Things to do in Co. Donegal
48 places
1.Gap of Mamore
a 30% gradient climb to Atlantic panoramas
A steep, twisting mountain pass through the Urris Hills in Donegal's Inishowen Peninsula, where a near-30% climb rewards you with sweeping views over Lough Swilly, the Fanad peninsula and the Atlantic.
- Highlights
- A near-30% gradient mountain pass
- Panoramic views over Lough Swilly and the Fanad peninsula
- St Eigne's holy well and grotto at the summit
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
2.Sliabh Liag Boat Trips
Boat trips beneath Europe's highest sea cliffs
A family-run boat company (est. 1995) that takes small groups from Teelin Pier out beneath Sliabh Liag, the highest accessible sea cliffs in Europe at 600 m. Seeing them from the water is the only way to grasp their true scale.
- Highlights
- 600 m Sliabh Liag cliffs seen from below
- Dolphins, whales and basking sharks in season
- Swim stop in clear Atlantic water
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
3.Wild Alpaca Way
Walk your own alpaca above Five Finger Strand
A family-run alpaca farm on the Knockamany Bens where you lead your own alpaca along a clifftop trail above Five Finger Strand, at Ireland's most northerly point.
- Highlights
- One alpaca per walker
- 37-strong herd, all named
- Family ticket €45
- Facilities
- Good for kids
4.Assaranca Waterfall (Eas a' Ranca)
A waterfall you can watch from your car door
Eas a' Ranca, better known as Assaranca or Ardara Waterfall, tumbles about four metres down a dark, moss-covered rock face on the coast road west of Ardara — and it is quite literally feet from your car door.
- Highlights
- Waterfall a few feet from the roadside
- Free lay-by parking for about ten cars
- Most dramatic after heavy rain
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
5.Crohy Head Sea Arch
A 25-metre sea arch reached by a 10-minute walk
A twin-arched sea stack — locally Na Brístí, "the breeches" — rising from the Atlantic just off the Crohy Head peninsula, reached by a short walk over a grassy field with no visitor centre, no café and no crowd.
See more about Crohy Head Sea Arch →
6.Fintra Beach
Blue Flag sands beneath Slieve League views
A sheltered Blue Flag strand of golden sand and dunes in Fintragh Bay, just west of Killybegs, with sweeping views across Donegal Bay towards the Slieve League cliffs.
- Highlights
- Blue Flag beach in sheltered Fintragh Bay
- Roughly 1 km golden strand backed by sand dunes
- Safe shallow swimming with summer lifeguards
7.Grianan Of Aileach
Free 250m hilltop stone fort with 360° views
A 23m-wide dry-stone ringfort crowning a 250m hill in Inishowen, Grianán of Aileach was the royal seat of the Uí Néill and still delivers sweeping views over Lough Foyle, Lough Swilly and, on a clear day, five counties.
- Highlights
- Free entry, open daily 08:00–18:00
- Mortarless stone fort, 23m across, walls 5m high
- 360° views over Lough Foyle and Lough Swilly
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
8.Lloyds Signal Tower- Malin Head
Star Wars backdrop and a 200-year-old signal tower
A derelict 1805 Napoleonic signal tower on Banba's Crown, the sheer northern tip of mainland Ireland, where you can walk past a WWII EIRE ground sign and stare straight across the Atlantic toward Iceland.
- Highlights
- Banba's Crown, Ireland's most northerly point
- Restored EIRE 80 neutrality sign
- Hell's Hole sea cave and Devil's Bridge
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
9.Lookout Point Horn Head
180m cliffs and a cliff-edge signal tower
A wild Atlantic headland north of Dunfanaghy, where quartzite cliffs rise to about 180m and a short walk on open bog leads to the old signal tower and a 360° panorama from Tory Island to Malin Head.
- Highlights
- Quartzite cliffs rising about 180m (600ft) straight from the Atlantic
- Weathered cliff-edge signal tower and a Second World War lookout post
- 360° views to Tory Island, Malin Head, Rosguill, Muckish and Errigal
- Facilities
- Dog-friendly
10.Malin Head
The island's most northerly tip, with an 1805 tower
Malin Head is the island's most northerly point — a windswept Donegal headland of sea cliffs, the 1805 Banba's Crown signal tower and long Atlantic views. Entry is free and it is open all day.
