In Sligo we are very fortunate to have the options of sea, river, woodlands, hills and mountain walk ways. These are some of of our favourite family walks in Sligo:
Mullaghmore Beach
Mullaghmore offers both headland and beach walks. The headland coastal walk can take about an hour and has 360 degree views of ocean, mountains, wildlife and Lord Moutbatten’s Castle. The rock formations, cliff ledges and waves crashing over the reefs are truly remarkable.
The beach is equally stunning .. a very flat, safe and family oriented beach it stretches approximately 1.5 miles across the bay. Both are ideal for a leisurely stroll, marathon run or simply photo opportunities.
Forest Walks in Sligo
Fancy a woodland walk? We have a lovely choice from Hazelwood, Slish Wood, Deer Park, Union Wood or Dooney Rock. More info on the Coillte Outdoors website.
Gleniff Horseshoe Millsite
The Gleniff Horseshoeh Millsite is one of our favourites with a lovely small nature trail and picnic areas too
Knocknarea Mountain (452m)
Located six miles from Sligo town and offers a good walk of about 45-60 minutes. There is a notice in the car park which explains the route. Knocknarea has a mound of stones at the top, reputedly the tomb of Connaught’s legendary Queen, Maeve. From the top are views of Donegal, the Ox mountains, Sligo Bay and Mayo. Queen Maeve’s Grave is located at the summit of Knocknarea mountain, which, at 1,014 feet, dominates the landscape to the west of Sligo.
Maeve was the warrior Queen of Connacht in Celtic mythology. The cairn measures some 180 feet across and over 30 feet high, making it the largest such tomb in Ireland outside the Boyne Valley. Its shape and structure (and the results of archaeology in the area) have led to the tomb being classified as a Neolithic passage tomb. It is estimated that the stones used in the construction would weigh approximately 40,000 metric tons
Ballintrillick
There are some lovely quiet road walks around Ballintrillick in the North of the County. Perfect for maybe testing out the bicycles also!
The Sligo Way
For families with older children for a bit of a challenge… The Sligo Way is a 74km, long-distance walking trail. It is divided here into 7 sections each representing a half day’s walking. The trail starts at Lough Talt and ends in Dromahair.
And with the kids don’t forget:
- Snacks and drinks
- Tissues/baby wipes and a few plasters are always handy
- Weather appropriate clothing- wellies/rain macs/hats/scarves/swimming gear/sun protection…
- And maybe a change of clothes for emergencies
- Net for fishing/catching butterflies, buckets and spades
- Box/bag for treasures like feathers/shells/leaves etc
- A packet of sweets (kept secret in your pocket) can prove invaluable towards the end of a long walk in order to bribe the children to keep plodding on back to the car!
- For a really fun Nature Walk with the kids, the road LESS travelled is your best bet in our opinion! There are lots of exciting things to do – here are some of our faves
Have you got a favourite family walk in Sligo? Share it with us in the comments below.
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