Simple hide on the Greenway
Mayo’s Great Western Greenway is a 49km off-road route that stretches from Westport to Achill Island, taking in Newport and Mulranny along the way. You couldn’t ask for a more picturesque setting, as you drift from the bustling town of Westport along to the pretty village of Newport, where you move on along the coast to Mulranny and finally out to the gorgeous island of Achill.
It’s best to allow for a full day if you want to cycle the whole route, and bike hire companies will come and pick you up at various points.
Westport ( Irish: Cathair na Mart, meaning 'the stone fort of the beeves', historically anglicised as Cahernamart) is a town in Co Mayo. It is at the southeast corner of Clew Bay, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean. Westport is a tourist destination and scores highly for quality of life. It won the Irish Tidy Towns Competition three times in 2001, 2006 and 2008.
In 2012 it won the Best Place to Live in Ireland competition run by The Irish Times.
Westport is designated as a heritage town and is one of only a few planned towns in Ireland. The town centre was laid out in the Georgian architectural style and incorporates the Carrow Beg river into the design composition. This provides for tree-lined promenades (known as The Mall) and several stone bridges.
The Carrowbeg River flows through Westport
The pilgrimage mountain of Croagh Patrick, known locally as "the Reek", lies some 10 km west of the town.
The mountain forms the backdrop to the town.