On the west coast of Ireland, in County Mayo, just above Galway, lies the largest island in Ireland: Achill Island. Since the late nineteenth century, the island has been connected to the land by a swing bridge over Achill sound.
North Achill Island beaches
On the north side of the island, boats can anchor on the huge beaches of Dugort: on one side, the West beach, at the foot of Slievemore which is the second highest peak of the island with its 671 meters. There is a small pier on this side, near which there are two yellow mooring buoys.
You can also anchor near the buoys, on a sandy bottom, close to the shore in order to take advantage of the dock for dinghy transfers. The village is only a two or three minute walk from the dock.
Anchoring is also possible everywhere in front of the very large beach. On the other side of the village, the East beach is also remarkable. The anchorage there is excellent. The sandy bottom slopes gently downwards in clear water. More isolated, the anchorage in front of the Secret beach, more to the west, is admirable for its panoramas and the changing lights according to the weather.
The village of Dugort and its four-legged inhabitants
The village of Dugort is quite small, with few amenities for visiting sailors. In fact, there are more sheep than inhabitants. On the roads, the soccer field and even on the beach, they occupy the most unexpected corners. However, you can eat very well in the inns located near the beaches. In the summer, food-trucks are also parked on the sand.
From the anchorage or the beach, you can observe dolphins that regularly pass in the waters around the island. For fishermen, the area abounds in yellow spots and mackerel. One will also recognize a considerable number of bird species.
The beaches of southern Achill Island
On the south coast of the island, the beaches of Keem and Keel are extremely famous for their beauty. At Keel beach, a surfing school takes advantage of the rollers with a lot of success, notice to the amateurs!
Around Achill island
To complete your navigation, you should not miss the beautiful Blacksod Bay and the small archipelago of Inishkea in the north . But also, in the south of the island, the domain of Grace O'Malley, the pirate queen: Clew bay and Clare island.
