Happy Travel Thursday, friends! 

 As I mentioned in my earlier post on visiting Ireland in March, one of the places we visited during our trip was Connemara National Park. We took the morning to drive around the area, checking out the sights (including stopping at Kylemore Abbey!) and then decided to hike the Diamond Park Hill loop. And I’m so glad we did—even with foggy weather, the views were gorgeous! 

Here’s everything you need to know about hiking in Connemara National Park:

About Connemara National Park: 

Nestled on the western coast of Ireland, Connemara National Park stands as a pristine testament to the country’s natural beauty. The park, situated in County Galway, showcases a diverse landscape of rugged mountains, serene lakes, and vast expanses of bogland.  With its well-maintained trails and panoramic viewpoints, Connemara National Park provides a perfect blend of adventure and tranquility. 

Getting to Connemara National Park: 

Connemara is an hour(ish) drive from Galway—we rented a car for our time in Ireland, so it was easy for us to get to Connemara. However, there are lots of bus tours available at a wide range of price points if you haven’t rented a car. 

Hiking Diamond Hill Loop: 

There are two separate loops on Diamond Hill—the lower loop takes about 1 to 1.5 hours to complete, while the upper loop takes about 3 hours. Hiking both loops is an approximately seven kilometer hike. 

The path is uphill, but it’s not too steep, and consists of gravel, stone and boardwalk paths. If it’s a clear day, you’ll have panoramic views from the 445-meter peak—if not (we didn’t!) you’ll still have beautiful views on the way up and down (as well as the opportunity to see some wildlife!) 

Overall, hiking Diamond Hill Loop was one of my favorite parts of our trip to Ireland and I’m so glad that we took the time to do it. 

I took so many nice photos in Ireland—so nice that I made a calendar of them! Take a look here.