- Highlights
- Most northerly point of the island
- 1805 Lloyd's signal tower at Banba's Crown
- Hell's Hole sea cavern and Devil's Bridge arch
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
11.Pólifreann or Hells Hole
a 250ft sea chasm where the tide thunders in
Pólifreann, or Hell's Hole, is the dramatic chasm on the cliffs at Malin Head where the Atlantic surges through a narrow 250-foot cleft, booming through the cavern below and throwing spray high on stormy days.
- Highlights
- 250-ft chasm where the tide thunders in
- Ireland's most northerly point at Banba's Crown
- 1805 Lloyd's signal tower
- Facilities
- Good for kids
12.Rossnowlagh Beach
Drive your car onto a 3km Blue Flag strand
A 3km stretch of golden sand on Donegal Bay, Rossnowlagh is one of Ireland's best beginner surf beaches — and one of the few strands you can drive a car onto.
- Highlights
- Blue Flag beach with excellent water quality
- About 3km of soft golden sand
- Beginner-friendly Atlantic surf
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
13.The Arranmore Ferry
A 15-minute crossing where dolphins often join
Island-owned and running since 2006, The Arranmore Ferry is the longest-established ferry company in Ireland's northwest, carrying cars and passengers on a 15-minute crossing from Burtonport Pier to Arranmore Island (Árainn Mhór).
- Highlights
- 15-minute crossing from Burtonport Pier
- Dolphins often swim alongside the ferry
- Newest ship on Ireland's west coast, the Arranmore Blu
- Facilities
- Restrooms · Wheelchair access
14.Tullan Strand
A 2km surf beach with blowholes and a wishing chair
A 2km golden strand at the north end of Bundoran and Donegal's first Wild Atlantic Way Discovery Point — Ireland's best beginner surf beach, with blowholes and a wishing chair at its southern end.
- Highlights
- 2km of sand from Bundoran to the Erne Estuary
- Voted Ireland's best beginner surf beach (Red Bull, 2016)
- Wild Atlantic Way Discovery Point
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
15.Amazing Grace Viewing Point
Where a storm-tossed slave trader found refuge
A stone-clad viewing platform on the shores of Lough Swilly, marking where John Newton came ashore in 1748 — the experience that led him to write the hymn Amazing Grace. It has a mosaic floor, story panels and steps down to a sandy beach.
- Highlights
- Views straight out over Lough Swilly
- Mosaic floor showing Newton's ship The Greyhound
- Interpretation panels on Newton's life
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
16.Bád Eddie
a fishing boat beached here since 1977
A French-built fishing boat abandoned on a windswept Donegal strand in 1977 and never moved, Bád Eddie is now the most photographed wreck on the north-west coast. It is free, open to the air, and best seen when the tide pulls back.
- Highlights
- A 1977 shipwreck stranded on Magheraclogher strand
- Starred in the Clannad and U2 video for In a Lifetime
- One of Donegal's most photographed landmarks
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
17.Beltany Stone Circle
A 145ft ring of 64 stones above a hidden cairn
A vast Bronze Age ring of 64 standing stones crowns Tops Hill above Raphoe, wrapped around a mysterious raised mound that may predate the circle itself. It is one of the largest and earliest stone circles in the country, with sweeping views over Donegal's prehistoric landscape.
- Highlights
- 64 of an original 80+ standing stones
- Nearly 45m in diameter, one of Ireland's largest circles
- Cup-marked and ring-marked megalithic art
- Facilities
- Good for kids
18.Caves of Maghera
Sea caves you can only enter at low tide
A wild Donegal strand where over 20 sea caves, arches and tunnels hide beneath Slievetooey mountain — reachable only when the tide drops.
- Highlights
- More than 20 sea caves, 8 arches and 5 tunnels cut into the cliffs
- Nearly 5km of white sand at low tide
- Caves are only accessible at low tide
- Facilities
- Good for kids
19.Dunlewey Church abandoned
A roofless 1853 church in a poisoned glen
A roofless 19th-century church stands alone at the head of Dunlewey Lough, framed by Errigal mountain and the brooding Poisoned Glen. Built as a widow's memorial, it is free to wander and open to the sky.
