Strandhill:

at the Sligo bay, west of the Garavouge River, the small sea bath of Strandhill sits at the center of a large bay. The town itself is a bit faceless, but its very special location makes it a very interesting place. To the west it faces the open Atlantic and the large sandy beach is a perfect playground for surfers, windsurfers and kiteboarders.

In it´s back sits the mighty Knocknarea, a very dominant hill with a flattened top that hosts an ancient megalithic stone grave. The legend says, that the in the stone grave the mythic Graeve, Queen of Connacht, is burried. The lady is the first liberator of irish mythology as she initiated a bloody war between Ulster and Connacht. That story became the one of the best known irish tales, The Táin. A bit further west of the Knocknarea You´ll find Carrowmore, one of the largest megalythic grave fields of Europe.

So, Strandhill is a very good basecamp for all kind of outdoor activities. It has a couple of Bed & Breakfasts, some Pubs, a few restaurants, a surf shop and school, a golf course, supermarkets and shops and a large parking right at the beach.

surfing: northwest swells crash onto this beach in full furour but all other swell directions come in less gnarly, which is a real advantage in this stormy area. A nice west swell in combination with winds from the south to the east provides nice beach break waves that are especialy suited for beginners. The beach is large enough to avoid crowded lineups.

windsurfing: winds from the southwest or northeast come sideshore. When these wind conditions come coincide with a swell from the west or northwest chances are good for some very nice wavesailing.

kiteboarding: even though at high tide there is not much left from the beach, the large bay leaves enough room for some nice kiteboarding.

other activities: we strongly recommend a hike up the Knocknarea. The view from top is fantastic and stretches from the shallow waters of the fjord at the west to the many peninsulas in the Sligo bay to Sligo itself and, more to the north, the impressive Mount Benbulben and Logh Gill. Take binoculars with You and check some more potentional surf spots in the bay.

Other hiking destinations are the areas at the fjord like bay to the west. The golf course right at the beach gives pleasure to the ones who like to play with small balls. Fishing is allways an option here.

As allways, there is more pics in the galleries (the town, surf pics and Knocknarea pics)