The Surf Coast
This stretch of the Wild Atlantic Way is a haven of glorious beaches. The winds dictate the guise of this ever-changing landscape; in their absence lies a glassy sheet of ocean tide, whilst their presence sweeps a blanket of vivid ripples across the strand. Flocks of watchful seagulls patrol these weathered banks, standing guard over Sligo’s sacred coast.
The county of Sligo is proud to lay claim to some of the world’s top surfing destinations with a famous spot, called Prowlers, boasting giant swells of up to fifty-five feet. International surfers travel from afar to ride upon these charging waves.
Sitting atop Sligo’s northern coast is the dramatic highland of Ben Bulben, known as Ireland’s table mountain for its strikingly flat peak. This rugged terrain is also the motherland of Knocknarea mountain, where, according to Irish mythology, the warrior Queen Maeve of Connaught is buried.
For W.B. Yeats, Sligo was ‘the land of heart’s desire'. The renowned writer spent childhood summers on these beautiful shores, inspiring his poems ‘Under Ben Bulben’ and ‘The Lake Isle of Innisfree’. Sligo is a land of great poetry. She is a land of great legends. But above all she is a land of great adventure. Her mountains and waves welcome strangers upon their backs to journey along the Wild Atlantic Way.
Enniscrone beach (above)