PERTH, AUSTRALIA - JULY 14: West Coast Eagles AFL head coach Adam Simpson speaks to the media during a press conference at Mineral Resources Park on July 14, 2022 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
Surf’s up: Wild Atlantic Way’s elemental experiences
Simon Calder braves the seas off Ireland’s West Coast before partaking in a traditional Irish spa session.
The Wild Atlantic Way takes you around the western Irish coast and through stunning countryside. But I really enjoy visiting the towns along the journey, with Sligo being one of my favorites. A new skyline has emerged alongside the Garvoge River, with the Sligo Glasshouse Hotel delivering the most spectacular dimensions. This crystal castle is sleek and stylish on the inside, with plenty of art and color.
People who stay in glass houses shouldn’t throw away the opportunity for discovering more about their location – so I met up with Melissa Ni Mhaolanfaidh, founder of Sligo Walking Tours. She took me to mediaeval Sligo Abbey, built in 1253, and to the statue of William Butler Yeats – winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature and Ireland’s national poet. In County Sligo, she says: “You can see the scenery, and how it inspired him.”
Time to get more involved with the wild Atlantic. Ever since I was a young boy, I’ve dreamed of the West Coast surfing experience. And while it may have actually been the southern Californian shore I’d see in those dreams, it’s said among the pros that the waves on the West Coast of Ireland are even more impressive.
Seamus McGoldrick of the Sligo Surf Experience is one of the surf pros praising Ireland’s West Coast. He taught me how to hitch a ride on the water that had powered its way 3,000 miles across the ocean at the Strandhill resort.
“It’s a very established fact that Ireland has some of the best waves in the world,” he said.
Surfing is all about balance and water reading. And, if you’re a beginner, think about going back and forth to try to master standing up. I was not one of his greatest students, but I had a terrific experience. He comforts me by saying, “Being a good surfer and being a happy surfer are very different things.”
It seems the ocean wins every time – but after this taste of the Wild Atlantic waves, I’ll be back.
To follow the surfing experience, I recommend continuing the ocean theme with a seaweed bath. At Kilcullen Seaweed Baths they have been sharing the fruits of the Atlantic with an eager public since 1912. At this exciting and uniquely Irish version of a spa, water is pumped in from the ocean and seaweed is harvested at low tide. The promise is: “A tranquil amber tinted sea of unashamed luxury”. The overture to the seaweed bath is the steam cabinet. After clambering into what appears to be a tilted horizontal wooden wardrobe, you proceed to have your whole body steam cleaned with a system that sounds like a fire-breathing monster.
Edward Kilcullen, the founder’s grandson, is in responsibility of providing humid hospitality. “We don’t have hot springs, we don’t have muds,” he said. “But we have plenty of seawater and seaweed.” A seaweed bath is associated with a positive feeling. It’s wonderful for the skin, with noticeable and instant results.”
Massage the fronds into your skin once in the bath to release all of the alginate and iodine. The best part is that, unlike your home bath, you can float because it’s good Atlantic saltwater.
Traveling west on the Wild Atlantic Way, a must-see destination is Ballina, where the road crosses the magnificent River Moy, which rises in County Sligo’s Ox Mountains. Many visitors come to witness the SS Crete Boom, the concrete hull of a ship built near the conclusion of World War I that ended up in the river following a series of mishaps.
Belleek Castle, now a country home hotel, is the architectural showpiece. Anglers love the river, and there’s a salmon leap right in the heart of town.
If you’re stopping here, the Ice House Hotel, which has a terrace overlooking the river, is a great spot to stay.
This section of the Wild Atlantic Way provides some truly primal sensations. Surfing to seaweed, with a dash of spirituality tossed in. I’m ready for some wonderful dreams of the ocean and adventure after today’s absorption and indulgence.
The best of the northwest can be found along Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way.
Learn more about the Wild Atlantic Way and the unique adventures it has to offer, and begin organizing your own Ireland getaway.
British travelers to the island of Ireland do not require a passport or a visa due to the Common Travel Area (but check with your travel operator for any ID requirements).
