Clew Bay

What is kayaking Clew Bay like?

Legend says Clew Bay has 365 islands, one for every day of the year. These drumlin islands, deposited by glaciers, create a sheltered archipelago ideal for sea kayaking. Paddle out from Westport Quay with Croagh Patrick towering above, weaving between green islands where seals loll and oystercatchers pipe from the shoreline.

How do I paddle Clew Bay? Put-in, take-out and logistics

Clew Bay is one of the finest sea kayaking locations in Ireland, and the drumlin islands — rounded hills of glacial till, partially drowned by the post-Ice Age sea level rise — create a sheltered archipelago unlike anything else on the Atlantic coast. Westport Quay, about 2 km west of the town centre, has a slipway, parking, and several pubs and restaurants. Launch at or around high water for the easiest access; at low tide, extensive mud flats are exposed around the quay and getting afloat involves a long carry. Croagh Patrick (764 m), Ireland's holy mountain, dominates the skyline to the south-west and provides a constant reference point for navigation.

When is the best time to paddle Clew Bay?

The inner bay contains dozens of islands, most of them small enough to circumnavigate in minutes. Collanmore Island, the nearest to the quay, is connected by a tidal causeway at low water and has a few summer houses. Dorinish, further west, was famously owned by John Lennon in the late 1960s and is now uninhabited. The channels between islands can produce strong tidal currents, particularly on spring tides — the ebb in the narrows between Collanmore and the mainland runs noticeably. Grey seals haul out on the outer islands, and oystercatchers, ringed plovers, and terns nest on the shingle spits in summer. The 12 km loop through the inner archipelago and back to Westport Quay is a comfortable half-day paddle, but the bay rewards longer exploration: outer islands like Clare Island and Inishturk are within range for experienced paddlers in settled weather, though those crossings require careful planning around tide, wind, and swell.