- Highlights
- Known as the 'Donegal Taj Mahal' — a monument to love and loss
- Roofless church ruin (1848–1853) built of local white marble and blue quartzite
- James Russell lies in a vault beneath the floor
- Facilities
- Good for kids
20.Fairy Bridges
Blow holes and a wish-granting stone chair
A free, open-air coastal feature on the Wild Atlantic Way where the sea blasts through natural rock arches and a carved stone seat is said to grant wishes. Locals have called this fairy-haunted ground their town's original tourist attraction since the 1800s.
- Highlights
- Natural sea arches and 'puffing' blow holes
- The Wishing Chair stone seat
- Roguey Walk clifftop trail
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
21.Fanad Head Lighthouse
voted one of the world's most beautiful lighthouses
An 1817 working lighthouse at the mouth of Lough Swilly, voted one of the most beautiful in the world, with guided tower climbs, restored keeper's cottages to stay in and a cliff-edge café.
- Highlights
- Climb 76 steps to 360° views over Lough Swilly and the Atlantic
- Audio guides in Irish, English, French, German, Italian and Spanish
- Virtual reality Saldanha experience and the Éist audio space
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
22.Festival Play Park, Buncrana
Shorefront playground with Lough Swilly views
A shorefront playground on the edge of Lough Swilly, split into two age zones and recently upgraded with inclusive, sensory play equipment in memory of a local man.
- Highlights
- Two separate play areas: under-6s and ages 6-12
- New ability swing, bird's nest swing and accessible picnic benches
- Zip line, tennis court and football pitch beside the play area
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
23.Fort Dunree
18th-century clifftop fort with a military museum
Fort Dunree guards a clifftop above Lough Swilly on Donegal's Inishowen peninsula, its coastal artillery and bunkers now a military museum with some of the best views in the north-west.
- Highlights
- 18th-century clifftop fort and military museum
- Views over Lough Swilly and the Inishowen coast
- Three signposted headland walks
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
24.Glenevin Waterfall
a 12m wedge waterfall at the end of a gentle 1km walk
A gentle, well-signposted riverside trail climbs the wooded Glenevin Valley to a wedge-shaped waterfall that tumbles into a foamy pool called Pohl-an-eas — and it costs nothing to visit.
- Highlights
- 30–40 ft wedge-shaped waterfall
- Easy 1 km riverside trail
- Picnic areas and wooden footbridges
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
25.Glenveagh Castle
A Victorian castle in a 16,000-hectare mountain glen
Glenveagh Castle is a castellated Victorian mansion of local granite, built between 1867 and 1873 and set beside Lough Veagh in the heart of the Derryveagh Mountains. Free to enter, the park pairs a romantic castle garden with ancient oak woodland, blanket bog and hill trails.
- Highlights
- Castellated Victorian castle built 1867–1873
- Gardens that are Donegal's most biodiverse plant habitat
- Ancient oak "celtic rainforest" woodland
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
26.Largy Viewpoint
Four counties and dolphins from a roadside pull-off
A small roadside pull-off on the R263 west of Killybegs, Largy Viewpoint opens onto sweeping Donegal Bay views — and hides a steep, low-tide scramble to a sea cave and waterfall below.
- Highlights
- Views across four counties — Donegal, Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim
- Dolphins in the bay below and wintering geese from Iceland
- Sunset views, best October to February
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
27.Oakfield Park
Steam train rides through a 100-acre Georgian estate
A 100-acre Georgian estate and garden in Donegal, where Ireland's longest miniature-gauge railway loops around the lakes past a hedge maze, sculptures and a castle folly.
- Highlights
- Difflin Lake Railway — 4.5km, Ireland's longest miniature-gauge line
- A Maze: 880 plants, 1km path to a 10m brick tower
- 50 acres of private Upper Gardens (June–Aug only)
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Dog-friendly · Wheelchair access
28.St John's Point Beach
near-empty coral strand with turquoise water
A quiet, unspoiled strand on the remote St John's Point peninsula in southwest Donegal, with crystal-clear water, golden sand and wide views across Donegal Bay. It stays near-empty even in summer, but has no facilities, shops or lifeguards, so come self-sufficient.
- Facilities
- Good for kids
29.Tropical World
Hundreds of free-flying tropical butterflies
Tropical World is a butterfly house and licensed mini zoo on the edge of Letterkenny, where hundreds of tropical butterflies fly free around lemurs, meerkats, sloths and parrots. It is almost entirely under cover, so it works rain or shine.
