands.
- 5Late afternoon·
Elly Bay
On the way back north, stop at Elly Bay, the Blue Flag beach on the sheltered Blacksod side, for a swim or a walk on the sand. It stays usable when the Atlantic side is too rough.
- 6Evening·
Dinner and a pint in town
Back in Belmullet, eat at the Barony restaurant in the Talbot or the Western Strands, then finish at McDonnell's, the Lobster Pot on Lower Barrack Street, for a pint by the turf fire and, if you are lucky, live music.
A weekend in Erris
Two and a half days at the far end of Mayo: settle in on Friday evening, spend Saturday on the peninsula and the water, play Carne or take the island boat on Sunday before the long drive home. Built for those who want the remoteness rather than a packed schedule.
- 1Friday evening·
Arrive and settle in
Roll into Belmullet after the long drive (allow about three and a half hours from Dublin, two and a half from Galway, an hour from Ballina). Check in to the Talbot or the Western Strands, get a meal in town, and ease into the pace of the place with a pint at McDonnell's.
- 2Saturday morning·
Erris Head Loop
Walk the Erris Head Loop while you are fresh, the 5km clifftop circuit to the northern tip of the peninsula. Bring boots and a wind layer, and watch the sea for whales and dolphins, which the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group records off the head in spring and summer.
- 3Saturday afternoon·
On the water
Spend the afternoon on the water with Wavesweeper Sea Adventures, run from the Western Strands, with surfing, kayaking, coasteering or paddleboarding for all levels. Or keep it gentle with a swim at Elly Bay or the tidal pool on Shore Road.
- 4Saturday evening·
Dinner and music
Eat well back in town at the Barony or the Western Strands, then settle in for the evening. If there is traditional music on at McDonnell's, the Lobster Pot, that is where you want to be.
- 5Sunday morning·
Carne golf or the Inishkea boat
Choose your Sunday: a round on the 27-hole links at Carne, one of Eddie Hackett's great courses through giant dunes above Blacksod Bay; or, if you have booked ahead, the boat from Blacksod with Belmullet Boat Charters out to the deserted Inishkea Islands and the seal colonies.
- 6Sunday afternoon·
Doonamo and the road home
Before the drive back, take in Doonamo Point and its blowhole on the western shore, then point the car east for the N59 via Bangor Erris. It is a long road home, but you will carry the Atlantic light with you.
Ready to plan your visit?
Check tide times, live DART departures, and the weather forecast before you head out.