The Atlantic Companion · Wild Atlantic Way · Galway
Inishbofin — Inis Bó Finne, 'island of the white cow' — sits 9km off the Connemara coast, reached by a 30-minute ferry from Cleggan pier. Five and a half kilometres long, three wide. The ruined 16th-century Cromwell's Barracks at the harbour mouth, three Blue Flag beaches, a population of around 175. St Colmán founded a monastery here in 668 AD after his expulsion from Lindisfarne. North along the coast, Inishturk is even quieter — population around 50, a single road, served by a different ferry from Roonagh in Mayo.
Ferry from Cleggan. The kind of quiet you forget exists.
First things first
Tell us once and we'll shape the rest of the page around it.
The essentials
Locally chosen, not algorithmic. In rough order of "if you only do one thing".
Drive
Two operators, multiple sailings daily in season. 30 minutes each way through Cleggan Bay and out past the offshore stacks. Day-trippers can catch an early boat and return on the evening sailing — but staying a night or two is the point.
Good to know · Inishbofin Island Discovery and Inishbofin Ferry Company both run from Cleggan pier. Year-round but reduced winter sailings; weather-dependent.
History
A ruined star-shaped fort at the entrance to Inishbofin harbour, built by Cromwell in the 1650s on top of an earlier Bosco castle. Used as a Catholic prison during the Penal era. Reach it on foot at low tide across the strand or by a short walk from the pier.
Good to know · Free, always open. Tide-aware — check the tide table before crossing.
Beach
A long curve of white sand on Inishbofin's eastern shore, sheltered, swimmable, almost always empty. The Stags of Bofin sea stacks rise dramatically just offshore.
Good to know · 10-minute walk from the harbour. No facilities. No lifeguards.
Nature
A 5km waymarked walk around the island's western tip, with cliffs, a blow hole, an iron-age promontory fort and the highest point at 70m. The full island loop walk is around 14km.
Good to know · Map at the heritage museum near the harbour. Allow 3 hours. Sturdy shoes — exposed cliff edges.
History
A tiny community-run museum a short walk from the pier. Tells the island's story — St Colmán's monastery, the Cromwell occupation, the loss of life when boats overturned on the bar in 1808 (38 men drowned in a single night), and the modern community. Free.
Good to know · Open afternoons in season. Donations welcome.
Town
The mainland departure village. Cleggan Pier, Oliver's Bar (the post-ferry stop), and the dramatic Cleggan Bay seal colony visible offshore. Worth lingering over a pint either side of the boat.
Good to know · Free parking at the pier in winter; pay-and-display in summer.
Local businesses
Hand-picked, not paid for. The ferries, the beds, the pubs and the bike hire that make a visit work.
Before you go. These listings are compiled from public sources and aren't yet verified by the businesses themselves. Hours, menus and prices change with the seasons — always check directly with the venue before travelling, and book ahead in July and August. Owners can get in touch to update their listing.
Eat
Small hotel and restaurant a short walk inland from the harbour — Bofin lamb, scallops landed yards away, vegetarian options that aren't an afterthought. Open to non-residents most evenings in season.
Eat
On the mainland at Cleggan pier — where you wait for the ferry or unwind after it. Crab claws, Connemara lamb, lobster in season. The Murrin family have been here for decades.
Stay
On East End Bay, two minutes from the pier — eight bright rooms above one of the island's two main bars. Day's kitchen does Bofin crab, mussels and a chowder that gets ordered twice. Where the late session usually ends up.
Stay
The Murrays' family-run hotel on the high ground above the harbour — sea views from every west-facing room, a famously musical bar downstairs. April to October only. The reliable Bofin base.
Stay
Inishbofin's only four-star, on the harbour overlooking Cromwell's Barracks — fourteen rooms, restaurant, the Beach Bar attached. Booked solid for the festival weekends; quiet midweek shoulder season.
Shop
Small craft shop near the pier selling work by Bofin and Connemara makers — ceramics, knitwear, prints, the odd piece of silver. Open seasonally and whenever the ferry's in.
Do
On the pier as you come off the ferry — a few euro a day for a bike that gets you round the island in three or four hours of pedalling. Easier than walking, more honest than a tour.
Do
The main passenger ferry from Cleggan, run by the O'Halloran family — about 30 minutes each way, two to four sailings daily depending on season. Online booking, cash on the day works too.
Run a place in Inishbofin & islands?
Our directory is curated, not pay-to-play. If we'd recommend you, you can be on here.
See how to get listedGot a window or a counter?
Download a free A5 QR card for Inishbofin & islands — print it, stick it up, and visitors land straight on the Inishbofin & islands guide.
Ask a local
Cromwell's Barracks at sunset
The ruined fort guarding the harbour is on the essentials list — but the magic hour is 30 minutes before sunset. Walk out the south side as the sky goes orange and the day boats come in. Few people bother.
The east end loop walk
Three hours, marked, mostly on grass. Stags, seals on the rocks, a holy well, and the Stags of Bofin sea stacks at the far end. Pack lunch — there's nothing out there.
Know an Inishbofin spot worth sharing?
Hidden gems on this page are written by locals, not us. The right swim cove, the late session that's still going, the Inishturk angle — tell us and we'll add it.
Common questions
Inishbofin (off the Galway coast — not to be confused with the Donegal island of the same name) is reached by ferry from Cleggan in north Connemara, year-round. The crossing takes about 35 minutes. Two operators run between them and there are usually 2–3 sailings a day, more in summer. Book ahead in July and August.
Yes — Inishbofin is one of the most accessible of the Connemara offshore islands, with three signposted looped walks, three sandy beaches, the ruins of Cromwell's Barracks on the harbour, and a small year-round community of around 170 people. A relaxed day or overnight stop from a Connemara base.
Three signposted looped walks (the Cloonamore Loop, the Westquarter Loop and the Middlequarter Loop), each 3–8 km; the beach at East End Bay; the ruins of Cromwell's Barracks on the harbour; and the small but well-kept Inishbofin Heritage Museum. Bike hire is available at the harbour.
Just about, but it's a long day — Galway to Cleggan is 90 minutes by car, then a 35-minute ferry each way, leaving you 4–5 hours on the island. Most visitors prefer to base in Clifden or Cleggan the night before, do Inishbofin as a relaxed day, and return for dinner in Connemara.
Practical
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