Walking/Mountain trail walks and Hiking & Biking
Seatrails Guided Walking Tours
In Strandhill We are lucky to have guided walking tours with ‘Seatrails’ who provide a Walking and Archaelogical Tour of the Sligo Region. Seatrails provides guided archaeological and historical walking tours within and close to the coastal zone of Co. Sligo. Sligo, both town and county is steeped in history and archaeology. People have been travelling across land and by boat to Sligo for thousands of years passing on traditions. Some of them have left their mark behind within the coastal zone and on the landscape. There are numerous impressive sites and monuments that absolutely must be seen! If you want to do something different and it’s the wow factor you’re looking for when you visit Sligo and if you have a culturally curious mind, then come out with Seatrails and explore!
Knocknarea
The Gaelic form of Knocknarea is Cnoc na Ri meaning “Hill of Kings” in reference to the myth that on the mountain the ancient Kings of the province were once crowned. On reaching the top you will be greeted by a mound of stones or cairn known as “Queen Maeve’s grave”. The tradition is that Maeve, the legendary queen of Connacht is buried underneath this cairn. On a clear day from the top of the mountain you will be given a stunning view that is very worth the climb.
Directions: There are 2 ways you can climb this mountain. The First - is to exit the hotel and take a right. Follow this road for about 5 minutes until you see a sign post, to the left for Knocknarea. Take this road and it will lead you to a car park, where the trail begins. The Second - is to exit the hotel and take a left. Go straight through the roundabout heading for Sligo town. On your left you will see Strandhill Rugby Club (Number 26 on the map). You can park in their carpark and directly across the road will be the beginning of the trail up Knocknarea. This walk is made of steps that you can climb all the way to the top.
Coney Island
You can access this Island by foot or car and the route is only available at low tide. The way to the island is marked by 14 stone pillars for a distance of 5km. Access to Coney Island via Cummeen Strand is signposted. Driving from Strandhill take the main Sligo road for 2km. Once you pass Scarden graveyard on your left, it is the next left-hand turn. Don’t forget to check the tide times! You can ask for these at reception.
Knocknarea where the Iron Queen, the last high queen of Connacht is buried, is a magnificent scenic walk and can be accessed within ten minutes from Strandhill. It takes about 45-60mins to reach the large Burial Chamber of Queen Maeve at the Summit of the Mountain.
Across the Bay you can see Ben Bulben the famed and mythological mountain made famous by WB Yeats but long before Sligos most famous son wrote poems about the majestic site – it was part of Sligo/Leitrims rich folklore. Many mythological battles took place here and along with Cu Culainn and Fionn is noted in many manuscripts. It also the place of the famed ‘Battle of the Books’ or the Battle for the Book of Cathach which is Irelands oldest manuscript dated from around the period 590 to 600 AD. It has 58 surviving folios which contain Psalms 30:10 to 105:13. The Book of Cathach is also known as the Cathach of St Columba (cathach meaning battle/battler). Ben Bulben is a striking site on the Sky Line of the North-West and from its top one can see five counties – a little more taxing to negotiate when walking but definitely worth the effort. WB Yeats is buried in its shadow.
Ben Bulben forms part of the Dartry Mountain Range and all are well worth the visit.
Within Strandhill there is a magnificent scenic walk along Culleenamore strand which can be accessed along the winding coast of the Strandhill Peninsula.
Just Click the link
www.sligowalks.ie for a list of all walking trails in the Sligo Region
Cycling Routes
Tour de Humbert Route
North -West Tourism, Temple Street, Sligo
071-9161201
Runs from Kilcummin on Killala Bay in Mayo where a French expeditionary force landed in 1798 to help the Irish in their rebellion that year. It follows the erratic path of the advancing force to the scene of their final battle.
The route passes through the magnificent Sligo countryside. The trail is marked with finger sign posts and sites of the historical interest on the route are marked by explanatory panels.
A great Website with all teh walks www.sligowalks.ie
