Explore Galway

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EXPLORE GALWAY

Make the most of your time in Galway and go explore the beauty of the West of Ireland and The Wild Atlantic Way.

 

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Salthill Galway

Salthill’s main attraction every year has been its promenade and numerous sandy beaches. The promenade covers approximately 3km of coastline, overlooking Galway Bay. This is an ideal area for jogging, rollerblading or just out for a relaxing stroll. The hills of County Clare are visible across the Bay on a clear day and benches are provided along the seafront.
Blackrock diving tower is one of Galway’s most iconic locations, always a popular location during the Galway summer. Salthill has many great bars and restaurants as well as several tourist attractions like Micil Distillary which is definitely worth a visit, the Galway Atlantaquaria and the Circle of Life National Organ Donor Commemorative Garden. 

Barna Woods / Merlin Woods

There’s no doubt that going for a walk has countless benefits and Galway is absolutely blessed with countless fabulous walking routes. Getting back to nature has health and wellbeing benefits which is fantastic that you can do this in beautiful surroundings.
Barna Woods is very close to Galway City on the Barna Road and is popular with tourists and locals alike for walks all year round, whether its during the summer and the sunlight fliters through the leaves of the majestic trees or the autumnal vibes with a cocaphony of colour as the leaves carpet the ground.
Merlin Woods are on the east side of the city and are home to Marlin Castle, a community garden and a myriad of trails which are the perfect way to escape the hustle and bustle of city life.

Aran Island Ferries 

A daytrip to the Aran Islands is a must during a stay in Galway. The Aran Islands offer visitors a glimpse into a way of life that has long since disappeared from most of the world.
Filled with traditional Irish culture, the islands offer breath-taking scenery, ecclesiastical ruins and world-renowned stone forts. These three rocky limestone outcrops are a bastion of traditional language, culture, music and history on the edge of Europe.
Regular music sessions, lively dances, traditional crafts, sea-going currachs and the wonderfully warm and welcoming Atlantic spirit, are inimitable parts of Aran. Aran Island Ferries provide top class and regular trips to the Islands so check out their timetable to find the sailing that suits you when they return in August.

Diamond Hill

Connemara is Irish landscape at its most dramatic. With soaring mountains, scattered loughs and an intricate coastline, this remote part of Galway is a world away from the trappings of urban life.
Two mountain ranges dominate the area – the rugged Maumturks and the cluster of quartzite peaks known as the Twelve Bens. Between them, they offer up some of the most challenging and exciting hill walking in the country. Connemara National Park, near Letterfrack, is the perfect place to start exploring.
Encompassing almost 3,000 hectares of mountain, bog and woodland, the Park’s visitor centre is the ideal spot to start your 7km walk up the 400m high Diamond Hill – the undisputed highlight of the Park. Gravel footpaths and wooden boardwalks ease your passage over the bog as you approach the mountains.

Galway City Centre

Galway is rightly famed for its, wonderful pubs, restaurants, shops and festivals but it’s the city itself which has a unique atmosphere that blends together all the best elements of its people. It’s impossible to walk through the streets without sensing it. 
The surrounding landscape, culture and language have attracted artists, musicians and writers for generations. In recent decades Galway has seen the rise of a burgeoning film, television and animation sector, bringing significant economic activity to the area. Galway is expanding its film audiences by building Galway’s first Art House Cinema and by supporting the development of the city’s film festivals.

CLADDAGH

Another beautiful and historic part of the city is the Claddagh. One of the oldest fishing towns in Ireland, nothing now remains of the old thatched cottages that graced Claddagh until the 1930s, when they were replaced by council houses, and yet the memory of the small Irish-speaking town's traditions and customs still lives on.
Despite its close proximity to Galway City, Claddagh remained a completely separate entity for centuries because of the wall surrounding Galway that kept a very definite divide between this village and the Anglo-Norman city across the river.

