The Inishowen 100

The Inishowen 100 is a scenic route that winds along the coast of the Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal. This 100-mile tour reveals the wonders of the Peninsula, with its rugged coastline, mountains and beaches!

Making the Inishowen 100

A tour by bus or car

The most courageous may decide to cycle the Inishowen 100, but we recommend you take the bus or car instead. The differences in altitude are sometimes considerable, and may put off the more athletic among you. The tour starts on the N13 towards Bridge End.

Along the way, you’ll come across the prehistoric fort of Grianan of Aileach. Built in 1700 BC, it stands on a hill overlooking the whole of Inishowen. The site is fabulous, and among the most interesting remains in Donegal.

If you wish to continue the tour, follow the R238 through the village of Fahan, then stop for a while at Lisfannon Beach, a stretch of sand over 5km long. It’s a great place to take a dip and have a bite to eat with your feet in the water.

Then on to Buncrana, one of Inishowen’s most important seaside resorts, and Dunree, with its military fort. Then on to Mamore Gap, where you can admire an impressive view of the Dunaff Head cliffs.

Next up is the Dooagh Famine Village, a museum dedicated to the Great Famine of 1845-1848. The subject is well covered, and you’ll discover the circumstances in which the Irish suffered the full force of the Great Famine.

Then head for Cardonagh and Trawbreaga Bay, where you’ll find fabulous sandy beaches fringed by turquoise waters and backed by towering cliffs. Among the bay’s most beautiful beaches, don’t miss Five Fingers Strand.

A sumptuous viewpoint located on a parking lot in Trawbreaga Bay is one of Inishowen’s most exceptional spots. Access is via a narrow road with a steep gradient. Once you’ve reached the top, all you have to do is take in the fabulous panoramic views over the bay, the cliffs and the green plains surrounded by mountains… Enough to make you want to shoot everything that moves with your camera!

The tour ends with a visit to the south-eastern tip of Inishowen… You’ll wind your way along ridiculously narrow roads in poor condition, and pass through a number of isolated seaside villages… Some even have fabulous beaches right on the doorstep! It’s the perfect place to take a dip if cold water doesn’t scare you, and then warm up in the nearest pub!