InspirationIreland
April 2024
InspirationIreland
April 2024

An island on the edge of time

April 2024

On Inishbofin, a tiny isle off the west coast of Ireland, travelers find perfect beaches, majestic landscapes, a thriving food scene—and a warm Irish welcome

April 2024

Inishbofin at a glance

What to do

There are very few cars, so take a walking tour of the island’s viewing points and beautiful beaches, where treasure troves of periwinkles, cockles and clams are covered in bright bolts of seaweed that look like alien life forms.  
 
Dumhach Beach is particularly wonderful. Bird spotting is a joy here, with corncrakes, terns and guillemots calling eerily across the bay. There’s also a snorkel trail from Fawnmore Beach, where you’ll see the stuff of sea-shanty legend: sea anemones, limpets, barnacles and hermit crabs. 
 
In summer, rent a bike at Kings Bicycle Hire and explore the island’s not-too-hilly roads, or charter a boat from one of the few on-island companies.  

What’s Nearby

Dumhach Beach

Wild, windswept beach that’s great for bird spotting

Cromwell’s Barracks 

Fort where the Irish forces fought Cromwell in 1652

Inishbofin Rib Charter

Island tours and water taxi

Bofin Angling

Private charter for fishing, diving or dolphin spotting

Inishbofin Experiences

Walking tours, island crafts and activities

Kings Bike Hire

Get off the boat and straight on to a bike

Where to eat

While choice is limited in Inishbofin, the food is seasonal, sustainable and surprisingly on-trend. Head to The Salt Box, a family-run Airstream trailer a few strides from the pier that serves freshly caught fish al fresco, or Inishwallah, an Indian-inspired double-decker bus perched high on a hill—both open only in summer.

Year-round the action is, unsurprisingly, at the local pub The Beach (referred to by locals as “Beaches”). A convivial watering hole, you’ll find live music if you’re lucky, a wood-burning stove, a mean Irish coffee, and creamy chowder rich with salmon and lobster. In the pub, chat to one of Inishbofin’s locals (see box, above): Respect for the sea is bred into their bones, and they’ll tell you about shipwrecks and storms, such as the 1927 Cleggan Bay Disaster, when a gale caused the deaths of 45 fishermen. 

What’s Nearby

The Beach

Local pub and heart of the community, open year round

The Saltbox

Food truck serving seafood, breakfast bites and cakes

Inishwallah

South Asian dishes served from a double-decker bus

Where to stay

Overview

In summer, you have a few options including Doonmore Hotel and the Dolphin Hotel (which also hosts the village shop, whose produce gives a fascinating insight into island life; plus a great selection of Connemara wool socks and works by local artists). Or you could make things easy on yourself and just stay at the Beaches pub. 

What’s Nearby

Doonmore Hotel

The island’s most westerly hotel, with live music

The Beach – Day’s Bar & B&B

Welcoming inn just four minutes’ walk from the ferry

Dolphin Hotel

Winner of a Silver Award for Ecotourism

Download our app to save
with member prices.

Scan the QR code or select one of the links below.