GALWAY HOOKER BREWERY TOURS

Galway Hooker is Connacht’s oldest existing brewery – and they’re proud to make authentic, refreshing, vibrant beers that embody the Wild Atlantic Way.

Galway Hooker Brewery have been making waves in the craft beer world since 2006, and visiting their brewery in the coastal surrounds of Oranmore is the best place to see how they’ve been doing it.

In 2023 Galway Hooker are delighted to open their brewery doors to people who want a guided tour of our premises – to experience some of the many refreshing brews they bring to life on site.

Includes:

  • Guided tour of the brewing process with an up-close look at the raw ingredients used to make Galway Hooker Beer.
  • Drink on arrival which can be brought with you along the tour.
  • Galway Hooker craft flight tasting board (includes 3 beers).
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KYLEMORE ABBEY

Visit the abbey with its beautifully restored period rooms and fascinating visitor experience and learn about its history of tragedy, romance, education and spirituality. Explore the 6 acre Victorian Walled Garden with its delightfully restored garden buildings, formal flower, vegetable and her gardens. Discover woodland and lakeshore walks that will take you on a beautiful journey through our 1,000 acre estate. The beautifull neo-Gothic church is just a short walk from the Abbey. Use code HYDEHotel20 to avail of a 20% discount when booking online.

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DOOLIN TO ARAN FERRIES

Explore the Wild Atlantic Way from the sea! Admire the scale and majestic beauty of the Cliffs of Moher on a voyage of discovery. Or, better still, try both an island trip and a Cliffs of Moher cruise all in one day! Use code hydehotel to avail of a 10% discount when booking online.

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GREAT ESCAPE ROOMS

You enter the locked escape room and for 60 minutes you, and your team will become removed from your current day to day lives and be totally focused on nothing but escape…. Observe your surroundings, solves clues, work as a team and make the connections. Adrenaline kicks in – excitement, tension, focus, laughter and team work – creating an amazing experience. Uncover the mysteries hidden within the room and earn your reward…the Great Escape. Use code CONNACHT_HOSPITALITY to avail of a 10% discount when booking online.

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REAL ADVENTURES CONNEMARA

Real Adventures are specialists in outdoor adventure activities and explorations in Connemara. They offer a range of activities that will get you active and rediscovering the fun of the outdoors. Perfect for coasteering, kayaking, rock climbing, and surfing with your friends, family, and loved ones to truly experience the Irish coast. Guests at HYDE Hotel can avail a 5% discount; Use code HYDEHOTEL5 to avail of a 5% discount when booking online.

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The Burren Nature Sanctuary

Burren Nature Sanctuary is located in Kinvara, and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the West of Ireland. At Burren Nature Sanctuary, you can experience the biodiversity of the Burren UNESCO Global Geopark, including the Burren nature interpretation, Burren Walk, Hazel Woodland and Fairy Trail, botany tours, and so much more. Plus, you are also welcome to visit the café, gift shop, and state-of-the-art adventure playgrounds. A unique experience that has fun for all the family, you're sure to enjoy the Burren Nature Sanctuary! 
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What our guests say

"Excellent"
The Hyde (Formally Forster Court) has always provided excellent service in all areas of hospitality. The staff are so polite and helpful. It is always a pleasure to stay there.
Hotel guest
6-Jun-2022
"Excellent"
Celebrated our 30th anniversary here and as requested had a bottle of Prosecco waiting for us. The excellent staff went above and beyond and included some chocolate covered strawberries...
Thomas Schmiegel
5-Jun-2022
"Excellent"
We are only so happy to compliment and thank the staff for helping us when my husband needed a medical consult and we needed to change reservations and needed food brought up to our...
Edward Sutton
27-May-2022
"Excellent"
Perfect stay in Galway. Great location to train and bus station along with the Latin Quarter.
Hotel guest
22-May-2022
"Very good"
Had a short but pleasant stay at the Hyde Hotel in Galway. Excellent location. Would recommend to others.
Hotel guest
21-May-2022