Belmullet: Cycling, Art and Crafts

Belmullet combines two distinctly different cycling loops with a bilingual arts centre, craft experiences and a beach south of the town. This lets you shape your stay around your own interests: you can focus on cycling, discover culture and crafts, or include Elly Bay in your travel plans.

Cycling loops starting in Belmullet Town

Both circular routes described start and finish in Belmullet Town. The Belmullet Green Loop is rated as an easy cycling loop, is 37.5 kilometres long and has a stated duration of three hours. The Belmullet Blue Loop is moderate, covers 49.7 kilometres and takes four hours. You can distinguish between the routes by their rating, length and stated duration, rather than choosing by name alone.

If you prefer a shorter route, the Green Loop is the shorter of the two options. For a longer outing, consider the Blue Loop; it is also rated as moderate. Length and duration are different points of reference for planning your day. In each case, the details refer to the entire cycling loop, which starts and finishes in Belmullet Town.

Art, exhibitions and crafts

Áras Inis Gluaire is a bilingual arts centre in Belmullet Town. Its offerings include a permanent exhibition featuring original illustrations by the famous painter Edward Ardizzone. Monthly exhibitions are also held there. The permanent and changing exhibitions offer different reasons to explore art in Belmullet.

Crafts are also part of the town’s cultural offerings. Lúnasa Handmade Crafts regularly runs craft workshops in Belmullet Town. Its shop also offers craft experiences for small to medium-sized groups. If you would like to add a shared creative activity to your trip, this is a separate option alongside the arts centre.

Another artistic discovery is the “Reconnections” sculpture on the Belmullet Canal in Belmullet Town. It is part of the North Mayo Sculpture Trail. In the town, you can therefore find exhibitions and crafts as well as a sculpture that forms part of this trail.

A beach south of the town

Elly Bay is a short distance south of Belmullet. The sandy beach has been awarded Blue Flag status and adds a beach visit to the offerings in town. If you would like to consider a nearby coastal option, alongside cycling and culture, when choosing your holiday rental, Elly Bay may be relevant to your plans. Its location south of Belmullet sets the beach apart from the offerings in Belmullet Town.

Information for your stay

The Belmullet Community Tourist Office, in partnership with Fáilte Ireland, provides a visitor information service for the Republic of Ireland. The information covers local and nationwide attractions, activities and events. If you would like to explore your interests further while you are there, this service is a point of contact for a range of topics, not just things to do in Belmullet.

This can help you look for a holiday rental in Belmullet that suits your trip’s priorities, without treating the different experiences as interchangeable.

More destinations to discover: Dooagh, Partry, Coogue, Ballyhaunis, Swinford, Ross Port, Hollymount and Crossmolina.

Return to the county overview: County Mayo.