Things to Do in Galway
Galway city's essential sights, from the Latin Quarter and Spanish Arch to Galway Cathedral and Salthill promenade — what to see and why each one matters.
Nature & Outdoors in Galway
Connemara National Park's mountains and bog, a pale shell-sand beach near Roundstone, and the limestone wetland that drew Yeats to Coole Park.
By Ireland Spots Team
Photo: Robert Linsdell / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Galway city's Latin Quarter and Salthill promenade are covered elsewhere on this site — here's where to go once you want the county's wilder side, mostly out in Connemara.
Connemara National Park
Mountains, bog, heathland, grassland and woodland near Letterfrack, protected as a national park you explore on foot rather than drive through. The visitor centre runs roughly 9am to 5pm, but the park's walking trails themselves have no fixed opening hours — it's open landscape, not a gated attraction.
Dog's Bay and Gurteen Bay
Two beaches near Roundstone, sitting back-to-back on a narrow strip of land that forms a tombolo — walk one, cross the strip, and you're on the other. Both are made almost entirely of tiny shell fragments rather than ordinary sand, giving them a distinctly pale, fine texture unlike most Irish beaches. Car parks sit close to the sand at both, so getting there takes minutes, not a hike.
Coole Park
A low-lying limestone wetland near Gort, in south Galway rather than Connemara, so it's a separate trip from the coastal sites above. It was Lady Gregory's home and a regular gathering place for W.B. Yeats and other writers of the Irish Literary Revival — a landscape worth visiting for its literary history as much as its nature trails.
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Frequently asked questions
Can you drive through Connemara National Park?
No — it's a walking park rather than a scenic drive, protecting mountains, bog, heathland and woodland near Letterfrack. The visitor centre runs roughly 9am to 5pm, and the park itself has no fixed hours since it's open landscape.
What makes Dog's Bay and Gurteen Bay unusual?
Both beaches, near Roundstone, are made almost entirely of tiny fragments of shell rather than ordinary sand, giving them a distinctly pale colour. They sit back-to-back on a narrow strip of land forming a tombolo, so you can walk both without moving the car.
What is Coole Park known for?
A low-lying limestone wetland near Gort that was once home to Lady Gregory, and a regular meeting point for W.B. Yeats and other writers of the Irish Literary Revival — a genuinely literary landscape as much as a natural one.
Practical details last verified 5 November 2026.
More in Galway
Best Day Trips from Galway
The Aran Islands, Connemara and Kylemore Abbey, and the Cliffs of Moher — how to actually get to each from Galway, by ferry, bus or car.
Hidden Gems in Galway
Ireland's smallest museum, a free 15-minute step into medieval Galway, and the fishing village that gave its name to the Claddagh ring — spots that don't make the typical Latin Quarter list.