- Highlights
- Hundreds of tropical butterflies flying free
- Lemurs, meerkats, sloths and pygmy marmosets
- Jurassic Land and Bug World exhibits
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
30.Wild Ireland
Brown bears, wolves and lynx in a Celtic rainforest
A wildlife sanctuary set in an ancient Celtic rainforest, where rescued brown bears, wolves, lynx and wild boar once again roam woodland enclosures.
- Highlights
- Rescued brown bears and wolves in a Celtic rainforest setting
- Daily keeper talks at each main enclosure
- Public feeding times for wolves, bears, lynx and raccoons
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
31.Carrickabraghy Castle
Free year-round 16th-century ruin on the Atlantic
A roofless 16th-century O'Doherty tower house on a wave-battered greenstone headland, saved from collapse by a local restoration society in 2013. Free to visit, open to the weather all year.
- Highlights
- Ruined tower house inside a bawn, with a detached round tower
- Panoramic Atlantic views to Glashedy, Malin Head and Tory Island
- The Hissing Rock sea spout at high tide
- Facilities
- Good for kids
32.Castle Adventure open Farm
Cuddle bunnies and drive a real JCB digger
A family open farm built in the old farmyard of 17th-century Wardtown Castle, three miles from Ballyshannon, with animals to cuddle, indoor soft play and outdoor adventures for rain or shine.
- Highlights
- Bottle-feed lambs and cuddle rabbits in the barns
- Indoor soft play centre and sandpit for wet days
- Huge outdoor adventure playground
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
33.Doe Castle
a 1420s MacSweeney stronghold with free grounds
Nestled in an inlet of Sheephaven Bay on Donegal's Wild Atlantic Way, Doe Castle is the 1420s stronghold of the MacSweeney clan, its grounds free and open every day.
- Highlights
- 1420s MacSweeney stronghold
- Free admission to the grounds
- Carved 1544 MacSweeney grave-slab
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
34.Great Pollet Sea Arch
the island's largest sea arch, 20m over the Atlantic
Ireland's largest sea arch — a near-perfect 20 m quartzite span carved by Atlantic storms off the Fanad Peninsula, now reached by a short new cliff path.
- Highlights
- Ireland's largest sea arch, almost 20 m high
- 250-million-year-old Precambrian quartzite coastline
- New 500 m access path opened April 2022
35.Lurgybrack Open Farm
Bottle-feed lambs and ride a barrel train
A centuries-old working farm on the edge of Letterkenny where children bottle-feed lambs and kids, cuddle rabbits and then burn off the rest of the day on the playground, barrel train and riverside walk.
- Highlights
- Bottle-feeding lambs and baby goats
- Pet corner with rabbits to handle and cuddle
- Large playground, sandpit and barrel train run
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
36.Secret Waterfall
A waterfall hidden in a sea cave at low tide
Largy Burn drops off a low cliff inside a roofless sea cave, sending the water straight into Donegal Bay — a spot on the Slieve League peninsula that is only reachable on foot and only around low tide.
- Highlights
- Waterfall falling inside a roofless sea cave
- Reachable only during a low-tide window
- Tiny free car park at Largy Viewing Point
- Facilities
- Good for kids
37.The Blackthorn Amusements
Open 24/7 with free tea for players
A long-standing slot arcade on the main street of Bridgend, open around the clock and generous with free tea, coffee and biscuits for players.
- Highlights
- Open daily, 24 hours a day
- Slot machines and electronic roulette
- Free tea, coffee and biscuits for players
- Facilities
- Restrooms · Wheelchair access
38.Arena 7 Entertainment Complex
Bowling, laser tag and soft play under one roof
A family-run entertainment complex in Letterkenny, open since 2004, packing ten-pin bowling, a multi-level Laser Quest maze, soft play for the under-nines, a pool hall, arcade and a full bar and restaurant under one roof.
- Highlights
- Ten-pin bowling lanes with computerised scoring
- Laser Quest over a multi-level indoor maze
- Wayne's World soft play for ages 0-9
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
39.Century Complex - Letterkenny
Soft play, cinema screens and indoor crazy golf
A family entertainment complex under one roof in Letterkenny, with eight cinema screens, the biggest indoor soft play area in the North West, three 9-hole crazy golf courses and augmented-reality darts.
