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Highlands
of Donegal
(round trip to and from Donegal
town) |
Ref:
ICSDL |
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June
7, 21, July 12, August 2, 23
May, June & September €635. (US$902 / Stg£438 approx.)
July & August €665. (US$944 / Stg£459 approx.)
Please see booking information)
Tour includes seven nights in good
quality guesthouses and small hotels,
bike hire
( 21 speed Trek T30 ),
guide & luggage van and all
route details.
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Donegal
is one of the undiscovered gems of
Ireland. There is a wonderful mix of
coastal cycling followed by a highland
landscape where you can feel completely
away from it all, before returning
back to the coast and the most beautiful beaches
in the country. The light is amazing
here, with a landscape full of browns,
greens and purples constantly altering
their tone with the changing light.
The pace of life is wonderfully easy
going and the people amongst the most
welcoming in the country.
We start in Sligo town where you stay in guesthouses
close to the centre.
At 10.00am a bus will transfer the group to Killybegs
the largest fishing port in the country . After being
fitted out with your bike you then begin the tour with
a wonderful coastline cycle to our lunch stop just outside
the village of Carrick. After lunch we cycle up to a
viewing point of the spectacular Slieve League Cliffs
the highest marine based cliffs in Europe. In the afternoon
we head to our night stop in the village of Glencolumcille
passing freshly cut peat drying in the surrounding bogs.
Today we head up into wild highland country along quiet
backroads with a wonderful open landscape. There follows
a wonderful descent down the dramatic Glengesh Valley
to the beautiful Maghera beach. The beach is well worth
stopping at for a walk across its wonderful white sands
to explore the caves of Maghera. You can also go for
a wonderful swim in the lagoon here and pretend you are
in the Caribbean before heading to the village of Ardara
for a pub lunch. In the afternoon we continue along a
quiet bog road before heading to the coastal town of
Dungloe where again we stay in local guesthouses.
We continue through a rolling landscape through quiet
sleepy villages and stop in Leo's pub where Enya and
Clannad first sang. Later we cycle toward the spectacular
Mount Errigal and stop for lunch at the base of this
mountain In the afternoon we cycle up to a wonderful
view of the Poison Glen and then descend through an empty
mountainscape towards Dunfanaghy. You have the option
of visiting Glenveagh National Park on this afternoon.
The village overlooks Portnablagh Beach and dunes where
you can swim, swing a golf club or take a change of saddle,
to gallop down the beach.
The mornings cycle takes you through isolated highland
country roads with a tea stop in a wonderful country
pub. We stop for lunch in Kerrykeel before cycling up
into more beautiful highland country before descending
to Rathmullan from where the last Earls of Ireland fled
to Europe in 1607 , thus ending the old Irish Order.
There follows a nice coastal cycle to our guesthouses
in the village of Ramelton.
In the morning a coach will bring us down to the village
of Garrison. We then cycle via the shores of Lough
Melvin and through rolling green fields to Manorhamiton
where we stop for lunch. In the afternoon we head south
and cycle along Lough Gill to Parkes Castle a 15th
Century Norman Tower House which you are welcome to
visit. We then head back into Sligo for a farewell
night on the town together.
Sat After a leisurely breakfast, back to reality!
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