Local stuff to do:
WALKS IN AND AROUND NEW QUAY:
See Burren Activity Trail on info@burren.ie - some great walks are on walks are on the page https://burren.ie/activities/walking/ - also loads of other good stuff. Below are some of our favorites.
Top tip - always take a rain coat - if walking at night wear white/Hi-Viz or shine phone torch to be seen by cars!
Circular coastal loop walk from the house round along the Flaggy Shore, the Martello Tower and back the inland route. Between 3 and 6 miles depending on whether you go straight on at Finavara (where Annie’s veg farm and shop is) or take a right for a longer walk around the extremely beautiful causeway. Stop at the Ice Creamery which is about half way around the route and does great ice cream, cakes, home made jam etc. Walking up and back to the Martello Tower adds another mile and a half.
The Flaggy shore and the sandy beach which is a short stroll (5 mins) from the house – lovely to swim from and you will find the locals swimming all year round - be aware of very strong currents if you swim far from the beach. The tides are big, strong and beautiful here.
Walk up Black Head Mountain (Park by the lighthouse and straight up – quite strenuous). Better to do it along the green roads if you can.
Abbey Hill walk – the one you can see from the garden in the distance. A little easier than Black Head. You can also walk onwards to Concomroe if feeling adventurous. And from Corcomroe its a short stroll to the Chocolate Factory for coffee and cake. Then a bit of a hike back along the road to the car.
Fanore to Ballyvaughan walk - turn left just as you enter Fanore and there is a great walk along a "green road". Either all the way to Ballyvaughan or walk along for an hour and back again. Great views over Galway Bay to the Aran Islands, to the mountains of Connemara and to Galway itself. Quite an easy walk over undulating grass.
Augnish coastal walk (the stretch of land directly opposite Bayfield).
There is a great walk from Doolin up to the Cliffs of Moher; 3 - 4 hours there and back – well worth it if fit enough and it means you don’t have to park in the visitor center by the main cliffs. You can get a bus one way if you leave the car in Doolin.
Guided walks in the hills - Hidden Burren Walks - www.hiddenburrenwalk.ie - 00 353 87 4163278. Or Kinvarawalks.com
Coole Park Nature Reserve near Gort - a lovely wooded area for a nice walk. Also a small museum (which I would give a miss as not very interesting) with a cafe.
Dromore Woods (near Ennis). Lovely woods for a great walk. (see https://burren.ie/activities/walking/)
OTHER STUFF TO DO:
Corcomroe Abbey in Belharbour. A beautiful 12th century Abbey ruin – home to our family tomb and well well worth a visit.
The Cliffs of Moher – staggering amazing views. Park in the visitors’ center or walk from Doolin. Also great to see from a boat from Doolin.
If coming in September the roads around Bayfield are lined with Blackberry bushes which you can pick. It is a lovely thing to do on a sunny afternoon!
Canoeing, body-boarding, climbing, pier jumping and caving with Burren Outdoor Activities Centre. Call Ger on 00 353 (86) 151 4640. He lives just round the corner and we have had many great days with him. All gear provided.
Burren E Bike adventures - based in Kinvara. It looks like they do some amazing routes. Please let us know if you try it and what it was like. +353 (0)87 693 6938
Walk around Galway City ending up in Quay Street by the docks. There is a lovely market behind the church. Have a look in the back streets for some more off the beat and track type stuff.
Lahinch Beach – a beautiful long sandy beach! Great for walking, swimming and surfing. There are a couple of surf schools here.
Burren ebike adventures.com - E bike from Kinvara around some great routes that they will advise you on. We haven’t tried this so let us know if you do it.
Seaweed baths/spa - You can find these at Lahinch but look on the internet for one. It’s a lovely relaxing way to spend a couple of hours.
Aillwee caves – the caves are great for a tour. The is also a bird sanctuary where you can see all sorts of birds of prey flying. Also great for kids. Good cafe too.
Horse riding – search on the internet for places in the Burren to do this.
Fishing – you can fish from the pier by Linnane’s - mackerel. See the Internet for other forms of fishing available locally and in nearby Galway.
Feel free to use our home made BBQ in the orchard with views of Galway Bay and the mountains all around (please clean BBQ after use).
The Chocolate Factory - see signs off the road from Kinvara to Bayfield. Lovely coffee, tea, cakes and amazing chocolate.
Dunguaire Castle in Kinvara - well worth a visit. Beautiful to look at across from the pier and great to walk around and inside.
The Burren Perfumery – great home made creams, soaps and perfumes. See - http://www.burrenperfumery.com/directions/ and a slideshow showing the beauties of the Burren at http://www.burrenperfumery.com/information/slideshow.php There is also a lovely garden and a great T-room open throughout the year.
Paddle boarding - see Wet Mongrel Adventure Stand Up Paddle in Kinvara. www.wetmongrel.com or www.baysup.ie from Ballyvaughan. Lessons, tours rentals etc.
