From stand up paddle boarding to surfing, horse riding to heritage experiences, I’ve got 5 top activities to try this summer

If you are planning a holiday in and around the Westport-Louisburgh area. I hope you will be inspired by my five top activities to try this summer. These organised events can be done solo or with friends or family.

All the leisure pursuits that are mentioned have been tried and tested by my own family. I would encourage anyone to try them out. Summer vacation involves families and friends coming together, creating lifelong memories.  I hope when planning your activities that these ideas will prove helpful to you.

We are so lucky at Devlin Farm life to be a short drive from various activities. The hardest thing is deciding what and when to do it. Whatever you decide, you will not be disappointed.

Summer SUP School

Water-based activities are one of the best holiday ventures to do with the family. If the grownups want to take a pass, no problem. It will go down well with children and teens.

Run by the charismatic Muirtí Ó Cearnaigh, who opened the school in 2015. He and his team are very qualified. Muirtí has been involved in water sports, adventure activities and lifeguard training for over 18 years. The Summer SUP School is located at the beautiful Old Head beach. This sandy shore is very sheltered, making it ideal for stand up water activities. It’s located 5 minutes from Louisburgh and 20 minutes from Westport town.  Lessons run seven days a week. Starting at 9 am, booking is essential

SUP Lesson

It does not matter if you never have SUP before; the instructors will have you paddling like a pro. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself standing and gliding through the water in a short space of time. First, they will cover safety drills, paddling skills and turning left and right. My teens participated in a few lessons two summers ago. I was surprised and delighted at how fast they were able to stand and paddle. For more information, visit in person at the beach hut located at the car park at the Old Head Beach or the website. Contact Phone Muirti on 086 259 7688

https://summersup.ie/

• General lessons
• Group lessons
•  Family lessons
• Sunrise/Sunset sessions
• SUP Rentals
• Summer Camps

Surf Mayo

Surfing is another water sport familys can do together, making it a great way to get quality time in with your loved ones. Of course, if mom or dad are not in the mood, the kids can try it out.

Surfing is suitable for anyone, young or old and Surf Mayo comes highly recommended. It was initially set up in 1998, making it the first surf school in Mayo. Since then, it has established itself as one of the Irelands leading surf schools. In 2018 local surfer Charles O Malley took over the business and runs it with his colleague Elvis Beetham who has been with the surf school since 2007. You can find Charles and the crew at Carrowniskey beach. Carrowniskey is known throughout Ireland as a surfing beach. It is considered one of the best in Mayo for this particular water sport.

Surf lessons

There are many types of lessons to choose from. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never surfed. My advice is to let this highly qualified and experienced team help and guide you. They will have you standing on a board while skimming over the waves. Hopefully, by the end of the lesson, you’ll have acquired an appetite for surfing. My kids enjoyed the surf camps that run throughout the summer.

• Kids & Adults surf lesson
• Summer Surf Camp 2021
• Group lessons
• Surf hire

For more information on classes and prices check out their website https://www.surfmayo.com/

Call down in person at Carrowniskey Beach Contact +353 (0)87 7786821

The Lost Valley

If water sports are not your thing and you want to keep both feet on the ground, a guided cultural walk on a working farm is well worth trying

The Lost Valley is located 22km’s (14 miles) from Louisburgh town and situated next to Silver strand. Here local Farm owners and guides Gerard and Maureen will take you on a unique walking tour of their farmland.

For those interested in cultural history, then a visit to ‘The Lost Valley is a must. It is one of the finest memorials of The Great Famine that exists today. The Burke Family has been farming this land for many decades. Let Gerard and Maureen guide you through their historic sheep and cattle farm, bringing to life this valley and the people who lived there. It is an experience that will stay with you long after your visit. My husband and I did the walk a few years ago. Our guided tour took 3 hours and pre-booking is essential. We really loved it, the scenery is outstanding. I found it very emotional and recommend you bring tissues just in case.

For more information, call: 00 353 (0)85 113 99 77

check out their website https://www.thelostvalley.ie/location/

Horseback West

For the past year, our world has turned upside down due to the pandemic, but one thing it has given us is a newfound love for our Irish countryside. You might like to try a popular pastime like horse riding.

Horseback West riding centre is a genuinely fabulous equestrian facility at the foot of Killadoon Hill overlooking the stunning White Strand beach.

 Shauna operates the horse riding school on her family’s farm. The equestrian centre has a newly erected state of the art arena. and access to stables

For experienced riders to complete beginners, Horseback West has horses and trails to suit everyone.

For more information, Call 00 353 (0) 87 610 43 06

Delphi Resort (Adventure Centre)

 If you are looking for something different, why not try land-based adventure activities. Head inland, where the back roads lead you to the pristine beauty of the Doolough Valley. Discover local enterprise Delphi Resort. Starting its life as a hostel over thirty years ago, this establishment has matured into one of Ireland’s finest hotels and Adventure activity centre.

The great thing about Delphi is that they welcome non-residents to participate in their activities. Activities include

• Archery,
• Mountain biking
•  Hiking
• Orienteering
• Abseiling

The staff that supervise these activities are very skilled, experienced and most helpful.

For more info, visit in person, telephone or check out their website https://www.delphiadventureresort.com/adventure-holidays-ireland/

Phone Number: +353 (0)95 42208

Conclusion

It is important to note that all of the above activities comply with government-approved COVID-19 restrictions. Group numbers will be restricted for the summer of 2021. An advance reservation is strongly advised. It is critical to check with each business for details. https://www2.hse.ie/coronavirus/