Private Achill Island and Keem Beach Tour from Westport: Clew Bay, a Cliff Road, and a Deserted Village

Westport is a planned Georgian town rather than one that grew by accident, and an hour there sets the tone for the rest of the day. The octagon sits at the centre, the Carrowbeg river runs between tree-lined malls, and Croagh Patrick stands behind it all as a near-perfect cone. Groups with an interest in Grace O'Malley, the sixteenth-century sea captain whose descendants still own the estate, can add Westport House before the coast.

The road west then follows Clew Bay, which is said to hold an island for every day of the year and looks it from any rise in the road. Newport and Mulranny come next, and the causeway viewpoint at Mulranny is the stop worth insisting on: the bay opens out, Croagh Patrick sits across the water, and the Great Western Greenway runs alongside for anyone who wants to swap an hour of driving for an hour on a bicycle. From there the bridge at Achill Sound is fifteen minutes.

Once on the island the route turns south onto the Atlantic Drive, a narrow loop above the cliffs that most visitors skip because the direct road to Keel is faster. It is the better half hour. Keel itself sits behind a three-kilometre strand with the Minaun cliffs closing the far end, and it is the natural place for lunch before the last climb of the day.

Keem is what the drive has been building towards. The road rises over the shoulder of Croaghaun with the Atlantic directly below, then drops into a horseshoe of white sand and turquoise water enclosed by slopes on three sides. It is single-track over a cliff edge with passing places, which is precisely the stretch a group is glad not to be driving themselves, and there is no reason to hurry back once the vehicle is parked. In May and June basking sharks feed close inshore here, and swimming at Keem is genuinely good in summer — towels and gear travel in the vehicle rather than being carried around all day.

The return passes the Deserted Village at the base of Slievemore: some eighty roofless stone cottages standing in a single line along the mountain, abandoned during and after the famine years. It takes twenty minutes to walk and tends to be the part guests are still thinking about that evening. Achill also handles bad weather better than most destinations, which is why painters settled here — a squall over Keel is dramatic rather than disappointing, and the village, the strand, and Slievemore all work under grey skies.

Most guests fit Achill into something larger. From Westport the day is roughly three relaxed hours of driving spread across the whole; from Athlone or Galway, add about ninety minutes each way, which makes it a natural pairing with a Connemara day or a westward transfer rather than a return loop. The Volkswagen Transporter described in the chauffeur fleet seats up to eight with room for full-size cases, so luggage can move between bases while the touring happens in between. Anyone wanting to combine Mayo with Connemara, Croagh Patrick, or a Knock Airport arrival can outline the shape through the custom tour request page; the full set of routes is listed in the private tours collection.