Fanore Beach on the way to the Cliffs of Moher on the Coastal Route. A beautiful sandy beach great to swim from (be aware of currents etc). Sea kayak and surf lessons available with Aloha Surf School– 0872133996; or speak to Ger who lives locally (see above) who can take you body boarding there.
Surfing - Aloha Surf in Fanore - www.surfschool.tv
Caving and guided hill walking with Back West Adventures in Ballyvaughan - great for learning about the area from a local.
Yoga - try www.yogalounge (087 9620759) - Based in Clarenbridge.
Music – one of the pubs in Kinvara usually has music on especially at the weekends. See board outside Tully’s.
FURTHER AFIELD:
Bunratty Castle - this is bout 45 mins from Bayfield and is very close to Shannon Airport so ideal to visit if you are landing/taking off from there. It is an amazing historical Castle in great condition with all of the original rooms made up as they would have been. Surrounded by a village of cottages which are also true to how they would have been years ago along with local shops and even a pub. It’s great for adults and kids alike to visit. Have lunch in Dirty Nellys Pub - most of the pictures in the pub were painted by Edward Hynes (our Great Uncle) who used to live in Bayfield.
Music in Galway - Quay Street is the place to head for although there are loads of back street pubs that you can find if you do a bit of exploring.
The Aran Islands – a great day trip to the nearest on a ferry from Doolin – or stay longer and visit all three. They are very beautiful. A horse and cart ride is worthwhile - it might be worth haggling for a good price if you are up for it! Some of the drivers are very amusing!
Ashford Castle in Connemara - absolutely beautiful stately home/hotel and on our list of places to stay at for a night or two.
The Dingle Peninsula and the Ring of Kerry - these are also on the Wild Atlantic Way and are a few hours away and very beautiful. Probably worth staying away for the night and or doing it at the end of your stay. Although not the fastest way to get there we would recommend taking the Shannon Ferry across from Co Clare to Co Kerry (we love ferry journeys). It takes about 20 mins and is a lovely little trip.
Connemara is across the bay and is a beautiful area with great walking and lovely scenery. Roundstone is our favorite part.
For tours call either Burren Coaches 00 353 86 252 0971 or Owen Linnane Minibus Hire - (091)635149. They may also do smaller number is you only want a car or minibus.
KIDS STUFF TO DO:
The gardens around Bayfield are great for kids to play in. They aren’t child protected but our kids have always spent many an hour out there alone. Bring a hamock to tie up between two trees which will keep them entertained for hours. If there are cows in the front field try not to let them in there although they are very friendly (if necessary ask Derek in the house opposite the Russel Gallery and he will move them out while you are there - or ask Max).
Many of the above activities are great with kids of all ages especially the local Flaggy Shore. Also we would recommend the Burren Nature Sanctuary which is brilliant -do the walk (about 2km - only good for sturdy buggies), See the animals and play in the adventure playground.
Burren Nature Sanctuary - see https://www.burrennaturesanctuary.ie/ - this is great for kids and has loads of animals which children can stroke; an adventure playground and a soft play indoors. Its really educational has a great walk around the farm and is well worth a visit.
The Burren outdoor Centre does lots of stuff for slightly older kids. See above for details
The loop walk from the house is perfect for kids. Its buggy friendly and also great if they have scooters or bikes.
Blackberry picking in late August early September!
Bunratty Castle, Dunguaire Castle and Corcomroe Abbey.
The Ice Creamery (see map below)
Map below - some of the local stuff to do (not all). See the dotted green and red lines for a couple of the local walks mentioned above.
Red and green dotted lines are our favorite local walks.
Golf
County Clare is full of great golf courses. You do not need to be a member to play at most of them and they are very welcoming to visitors. The closest golf Course to Bayfield is Gort which is a 15 minute drive away and is a lovely course. Lahinch Links Course and Doonbeg are renowned for being world class. Drumoland Castle Hotel (near Shannon Airport) has a beautiful course and is a pretty amazing place to visit in its own right. Galway Bay Golf Club is in Oranmore and you can look across Galway Bay to the house - it looks like a lovely course and is by the sea - handy if going into Galway. Also near by are East Clare Golf Club, Spanish Point Golf Club and Ennis Golf Course.
Fishing
You can fish off the pier at Linnane’s and quite a few people do.
Or see http://www.burrenanglingcorrofin.com - Corrofin is 20 mins away. We haven't tried the fishing here but it looks great from the web site! (if you try it please let us know).
History and culture:
There is a huge amount to see from the nearby Aillwee Caves (www.aillweecave.ie) to seeing local bands playing in the bars and pubs to visiting the ancient stone sites and Churches in the area. For more info see www.burrenbeo.com/burren/history which is one of many sites with information.
The Cliffs of Moher and the Aran Islands:
The Cliffs of Moher are about 40 minutes drive from Bayfield and are spectacular (see below). You can drive to the top or there is a great walk up from Doolin (get the bus back or walk back). The Aran Islands are also easy to reach from Doolin and are well worth a visit with some amazing scenery and a really lovely Island feel. Easy for a day trip or stay the night. Hire a bike and cycle around which ever Island you visit. All of the islands are beautiful!
