Crystal blue waters and sandy beaches weren’t exactly what I was expecting during our recent travels to the Emerald Isle, but it’s exactly what we found! In fact Ireland has many beautiful beaches although the water is bit on the chilly side. Salthill Promenade overlooking Galway Bay came highly recommended, so after dropping off 8 days worth of laundry at a nearby laundromat we set off for the beach!
The Promenade also known as the Prom is 2 km long and lined with bars, restaurants and hotels. During the summer months their is an amusement park. It’s a popular destination with both locals and tourists alike.
We wandered up and down the Prom and really enjoyed the walk. About midway we came upon a giant high dive where we stopped to watch some kids jumping into the 59 degree water! Brrr! Those were some brave kids!
The water at Salthill was every beautiful shade of sparkling blue you can imagine changing from dark to light as wind blew the clouds back and forth across the sun. The lighting was spectacular! Note to self, don’t wear lip gloss and then walk along a windy beach and try to take photos. I did get a few good ones and as usual I’m probably sharing too many.
We only had one day in Galway and spent most of it at Salthill, but we did find time to explore the main part of town. Parking our rental car was no trouble at all and we wandered up and down the pedestrian only Quay Street poking in and out of the various shops. Our lunch at Martine’s of Quay Street was worth mentioning. Elliot had duck and Tim loved his fish soup, but Simon’s attempt at trying something new, bacon quiche, resulted in him eating my fish and chips and I had… bacon quiche…
Our hotel, The Twelve, was located a few miles outside Galway in Barna village. The service was excellent and the hotel rooms were whimsical and fun. The layout of two rooms with a shared bathroom worked perfectly for our family of four giving us all the privacy and space we needed.
Next up:
Stops in the Midlands, Newgrange and then on to Northern Ireland!
