Killary Harbour, Connemara, Ireland is widely known as the ‘only true fjord’ in this European country. Imagine seeing the two mountains and a deep, narrow sea formed by a glacier thousand years ago. Killary Harbour has a U-shaped valley with really steep rocked-walls on both sides.
Activity/Place Highlights
Fjords are really deep. This one, for example, extends for 16 km (10 miles), and it’s 45 meters deep in the center! You will fall in love with one of the best sceneries in Ireland. Of course, you can’t miss the opportunity of hillwalking and scuba diving.
Killary Harbour is just One of Three
Killary Harbour is found in the Connemara area that comprises the best and the most beautiful parts of Ireland. This is one of the three fjords of Ireland. The others are Lough Swilly and Carlingford Lough. Killary Harbour separates the north shore, the Mweelrea and Sheefry Mountains from the south shore and the Maumturk Mountains. During the last glacier era, glaciers between these two mountains molded the valley with a prominent U-shape.
Visit the Village of Leenane
To admire the most astonishing views of the harbour and the mountains, head to the south part or go to the Village of Leenane, which is almost at the end of the harbour. Also, the stretch of trail above the harbour offers a jaw-dropping view of the sun going down and the islands breaking the horizon.
If you want to have a blast, at the Village of Leenane you can visit two entertaining pubs which turn this zone of Ireland into a metropolis. It doesn’t matter if you just want to get away from the regular rain or if you want to mingle with other people and celebrate all night long. You will encounter the legendary Irish craic or “good times” to stay entertained.
Beautiful dolphins and Seafood
I also recommend getting on board a boat the see the friendly dolphins or hiking around the fjord. Also, try the seafood of the zone: the mussels and salmon are very famous for their quality.
How to get there
There are three airports close to Killary Harbour: Galway, Shannon, and Dublin. The last one is the farthest is and takes 6 hours. The big town of Clifden offers a huge variety of accommodation from hotels to campsite spread throughout the zone. Thanks to the good weather conditions, the best time to visit is in the summer. However, summer is also the time Killary Harbour gets most crowded. But don’t worry, you can also visit it during May-September.
Killary Harbour weather
You’ll be surprised by how changeable the weather is in this part of the world. The conditions of the day can change at any moment of the day without notice. Even in the sunniest days, you can see how a storm suddenly comes into place. But if you happen to be in one of the good days, you’ll feel so grateful for being there.
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