jpjuggler

Hi,
Trying to decide which to do...connemara OR antrim for 7 day bike trip through a self guided tour through a tour company? Any insight would be appreciated. For instance is the scenery better in one versus the other? Roads busier in one versus another? Thanks! Probably we will fly into dublin so belfast would be closer so we are leaning towards antrim.

I"ve posted both intineraries below

Outline Itinerary WEST/connemara

Day Itinerary Start Finish Route options
En Route
1 arrive at OUGHTERARD
2 route C Oughterard Inishmore
Dun Angeus; Black Fort
3 route D* Inishmore Clifden
Twelve Bens; Pearse's Cottage; Peat diggings
4 route E Clifden Clifden
Roundstone; Sky Road; Cleggan
5 route F* Clifden Leenane
Lough Inagh Valley; Kylemore Abbey; Connemara National Park, Killary Harbour
6 route G Leenane Westport
Maam Valley; Lough Nafooey; Cong
7 route H Westport Westport
Sheefry Hills; Doolough; Louisburgh; Murrisk Abbey; Croagh Patrick
8 depart from WESTPORT


Outline Itinerary NORTH/ ANTRIM

Day Itinerary Start Finish Route options
En Route
1 arrive at ANTRIM
2 route B^* Antrim Coleraine
Toome; Bann Valley; Mountsandel
3 route F Coleraine Bushmills
Binevenagh Plateau; Mussenden Temple; Hezlett House; Dunluce Castle
4 route G Bushmills Ballycastle
Bushmills Distillery; Giant's Causeway; Carrick-a-Rede
5 route H Ballycastle Ballycastle
Torr Head; Cushendun; Rathlin Island; Vanishing Lake
6 route I Ballycastle Cushendall
Glenshesk; Antrim Plateau; Glenaan; Glenarriff Forest park
7 route J^ Cushendall Antrim
Antrim Coast Road; Glenarm; Slemish
or 7 route K^ Cushendall Belfast
Antrim Coast Road; Glenarm; Carrickfergus Castle
8 depart from ANTRIM or BELFAST


Thanks!

fietsbob

With a decent tail wind the Antrim Coast is just not that long a ride.. an afternoon , maybe.

Jbarcs

While I've not cycled either I can attest to Connemara's spectacle. It is as wild and scenic as anything. I would expect winds to be a real issue... but your mileages aren't huge. Oughterard is a real gem... and Clifden is also great. Connemara is otherworldly. Watch "The Quiet Man."