Dooagh

The Achill Island - Dooagh Loop gives Dooagh a distinctive character: the route follows rivers, offers views of the Atlantic and passes the site of a so-called Booley village. It also offers views of Croaghaun, Slievemore and Minaun. This raises a practical question for planning your holiday: would you like to discover Dooagh mainly via the Loop, or also make time for nearby Keem Bay and Keem Beach? These different focuses can help guide your choice of a holiday rental for your stay.

Getting your bearings on the Dooagh Loop

The Achill Island - Dooagh Loop starts and ends on the first small road on the seaside, about 20 metres west of the bridge over the Tenregee/Chongie River in the village of Dooagh, east of Achill Field School. This precise start and end point is a useful reference when planning your visit. The Loop itself follows the Owenavally River and the Chongie River. Several stretches along the rivers are therefore among the route’s defining features, as are its sea views.

Rivers, the Atlantic and named viewpoints

The Loop offers views of the Atlantic Ocean as well as Croaghaun, Slievemore and Minaun. These names provide concrete points of reference for planning your walk, without reducing the route to a single attraction: river courses and sea views are equally part of its character. If you are interested in the landscape around Dooagh, you can combine these impressions with a visit to the so-called Booley village. The route passes its site, adding another named point to the river and coastal scenery.

Dooagh’s coast and nearby Keem Bay

The coast also shapes the impression of Dooagh. The village beach is known to disappear temporarily after stormy weather. This is a distinctive feature of the coastal landscape to bear in mind when planning your trip, but it does not indicate what the beach will look like at any particular time. Nearby Keem Bay is a Blue Flag-awarded beach. Nearby Keem Beach lies in a sheltered, sandy, horseshoe-shaped bay surrounded by high cliffs. This coastal setting is quite different from the rivers and viewpoints along the Dooagh Loop.

Outdoor activities and nature experiences at Keem

Nearby Keem Beach is suitable for swimming, walking, surfing, kayaking, snorkelling and abseiling. Visitors can also climb up to Saddle Head from nearby Keem Bay and see the 668-metre-high sea cliffs of Craughaun. This means there are different experiences to enjoy around Dooagh: beach activities in and on the water, a climb from Keem Bay with views of the high cliffs, and rivers, Atlantic views and named viewpoints along the Dooagh Loop. When looking for a holiday rental, you can consider which of these landscapes and activities you would like to shape your time on Achill Island.

Getting there and nearby places

The Dooagh Loop can be reached on Bus Éireann route 450 from Louisburgh via Westport. Journey times may vary by season, so take this into account when planning your trip. More local pages for planning your trip: Killadoon, Kilsallagh, Toormakeady, Charlestown, Westport, Kiltimagh, Cong, Mallaranny.

For the main travel overview: County Mayo.