Sometimes reading up on a place just seems like too much work. Why spend your holiday flicking and scrolling, trying to find out about local culture and history, when you could just let someone else tell you all about it?
Here’s a selection of five fascinating but very different tours to take in and around Westport. Do them all, and you’ll end up with so much insider knowledge, you could be mistaken for a local.
Westport House and Estate offer a whole range of fun and insightful tours. Take a guided or self-guided tour (using an audio tour app) of the house itself and discover its incredible history, which goes right back to the 16th century and Pirate Queen Grace O’Malley.
Drawn to nature? You could also take a tour of Westport House’s beautiful gardens and learn all about the fascinating historic landscape, from the stunning planted terraces to the romantic rose garden.
The yellow-clad guides of Westport Walking Tours offer visitors a casual, hour-long guided walk around the heart of Westport town. The tours take place everyday weekday, at 10am and again at 12 noon.
The operation was setup by Stephen and Alan Clarke, whose family have been part of the fabric of Westport since its very beginnings.
They also have pub and food tours which are very popular! You can book your tour here.
Calling all beer lovers! Take a tour of Westport’s very own microbrewery, Mescan, and find out how their hugely popular range of delicious Belgian-style bottle-conditioned beers are made using malt, hops, yeast and spring water from Mescan’s own well. Visitors will learn about the styles and flavour profiles of Mescan beers, which include Westport Blond Beer, Westport Saison and Westport Red Tripel.
Finger food is served during the tour, and questions and banter are heartily encouraged. Mescan beers are readily available in Westport town and surrounding areas, and visitors will be recommended to visit local hostelries and test their newfound beer knowledge.
Find out more here.
Learn about the tradition of oyster farming on the shores of the Wild Atlantic’s Clew Bay.
Located on the shore of the spectacular Clew Bay just minutes from the picturesque town of Westport. Owned and operated by Padraic Gannon, an oyster farmer for over 30 years, who transformed the family farm into a thriving oyster farm on the shores of the rugged Atlantic.
Experience A Road to Remember Tour, a multi-stop bus tour unlocking the Famine of West Mayo; exploring the history, folklore, tradition, songs, and stories of the Great Famine against the backdrop of the stunning scenery of Clew Bay South.
Stops on this tour include; Croagh Patrick (Ireland’s Holy Mountain), Kilgeever Abbey (7th Century), Louisburg, Glenkeen Far, Doolough Valley, Ashleigh Falls & Leenane.
Westport Cruises offers a daily 90-minute cruise on Clew Bay between 1st May to 31st October. It explores the world-famous Clew Bay and its 365 islands, thriving seal colony, Croagh Patrick holy mountain, John Lennon's Island (an island hideaway which John Lennon of the Beatles owned and frequented), Inishgort Lighthouse, sites of disasters, battles, and much more. Clew Bay was home to the infamous pirate Queen Grace O Malley and Westport Cruises explores the rich history of this formidable woman.
Patricia is a local tour guide for Westport and beyond. She is passionate about this part of the world and deeply knowledgeable. All tours are designed by Patricia with your interests in mind. Whether traveling solo and looking for some company, in a couple or a small group of three she would be delighted to take you on a tour to show you the best of the West of Ireland. Once you have decided on the perfect tour you won’t have to worry about a thing. You will be collected from an agreed collection point pickup.
Customer Favourites
Westport Tour - On this tour I’ll show you the best places to eat, drink and shop for something special in Westport and the surrounding areas – you’ll be equipped with all the local knowledge you need to enjoy some time here!
Connemara Tour - The beauty of Connemara through the quaint village of Louisburgh and the famous Doolough Valley
Achill Island Tour - Achill Island tour with stops in villages like Newport, Mulranny and fabulous Keem Bay
Find out more on her website here.
