Name: Twelve Bens of Connemara
Address: Ireland
Rating: 4.5

#140 of 324 things to do in County Galway

Mountains

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“Beautiful trip on Wild Atlantic Way”

Apr 2023

There are many Lakes and Fjords beside the beautiful Mountains.

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Top ways to experience Twelve Bens of Connemara and nearby attractions

Connemara Day Trip Including Leenane Village and Kylemore Abbey from Galway
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4.5

9 reviews

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5

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Jens A

Aarslev, Denmark5 contributions

Beautiful trip on Wild Atlantic Way

Apr 2023 • Family

It was a very wonderfull expirience to drive around in Landscabe. There are many Lakes and Fjords beside the beautiful Mountains. We went to Clifton, a nice little town out in the West. Perfekt for a one day trip from Galway.

Written 24 May 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kizambo

Portland, ME59 contributions

No Trails But All Thrill

I was fortunate to know a local hiking friend in the Galway area who guided my family and I up and around three of the Bens (or a Ben and a couple others) off the road near Kylemore in Letterfrack. Being from the USA I'm used to marked trails and maps but here it's up to the hiker to determine their own safe passage. An exhausting 6 hours but beautiful views of all the Bens, Kylemore and the Donegal Bay. If you can find a good map or a good friend I highly suggest it.
Note: I would rate myself a beginner hiker.

Written 20 August 2007

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

John M

Lyon, France2,062 contributions

Kaleidoscopic coloured clumps of heather and grass clinging to life by trickling streams.

Dec 2018

We just simply enjoy the sense of calm and other-wordliness that descends while driving along by the Twelve Bens, which dominate the centre of Connemara - our days of serious mountaineering are long gone. Our last trip there was on an overcast day in Winter travelling from the Galway direction, on a narrow but empty road (apart from the occasional sheep) that ran through a unique boggy landscape with very sparse brown plant life, kaleidoscopically coloured clumps of heather and grass clinging to life by trickling streams.

The mountains face south over blue-grey lakes and we enjoyed seeing the sharp quartzite peaks shrouded in mist. The Glencoaghan Horseshoe route, composed of nine peaks, encircles the south of the Bens, aligned in a star-shaped pattern, and takes in their highest peaks. This is some of the most strenuous but exhilarating mountaineering west of the Shannon; the northern summits are not as high but more physically demanding. Fortunately there is a mountain rescue team and potential walkers are advised to their number before starting out on the Beanna Beola (translated as Beola's peaks) which is the Gaelic name given to the Twelve Bens, by the local Irish speakers.

Written 1 November 2019

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

HowlnBubba

Key Largo, FL1,398 contributions

A wonderful view.

Sept 2019

There are some enticing hikes here, but my age and knees tell me that a drive-by view will have to do. Besides, we got here on an overcast, drizzly day. In a way, that made the Bens/Pins arguably more impressive as the summits peeked in and out. Another reviewer picked the right description with "brooding". These are most comparable to the Appalachians in size and contour, but remember that Ireland doesn't have many true mountains, and these were reportedly a landmark for sailors coming from the West as early as the 17th century.

Written 27 September 2019

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dan L

Bunbury, Australia8,543 contributions

Brooding but Beautiful

May 2019 • Solo

Shame on me for not visiting Galway in my younger years. I was driving the road adjacent to these mountains and in the overcast conditions they looked to be brooding. A sudden ray of sunshine and all was transformed with different hues and I wished that the legs had the strength to climb to the top of the closest. However, there is abundant natural scenery between the road and the mountains, the gorse was covered with its yellow blossoms, there was the occasional bog, the streams, heather and other low lying vegetation. The mountains seemed devoid of vegetation.

Written 15 June 2019

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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