5 days from Derry
Fanad & Inishowen → Sligo & Strandhill · 5 days · ~7h 15m total driving
Derry sits right on the handshake between the two routes, which makes it the best-value start on the island. Head south-west and you're into Donegal within the hour.
Heading south · 5 days
Fanad & Inishowen → Sligo & Strandhill
~7h 15m total driving
Day 1 · Donegal
Fanad & Inishowen
Fanad lighthouse, the Great Pollet arch, the Inishowen 100.
- Fanad Head Lighthouse
- Great Pollet Sea Arch
Day 2 · Donegal
~1h 15m drive
Dunfanaghy
Horn Head, Killahoey beach, McAuliffe's bookshop.
- Horn Head loop drive
- Killahoey Strand
Day 3 · Donegal
~2h drive
Dungloe & The Rosses
Gaeltacht heartland, hundreds of lakes, ferry to Arranmore.
- Arranmore Island
- Mount Errigal
Day 4 · Donegal
~2h 30m drive
Donegal Town & Slieve League
The castle, the diamond, and the highest sea cliffs accessible in Ireland.
- Slieve League cliffs
- Donegal Castle
Day 5 · Sligo
~1h 30m drive
Sligo & Strandhill
Yeats country, Knocknarea, the surf at Strandhill.
- Knocknarea and Queen Maeve's Cairn
- Strandhill beach and Voya baths
4 regions skipped to fit your time
- Downings — Sheephaven Bay, Tranarossan, the Atlantic Drive.
- Arranmore & Tory — Two ferries, two very different worlds. Cliffs, kingship, round tower.
- Glencolmcille — Folk village, the Tower at Glen Head, end-of-the-road quiet.
- Mullaghmore — Classiebawn castle, the harbour, the big-wave reef offshore.
Driving times are honest mid-range estimates. The WAW is full of small roads, and you'll want to stop. Plan for slower than Google Maps tells you.
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