Day 7 Friday

Distance Options A 27 Miles B 37 Miles C 45Miles D 56 Miles

Accommodation: Clayton Hotel www.clayton.ie

Today you continue your exploration of Connemara. We have four set distance options today all equally beautifully and all featuring plenty of coastal riding. Remember these distances are suggestions you ultimately decide what distance you would like to ride.

You will cycle through some of the most picturesque Irish villages today. Ballyconnely Roundstone Cashel, all leave a lasting impression is one of the oldest fishing villages in Connemara. The village was built in the1820's by Scottish engineer Alexander Nimmo. who settled in Connemara.

In Roundstone you will find a busy little harbor, where local fishermen prepare and return with the days catches of lobster, crayfish, crab and mackerel, plus a variety of other fish.

Roundstone is situated in the heart of Connemara, on the west coast, an area of great natural beauty, as well as being the birth place and inspiration for many artists. It has also been described many times as a "botanists delight" as many wild flowers, rare to this country, are found in the area known as Errisbeg.

Roundstone nestles amongst the twelve Pins and is bordered by the vast Atlantic ocean Dogs Bay and Gurteen Beach, set back and filled with the clearest Atlantic water can be enjoyed in this area (2 miles from Roundstone.) Not only can the beaches be enjoyed from the swimmers and other aquatic water sports point of view, but to those that are interested, the sand is pure white, as it is not formed of quartz grain but of shells exclusively.

We like to give you a night in the liveliest city in Ireland and the last night seems to be the best opportunity to do so. As we have spent most of the week traveling further North we have quite a journey south to get you back to Shannon airport, so returning to Galway city this evening breaks up the transfer quite a bit.

We don't retrace the entire route you cycled throughout the week, we take a completely new route back through valleys and mountain ranges. You will be staying in the Clayton Hotel in Galway this evening.

Galway is situated about one and a half hours North of Shannon airport. If your flight departs early on Saturday morning I can arrange to get you closer to Shannon Airport on Friday evening, after the farewell dinner. This will eliminate a very early start on Saturday morning. Let me know what your departure plans are and I can advise you of the options available. If your flight departs late on Saturday or anytime on Sunday you can spend some time in Galway city and take the bus which leaves every hour for Shannon airport. Talk to me before you make your flight arragements so I can advise you how to maximize your time in Ireland.

If you are going to spend a few more days in Ireland you are in a transport hub city. We have a train station, bus station and local airport in Galway. You can also arrange car hire if you wish to do so. Just let us know what your time frame is and we can assist and advise you in relation to a car tour of the remainder of the country.