Discover Westport

Westport is a charming little port town in Mayo County. Colourful streets, lively squares and cosy Irish pubs are the order of the day. You will immediately fall under the spell of this human-sized, young, dynamic and particularly festive town. Westport is also the place where many festivals and other cultural events are held.

Visit Westport

A city with authentic charm!

Westport takes its name from the Gaelic Cathair na Mart which means “City of Oxen” in connection with its agricultural past, and its specialisation in cattle breeding. Situated south of Clew Bay, (a truly beautiful bay), the town is strategically located close to many other tourist attractions, making it a delight for visitors wishing to explore the surrounding area it has to travel too many miles. Among the nearest sites we can count :

• the Clew Bay: Westport is located south of a huge bay, overlooking a beautiful coastal landscape. Don’t hesitate to take a walk there! The scenery is sublime, and will give you one more reason to warm up your camera!
• Croagh Patrick: this legendary mountain where Saint Patrick fasted for 40 days and 40 nights is located less than 10 km from Westport.
• Achill Island: 50 km by car to discover this wild and beautiful island.
• Connemara: although you are travelling away from County Mayo to enter County Galway, don’t miss the opportunity to visit Northern Connemara, which is almost 60km from Westport.

With its location and nearby tourist attractions, Westport enjoys an excellent reputation with tourists. It’s a great place to spend a few days. It officially has a population of only 5,000 people, which makes it a fairly modest town, which has been able to preserve its warmth and authenticity: the Irish are welcoming and warm and do not hesitate to play the game with tourists.

Westport is above all situated at the foot of a bay, and therefore benefits from a charming little fishing port, where you can naturally go for a walk. The place is charming and will make you want to go out to sea. But the city does not stop there, and also offers to its visitors Irish Pubs where music reigns supreme: it will not be rare to come across music groups playing in these pubs, in a good-natured atmosphere, a pint on the table in front of them. Don’t miss Matt Molloy’s, a legendary pub owned by Matt Molloy, one of the members of the Chieftains.

On the accommodation side, the town is full of B&Bs and hotels in good locations. Accommodation options range from very economical to very expensive. In any case, we advise you to book in advance: reservations are in high demand in this tourist city!

Westport is also a city on the move, with many festivals throughout the year, ranging from simple music festivals to horse races and seafood tastings!

Festivals

• The Westport Horse and Pony: This event brings together the major horse breeders in the county. It is held at the end of June.
• The Westport Music Festival: for music lovers of all kinds, don’t miss this festival held in July.
• The Westport Arts Festival: This festival brings the many performing arts to the streets of Westport. It takes place at the end of September.