Cycling the Great Western Greenway from Westport

Ireland's first greenway

The Great Western Greenway was the first of its kind in Ireland, and it is still the best known. It runs for around 42km from Westport along the shore of Clew Bay, through Newport and Mulranny, out to Achill Island. The whole thing follows the line of the old Westport to Achill railway, which carried passengers and goods until it closed in 1937, and the railway is the secret to why the route works so well.

Because it sits on a former rail bed, the gradients are gentle. Trains cannot climb steep hills, so the path does not either. That makes the Greenway genuinely suitable for families, for older riders and for anyone who has not been on a bike in years. It is traffic-free the whole way, waymarked, and never far from a village with a café or a pub.

The three sections

Most people think of the Greenway in three parts. The first runs from Westport to Newport, around 11km, and is the easiest introduction. The second, from Newport to Mulranny, is about 18km and is the one most regulars rate as the most beautiful, a rugged, sheep-dotted stretch with the bay opening out beside you. The third, from Mulranny to Achill, is around 13km and carries you out toward the island.

You do not have to ride all of it. Plenty of visitors do a single section in a couple of hours and call it a day, and there is no shame in that. If you want the headline scenery without committing to the full route, aim for the Newport to Mulranny stretch.

The one-way shuttle trick

Here is the thing worth knowing before you book. The smart way to ride the Greenway is one direction only. Several bike-hire operators in Westport will drive you and the bikes out to Achill or Mulranny in a shuttle, then you cycle back toward Westport at your own pace. That way you avoid the there-and-back slog and you finish where you started, with the car or your hotel waiting.

Ask about the shuttle when you book; it is a standard part of the offer rather than an extra you have to fight for. It turns a potentially tiring round trip into a relaxed one-way day out.

Where to hire bikes

Westport is set up for this. Westport Bike Hire operates from James Street, Clew Bay Bike Hire runs rentals and a shuttle, and Paddy & Nelly Bike Tours pick up from Church Street beside the Wyatt Hotel. Expect to pay around €25 a day for a standard adult bike, with children's bikes cheaper and electric bikes costing more. Prices change, so check with the operator, and book ahead in summer when demand is high.

If you are not a confident cyclist, an e-bike takes the sting out of the longer sections and is well worth the extra. Helmets and child seats are usually available; just say what you need when you book.

What you will see

The Greenway never strays far from Clew Bay, so the views are the main event: the scatter of low green islands, Clare Island out beyond, and Croagh Patrick standing over the water behind you as you head north. The approach to Newport gives you the Seven Arches railway viaduct, a handsome stone bridge that is a reminder of what the line once was. Further out, the landscape turns wilder toward Mulranny and the Nephin Beg range.

Planning your ride

Allow roughly an hour to an hour and a half of cycling per section at an easy pace, more if you stop for photos and coffee, which you will. The full route is comfortably done by an average cyclist in around six hours, though most visitors split it over a relaxed day or pick one section. The best riding is spring to autumn; the path is open year-round but Atlantic weather can make winter rides hard going.

Pack a waterproof whatever the forecast says, carry water, and remember that the bay is exposed, so a calm-looking morning can turn breezy. Beyond that, this is about as easy as a long day on a bike gets, and it remains the single best way to understand why Clew Bay is worth the trip west.