Donegal was voted number one on The National Geographic Traveler (UK) ‘cool list’ for 2017, and the area’s attractions include Glenveagh National Park (formerly part of the Glenveagh Estate), the only official national park anywhere in the Province of Ulster.The park is a 140 km² (about 35,000 acre) nature reserve with scenery of mountains, raised boglands, lakes and woodlands. At its heart is Glenveagh Castle, a late Victorian ‘folly’ that was originally built as a summer residence..
The Donegal Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking district) also attracts young people to County Donegal each year during the school summer holidays. The three-week-long summer Gaeltacht courses give young Irish people from other parts of the country a chance to learn the Irish language and traditional Irish cultural traditions that are still prevalent in parts of Donegal. The Donegal Gaeltacht has traditionally been a very popular destination each summer for young people from Northern Ireland. Scuba diving is also very popular with a club being located in Donegal Town.
Below is the top favorite places to visit in Donegal by real travelers votes from TripAdvisor.
10. Fairy Bridges
4.5/5
As you begin the Roguey Walk Experience, you will arrive at the stunning Fairy Bridges – sea stacks thousands of years old, and and a star attraction of the Wild Atlantic Way Coastline. With scenic views for 360 degrees you can see back to Mullaghmore, County Sligo and across Donegal Bay to the magical Slieve League Cliffs. This is the playground of the legendary Little Folk, which coupled with the spectacular formations spanning the edge of the roaring ocean, prompted the local name “The Fairy Bridges”. While you’re there, take a seat on Bundoran’s own Wishing Chair. It is said that many of the town’s famous visitors over the years have sat here overlooking the wild Atlantic Ocean – from poet William Allingham to golfer Christy O’Connor Jr to Viscount Enniskillen to 10 times world champion surfer Kelly Slater – they’re all believed to have sat in Bundoran’s famous Wishing Chair located at the Fairy Bridges at Tullan Strand. Sit, make your wish, relax & enjoy your time in Bundoran.
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9. Mount Errigal
5/5
Errigal (Irish: An Earagail) is a 751-metre (2,464 ft) mountain near Gweedore in County Donegal, Ireland. It is the tallest peak of the Derryveagh Mountains and the tallest peak in County Donegal. The mountain is most often climbed from the carpark off the R251 road. The route initially starts off by crossing heavily eroded and boggy land towards a visible track through the shiny scree from where the ascent proper starts. After reaching the summit, people usually walk the short but exposed walk along One Man’s Pass which leads across to the second and lower of the twin summits. No special equipment is needed to climb the mountain, but caution is advised.
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8. Lough Eske
4.5/5
Lough Eske or Lough Eask is a small lake in County Donegal in the west of Ulster in Ireland. The lake lies to the northeast of Donegal Town, to which it is connected by the River Eske The lake and its tributaries are popular for fishing, especially for the spring salmon, sea trout and char with the seaon running from 1 March to 30 September.Because of its scenic, unspoiled surroundings, the lake is a popular getaway destination, with two major hotels on shore. The area also has many forest paths: unassigned paths on the south-western shores of the lake ad there are also newly reconstructed paths in the Ardnamona Wood.
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7. Tropical World Zoo
4.5/5
Currently closed for Winter, Re-opens Wed 1st April Tropical World at Alcorn’s, Letterkenny, has best be described by patrons as both “Donegal’s hidden gem” and the “one must see attraction to visit in Donegal”. Tropical World is a fully licensed zoo with an astonishing array of animals, from a dazzling display of butterflies to the world’s smallest monkeys alike. The incredible butterfly house is still the star attraction, with hundreds of amazing tropical butterflies in free-flight around you as you immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the rainforest. Leave Letterkenny’s own slice of the Amazon and you’re greeted by the sounds from the tree topped canopies, with beautiful birds of all shapes and sizes from around the globe calling you on. Only after you reach the reptile house can you begin to meet the lemurs and miniature primates that call Tropical World home, along with owls,prairie dogs, our family of Meerkats.
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6. Murder Hole Beach
5/5
Boyeeghter Strand or Boyeeghter Bay, commonly known as Murder Hole Beach, is a beach situated on the Melmore head peninsula beside Downings in County Donegal, Ireland. It has cliffs, hills, dunes, and small caves. The area is undeveloped with no road access
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5. Donegal Castle
4/5
situated in the centre of Donegal Town in County Donegal in Ulster, Ireland. For most of the last two centuries, the majority of the buildings lay in ruins but the castle was almost fully restored in the early 1990s.
The castle consists of a 15th-century rectangular keep with a later Jacobean style wing. The complex is sited on a bend in the River Eske, near the mouth of Donegal Bay, and is surrounded by a 17th-century boundary wall. There is a small gatehouse at its entrance mirroring the design of the keep. Most of the stonework was constructed from locally sourced limestone with some sandstone. The castle was the stronghold of the O’Donnell clan, Lords of Tír Conaill and one of the most powerful Gaelic families in Ireland from the 5th to the 16th centuries.
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4. Doagh Famine Village
4.5/5
“Doagh Famine Village tells the story of Irish life from the Great Famine of the 1840s through until the present day.
Our tour guides will take you on a journey showing how families and communities have lived on the edge generation after generation, adapting and surviving as the environment and society around the local area changed over the years.
A combination of informative story telling and life size exhibits provides an informative, thought-provoking and at time humorous look at Irish life.
Attractions include original thatched Irish cottages (inhabited as recently as the 1980s), an Eviction Scene, Orange Hall, Republican Safe House and Irish Wake House amongst others.”
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3. Glenveagh Castle
4.5/5
“Glenveagh Castle is a 19th century castellated mansion and was built between 1867 and 1873. Its construction in a remote mountain setting was inspired by the Victorian idyll of a romantic highland retreat.
It was designed by John Townsend Trench, a cousin of its builder and first owner, John George Adair, with whom he had been raised in Co. Laois. The designer appears to have imitated the style of earlier Irish Tower-houses adding an air of antiquity to the castle. The building stone chose was granite, plentiful in Donegal but difficult to work and allowing for little detail.”
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2. Malin Head
4.5/5
Malin Head is the most northerly point of the Irish mainland. Dúnalderagh is about 16 km (10 mi) north of the village of Malin. The island of Inishtrahull is further north, located approximately 10 km (6 mi) north east of Malin Head. Further north still is the most northerly landfall of Ireland, Tor Beg rock. Malin Head is home to small businesses such as pubs, restaurants, shops and a large call centre called Forward Emphasis International, which employs many of the local residents.. Malin Head is renowned for its rugged coastal landscape and its pristine beaches.
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1. Glenveagh National Park
5/5
Spectacular deer forest with lake, castle and mountains, guided trails and outdoor learning centre. easily making this the #1 favorite spot in Donegal.
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