- Highlights
- Biggest indoor soft play area in the North West
- Three 9-hole indoor crazy golf courses
- Auto-scoring augmented-reality darts
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
40.Donegal Castle
Red Hugh O'Donnell's 15th-century riverside fortress
Red Hugh O'Donnell's 15th-century fortress stands over the River Eske in the middle of Donegal town, its restored tower house and 17th-century manor rooms open to walk through.
- Highlights
- Red Hugh O'Donnell's 15th-century tower house
- Restored 17th-century Brooke manor house with carved chimney-piece
- Guided tours and local genealogical information
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Wheelchair access
41.Donegal Railway Heritage Museum (Centre)
Ireland's first full-size interactive railway cab
One of County Donegal's hidden gems, this award-winning museum sits in an original 1889 station house that once served the largest narrow-gauge railway network in the British Isles. It is small, hands-on and built around the restored 1907 steam engine Drumboe.
- Highlights
- Drumboe, the original 1907 Donegal steam engine
- Ireland's first full-size interactive railway cab
- Coach 58 and original carriages, wagons and vans
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
42.Errigal View Pet Zoo
Hand-feed wallabies and meet grey wolves
A family-run petting farm that grew into a small zoo in the shadow of Mount Errigal, where children can hand-feed wallabies and meet grey wolves. Indoor play barns and a cafe mean it works whatever the Donegal weather does.
- Highlights
- Hand-feed wallabies, goats and deer
- Grey wolves, meerkats and raccoons
- Indoor bouncy castle barn for wet days
43.Triona Donegal Tweed Center
Watch master weavers on centuries-old looms
A family-run Donegal Tweed visitor centre on Ardara's Main Street, where master weavers still work handlooms and guests step inside a replica 19th-century weaver's cottage.
- Highlights
- Live handweaving demonstrations
- Replica Weavers Cottage (2017)
- Audio-visual heritage display
- Facilities
- Restrooms · Wheelchair access
44.Bundoran Adventure Park Ltd
Free entry seaside park with rides and a Ferris wheel
A seafront amusement park on Bundoran's Sea Road, with spinning coasters, go-karts, pirate-themed mini golf and a Ferris wheel looking out over Donegal Bay. Entry to the park itself is free.
- Highlights
- Crazy Mouse spinning roller coaster
- The View Ferris Wheel over Donegal Bay
- 2.5-hour unlimited ride passes
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
45.Donegal Bay Waterbus
a 75-minute cruise past a 200-strong seal colony
Ireland's largest purpose-built waterbus, sailing from Donegal Town pier around the seven Green Islands. The 75-minute cruise passes abbeys, famine history and a 200-strong seal colony, with an open top deck and a bar on board.
- Highlights
- Ireland's largest purpose-built waterbus, sailing since 2006
- 75-minute cruise around the seven Green Islands
- 200-strong seal colony on Seal Island
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
46.Dunlewey Centre
Weaver's cottage tours and Errigal lake cruises
A lakeside heritage and activity centre beneath Mount Errigal in the Donegal Gaeltacht, where a weaver's cottage tour, a lough cruise and family attractions sit side by side.
- Highlights
- Weaver's Cottage tour with live spinning and weaving demonstration
- 30-minute cruise on Dunlewey Lough aboard The Gráinne Rose
- Views of Errigal and the Poisoned Glen
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
47.Waterworld Bundoran
Ride the country's fastest indoor waterslide
An indoor aqua adventure playground on Bundoran's seafront, home to Ireland's fastest indoor waterslide, an indoor wave pool and a separate zone for toddlers — with a Blue Flag beach and a playground right outside.
- Highlights
- The Whizzer — Ireland's fastest indoor waterslide
- Indoor wave pool with four wave types
- Tornado 50 m speed slide
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
48.Bundoran Glowbowl - Ten Pin Bowling Alley
Eight bowling lanes plus two floors of arcades
A family-run bowling and amusements complex on Bundoran's Main Street, welcoming visitors since 1972 with eight lanes, two floors of arcades and a soft play corner — handy when the Atlantic weather turns.
- Highlights
- 8 lanes of ten-pin bowling
- Two floors of amusements and VR
- Under-5s soft play area
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access