The best cycling routes around Galway City

The Salthill Promenade, affectionately known by locals as 'The Prom', is a wonderfully flat, two-kilometer cycling route right alongside the Atlantic Ocean. As you cycle along this wide path, you'll enjoy unobstructed views across Galway Bay and the distant outlines of the Burren. Don't forget to honour the local tradition: at the end of the promenade near Blackrock, give the wall a 'kick' for luck, before taking another deep breath of fresh sea air by the iconic diving tower.

From the pier at Mutton Island, you get the most complete panoramic view of the Galway City skyline. While you are on your bike in the middle of the bay, you will see the colorful houses of the 'Long Walk', the distinctive dome of the cathedral and the activity of the port like a miniature city on the horizon.

De Wolfe Tone Bridge is for cyclists the most important link between the medieval centre and the colourful district of The Claddagh. As you cross the bridge, you have an iconic view: on one side the lightning-fast flow of the Corrib River thundering into the ocean, and on the other side the famous Spanish Arch with the photogenic 'Long Walk' in the background.

On the facade of this imposing medieval manor house (15th century), in which the Allied Irish Bank (AIB) is located, the gargoyles and graceful lintels stand out, as well as the medallion with the coat of arms of King Henry VII of England. The manor house was confiscated in the 17th century when Cromwell conquered the city (the Lynch family had supported the opposing royalist faction). Under the veranda, you can read the famous (and incorrect) legend of the son who was hanged here by his father, James Lynch, mayor of Galway in the 15th century.

Modern landmark on Eyre Square, designed by Eamon O’Doherty and unveiled in 1984 to mark 500 years of Galway’s city charter. The sculptural forms evoke the curved sails of the Galway Hooker, the traditional wooden boats of Galway Bay. A central piece of public art that links the city’s maritime heritage with its contemporary identity.

The Browne Doorway on the north side of Eyre Square is an impressive remnant of a 17th-century mansion belonging to one of the fourteen 'Tribes of Galway'. This richly decorated stone portal, featuring the family crests of the Brownes and the Lynches, was carefully relocated from Abbeygate Street to this central location in 1905.

The city's main square is also called Kennedy Memorial Park (the American president received a triumphant welcome in Galway in 1963). On the northwest side, you can see the remains of a Renaissance gateway (1627) called Browne Doorway (DORAS DE BRUN), named after the former owners who lived in the district (the Brownes were part of the 14 merchant families or tribes who held power over Galway in the Middle Ages). In the southwest, the shopping centre has integrated part of the old walls and the two towers.

Galway owes its appeal to the vibrant atmosphere of its colorful streets, small restaurants, and pubs. The university, which attracts a young and cosmopolitan population through international exchange programs, contributes, along with innovative industries, to the bustling port city. In good weather, the streets, filled with outdoor cafes and strolling crowds, take on an almost Mediterranean feel, accompanied by music. As a gateway to Connemara and one of the country's main Gaeltacht areas, Galway is a stronghold of Gaelic culture. As the gateway to the Aran Islands, the city also places great importance on literature, theater, dance, and music, which play a prominent role in all events. Galway was European Capital of Culture in 2020-2021.