The Carrowbeg river, diverted during the building of the town in the 18th century. Pic: Bert Kaufmann/Creative Commons

Welcome to Westport Ireland, Mayo’s most magnificent town

The Octagon, the centre-piece town square and monument from James Wyatt's 18th century plan. Pic: Bert Kaufman/Creative Commons

Few towns in Ireland can match Westport’s charisma and continental flavour. Cheerful, multi-coloured shop fronts jostle for attention with an attractive selection of shops, pubs, cafés and restaurants. Little wonder it has become one of Ireland’s most popular and cosmopolitan holiday destinations.

A safe haven, Westport kisses the south east shores of the Atlantic inlet of Clew Bay and lies against the backdrop of the protective Croagh Patrick – under the watchful eye of the chapel at its peak.

So far in 2012, award-winning Westport has already been crowned The Best Place to Live in Ireland, Ireland’s Tidiest Large Town 2012, Ireland’s Best Kept Large Town 2012 and the Retail Excellence Best Town in Ireland.

Things to do, places to visit

There are literally hundreds of things to do in Westport and places to visit nearby. Don’t believe us? We’ve put them all on a map.

A family cycling on the Great Western Greenway at Burrishoole.

The award-winning Great Western Greenway, one of Ireland’s most-talked-about walking and cycling trails starts here. Westport House and Country Estate, one of Ireland’s most recognisable tourist attractions is 5 minutes walk from the centre of town. Ireland’s iconic pilgrimage mountain, Croagh Patrick is just up the road. Lots of sandy blue flag beaches near Westport are just a short drive away, along the shores of Clew Bay, County Mayo.

For an evening’s entertainment, Westport offers plenty of pubs, cafés and restaurants and there’s live music almost every night of the week. Westport also offers the opportunity to take in a live show in the summer months, and there are numerous festivals throughout the year.

A beautiful, flower-filled heritage town

Moran's shop, one of the many iconic buildings dating back to the foundation of the planned town in the 18th century. Pic: Rambling Traveler/Creative Commons

As a designated Heritage Town and three-time overall winner of the National Tidy Towns Competition, the words picturesque and Westport go hand in hand.

The Mall, an enchanting tree-lined boulevard, punctuated with clusters of blooms, features several stone bridges over the serenading waters of the Carrowbeg River; while a network of streets, flanked by flowers give way to an orderly series of neat-fronted shops, restaurants and pubs which have retained the culture and charm typical of Irish towns in days gone by.

The charming Quay area is just a few minutes from Westport’s town centre and possesses a unique character of its own with pubs, restaurants, hotels, shops and galleries now occupying the old coastguard station and warehouses.

About this website

Formed in 2006, Destination Westport is a group of accommodation providers – Westport hotels, Westport bed and breakfasts, Westport self catering apartments and Westport caravan and camping parks – plus Westport activity providers and Westport restaurants who have joined forces to promote the joys of Westport Mayo.

This website aims to provide a one-stop-shop for visitors to Westport. We’ve rebuilt it from scratch to help you find out more about the town and places nearby, everything you can see and in and around Westport town.

We’ve tried to make it as easy as possible to get around and we’ve put everything on clickable maps to help you learn more about Westport, one of Ireland’s premier destinations. Got any questions, comments or feedback? Contact us now.