Right beside the UK is a city full of perhaps the best pubs in Europe, amazing beaches, unique culture and much more to offer tourists. The city is Galway in the west of Ireland, located on the famous Wild Atlantic Way roadtrip. Galway is often overshadowed by other popular Irish destinations, namely the Irish capital city of Dublin. But this little city in the west of the country might actually bring tourists a lot more when it comes to culture, nightlife and scenery.
Ireland is a popular city break destination with Brits and tourists from around the world, including huge crowds from America. People flock to the Emerald Isle for the history, music, friendly people, scenery and famous Irish pubs. Galway might just be the best place on the island of Ireland to experience that. Located in the Connacht province of Ireland, Galway’s nearest airport is Shannon, where you can fly to from London Gatwick, London Stansted, Cardiff, Manchester, Edinburgh and Liverpool. Then, the journey from there to Galway is just over an hour by car or bus.
Galway is home to amazing nightlife, perhaps some of the best in all of Ireland. Stand-out traditional Irish pub here include O’Connell’s Bar, Tig Cóilí (pronounced tig kwilly) and An Púcán (pronounced on pookawn). In many of the pubs in Galway, you will get to hear live traditional Irish music, something that always creates an electric atmosphere.
You won’t need to do much planning when it comes to where to go in Galway for your Irish pub experience. Just walk around the Latin Quarter and down Quay Street and you will find somewhere to grab a pint and ‘the craic’, as the Irish say.
Pubs aren’t the only thing on offer in Galway. There is also Galway Market, Galway City Museum, the National University of Ireland and Galway Cathedral. Eyre Square is the main centre of the city and here, you will find people chilling on the grass and enjoying food from some of the local eateries.
On a sunny day, a must is to walk or take a bus from Galway City Centre to Salthill. There is a lovely beach here where you can swim in the fresh waters of the Atlantic Ocean. In the summer months, there is an amusement park as well. This is where many Irish people holiday in the summer, made evident by the near-by caravan parks and holiday apartments.
There is also an aquarium here, perfect for if you need to get indoors for when the classic Irish weather decides to be unpredictable. When reaching the Salthill Promenade, you will notice scores of people enjoying a swim and playing games on the beach.
When the tide is high, you will also notice people jumping from the diving tower, a thrilling activity that has been going on here for generations. Be warned, the Atlantic Ocean can be cold, but it is more than refreshing.
The highlights of your trip here might not even be in the city. County Galway is full of amazing scenery and one of Ireland’s eight national parks, Connemara. This place is one of the most breath-taking sites in Ireland and is made up of lakes, rocky terrain and sweeping green landscapes that will leave you in awe.
Galway is also close to a number of other top-rated attractions in Ireland such as the Cliffs of Moher, the Aran Islands and The Burren. It is the perfect city break for people who love nightlife, nature and everything in between.
