Cracks and crevices in the limestone provide shelter for a variety of lovely plants and flowers such as golden bird's-foot trefoil, bloody cranesbill, saxifrages, gentians, and orchids. Here and there pockets of dense, hardy green grasses lie, food for the area's sheep and herds of feral goats. The westernmost section of County Galway from Galway City is known as Connemara, a place of a kind of barren beauty best observed by taking the coast road through Spiddal, then connecting with the N59 at Maam Cross for the trip to Clifden, the capital of Connemara and on to the Connemara National Park. Here some of the finest mountain scenery exists. Staff at the visitor center can suggest short hikes through the park or the more adventurous can try a hill-walker's hike through more rugged terrain.
Guide books are available in local tourist offices.
No trip to Connemara would be complete without a visit to Roundstone. Keep an eye for potholes as you drive. Connemara is also part of the largest gaeltacht area in Ireland. As soon as you enter Spiddal, just outside Galway City, you'll notice the road signs are printed only in Irish, a scheme of the 1970s to strengthen the role of Irish in everyday life. For an added Gaeltacht treat and a cultural experience you won't forget, take a ferry from Rossaveal to Inishmore, the largest of the Aran Islands .