Great Western Greenway
The Great Western Greenway is Ireland's longest off-road walking and cycling trail, a roughly 42-kilometre traffic-free route running from Westport to Achill Island along the bed of a former railway line that closed in 1937. It passes through some of Mayo's finest coastal and mountain scenery, skirting the shores of Clew Bay, running beneath the slopes of Croagh Patrick and Nephin, and threading through the villages of Newport, Mulranny and Achill Sound before reaching Achill itself. Since opening in 2010, it has become a genuine driver of tourism in this part of Mayo, with a well-developed network of bike hire shops, cafés and B&Bs geared entirely around cyclists doing sections or the whole route, and it can be walked or cycled in either direction with baggage transfer services making multi-day trips easy. The surface is flat, gentle and well-maintained, which makes it accessible to families and casual cyclists rather than just serious athletes, and the payoff — near-constant sea and mountain views along a genuinely traffic-free route — is hard to match elsewhere in Ireland.
Great Western Greenway FAQs
It runs about 42 kilometres from Westport to Achill Island, making it Ireland's longest off-road greenway.
No, most visitors cycle a section rather than the full route; popular stretches include Newport to Mulranny for their coastal scenery.
Yes, the surface is flat and well-maintained, making it accessible for families and casual riders, not just experienced cyclists.
Bike hire shops are well established in Westport, Newport and Mulranny, with many offering one-way rental and baggage transfer between towns.
Yes, using the trail itself is free; costs apply only to bike hire or any transfer services you book.
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