Town centre
First-timersThe Octagon, Bridge Street and the Mall. Pubs, shops and restaurants.
Westport town guide
Things To Do In Westport
A planned Georgian town on Clew Bay, under the holy mountain of Croagh Patrick, with a tree-lined river through the middle and music in the pubs every night. The start of the Great Western Greenway.
1
Hostels in the city
8.3
Average, from 902 reviews
764 m
Croagh Patrick
42 km
The Great Western Greenway
365
Islands in Clew Bay, so they say
A Georgian town at the foot of a holy mountain
Westport was laid out in the late eighteenth century by the Browne family of Westport House, and it is one of the few planned towns in Ireland. The centre is an octagon and a tree-lined mall along the Carrowbeg River, with stone bridges and colourful shopfronts, and the harbour, the Quay, a couple of kilometres west on Clew Bay.
The bay is scattered with drumlin islands — tradition says one for every day of the year — and over it rises Croagh Patrick, where St Patrick is said to have fasted for forty days in 441. Thousands of pilgrims still climb it on the last Sunday of July, some of them barefoot.
Westport is lively, friendly and full of music, and it is the base for Achill Island, Connemara and the Great Western Greenway, a traffic-free cycle route along the old railway line. Three days is a good stay.
Where to stay
The town centre is small and walkable. The Quay is a pleasant half-hour walk along the bay road.
The Quay
By the waterThe old harbour on Clew Bay, with seafood restaurants and pubs. A 30-minute walk from town.
Newport
Greenway and quietA village on the Greenway, eleven kilometres north. Quieter and smaller.
Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 1 top-rated hostels. Map © MapTiler © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Westport
Climb Croagh Patrick. It is 764 metres and the path is steep, rough and covered in loose scree near the top, so allow three to four hours up and down and wear proper boots. The view over Clew Bay and its islands from the summit is the best in the west.
Cycle the Great Western Greenway, a 42-kilometre route on the old railway line from Westport to Achill. Hire a bike in town, ride as far as you like, and take the shuttle bus back. The stretch from Mulranny to Achill, along the edge of Clew Bay, is the most beautiful.
Westport House, the Brownes' eighteenth-century house on the edge of town, has gardens and parkland. The family descends from Grace O'Malley, the sixteenth-century pirate queen of Connacht, whose clan held the islands of Clew Bay.
In the evening, walk the Mall along the river and finish in the pubs. Matt Molloy's, owned by the flute player of the Chieftains, has music every night.
Free things
Free things to do in Westport
The town itself is free and very pretty: the Octagon, the Mall along the river and the stone bridges.
The walk to the Quay along the bay, and around Westport House's parkland, costs nothing. Croagh Patrick is free to climb.
The Greenway is free to walk or cycle if you bring your own bike, and the beaches around Clew Bay and on Achill are free.
The music in the pubs is free, every night.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Westport
Westport eats well for a small town. Clew Bay seafood, mussels and oysters are on most menus, and Achill mountain lamb, grazed on the salt heath, is the local speciality.
Pub food and carvery lunches are the everyday option, at €15 to €20. The town has good cafés and several restaurants a cut above what you would expect.
The Quay has seafood restaurants and pubs by the water.
Nightlife
Going out in Westport
Westport is one of the best towns in Ireland for a night in the pub. Bridge Street and the streets around the Octagon are full of pubs, and many have trad music or live bands.
Matt Molloy's is the best known, with a session in the back room every night.
A pint is €5.50 to €6.50. Pubs close around 23:30 during the week and 00:30 at weekends.
Getting around
Getting around Westport
The town is small and walkable, and the train station is a few minutes from the centre.
Trains from Dublin Heuston take about three and a quarter hours. Buses run to Galway, Castlebar, Achill and Ireland West Airport at Knock, which is about an hour away.
For the Greenway, hire a bike in town and use the shuttle bus to come back. For Achill, Connemara and the coast, a car is much easier than the bus.
Costs
What Westport costs
Westport is mid-priced. Hostel beds are limited and typically start from about €30, and the town fills up in July, August and on Reek Sunday.
A careful day is €55 to €75. The costs that add up are bike hire, car hire and eating out.
The mountain, the Greenway on foot, the beaches and the music are free. Cook in the hostel and visit in May, June or September.
Safety
Staying safe in Westport
Westport is very safe.
The risk is Croagh Patrick. The upper slope is loose scree, the weather changes fast and the summit is often in cloud. People are injured on it every year, especially coming down. Wear boots, carry water and turn back if the cloud comes in.
On the Greenway, parts cross roads and farm tracks, so watch for traffic. On Achill's cliffs and beaches, stay back from edges and be careful of currents.
Emergency numbers are 112 or 999.
Day trips from Westport
The wildest stretch of the Wild Atlantic Way is within an hour.
Achill Island
Ireland's largest island, joined by a bridge: cliffs, bog, Keem Bay and a deserted village.
Kylemore Abbey
A Victorian castle on a lough in Connemara, now a Benedictine abbey with a walled garden.
What's on
What is on while you are there
Reek Sunday, when thousands climb the mountain, is unlike anything else in Ireland.
17 March
St Patrick's Day
Westport
A parade through the town, under the saint's mountain.
Last Sunday of July
Reek Sunday
Croagh Patrick
Thousands of pilgrims climb the mountain, some barefoot, for Mass at the summit.
Autumn
Westport Arts Festival
Venues around the town
Music, theatre and art in the town's pubs and halls.
Hostels
Where to stay in Westport
Westport has only a few hostels, and they fill up in summer. These are the top-rated right now, live from Hostelworld.
When to go
May, June and September are ideal. July and August are busy, especially around Reek Sunday.
Jan
Wet, windy and quiet
Feb
Quiet and cheap
Mar
St Patrick's parade
Apr
Good. Greenway quiet
May
Excellent. Long evenings
Jun
Busy and bright
Jul
Reek Sunday, last Sunday of the month
Aug
Peak season
Sep
Excellent and quieter
Oct
Arts Festival
Nov
Wet and quiet
Dec
Quiet, festive
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs. The west is very wet and windy, and the mountain is much colder than the town.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in euros.
Transport assumes walking and bike hire. Greenway bike hire with the shuttle back costs extra.
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Westport travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
Is Westport worth visiting?
Yes. It is one of the prettiest towns in Ireland, with great pubs and music, and it is the base for Croagh Patrick, the Greenway and Achill Island.
How hard is Croagh Patrick?
Harder than it looks. The upper slope is steep, loose scree. Allow three to four hours up and down, wear boots, and turn back if the cloud comes in.
How long is the Great Western Greenway?
About 42 kilometres, from Westport to Achill, on the old railway line. You can hire a bike in town and take a shuttle bus back.
How do I get to Westport?
By train from Dublin Heuston in about three and a quarter hours, or fly into Ireland West Airport at Knock, about an hour away.
What is Reek Sunday?
The last Sunday of July, when thousands of pilgrims climb Croagh Patrick. Book beds well ahead.
Do I need a car in Westport?
Not for the town or the Greenway. For Achill, Connemara and the coast, a car is much easier.
When is the best time to visit Westport?
May, June and September. July and August are busy, and it rains all year.
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