Into The West: The Great Outdoors

Delphi Mountain Resort
Leenane, Connemara, Galway.
Tel. 095 42208.
delphimountainresort.com

A unique getaway spot set among some of Ireland’s most spectacular scenery, Delphi Mountain Resort incorporates a luxury spa, hotel and restaurant, all designed with the aim of helping its guests kick back and unwind. Located in 400 acres of Connemara landscape between the wild Atlantic coast and Ireland’s only fjord, Killary, and just a stone’s throw from Cross Beach, one of the world’s finest surfing beaches, the resort has some of Ireland’s highest mountain ranges, the Mweelrea and Twelve Bens as its backdrop. In 2006, the resort, including Ireland’s longest established and leading adventure centre (you may remember it from your school trip days!) was taken over by a new team headed by Rory Concannon and his wife Aileen, who immediately began a multi-million euro development to upgrade the spa and guest facilities. As part of the two-year investment and development process, the energy and waste requirements have been stringently examined and redesigned to ensure minimum impact on the environment.
Guest rooms at Delphi Mountain Resort range from eight split level junior suites, which have a loft bedroom over a downstairs living room, to sixteen two-bedroom suites with living rooms and large wooden balconies or patios, making the most of the breathtaking views and vistas.
The resort also boasts a very special spa, which sources all of its water directly from the resort’s fresh mountain springs. Located on the ground floor, the Spa is home to four treatment rooms, three seaweed bathrooms, one balneotherapy room and a lavish hydrotherapy suite, including steam rooms, sauna and a vast whirlpool overlooking the wonderful view, just beyond the floor to ceiling windows.
Spa treatments are complemented by an extensive physical movement programme including yoga, t’ai chi, and pilates, as well as the 25 ocean, forest, and mountain-based activities available through the Delphi Adventure Company. Delphi is the perfect spot to take advantage of what nature has to offer, whether it means climbing to the top of Mweelrea, catching a surf break at the coast, or kayaking through the majestic Killary fjord. With some of the most stunning scenery in the country right outside the front door, it’d be rude not to!
There’s only one way to round off a day of adventuring, and that’s with a good meal. The restaurant at Delphi Mountain Resort draws its inspiration from the local land and sea, serving lobsters and mussels caught fresh every day in Killary fjord and sourcing organic lamb and beef from the nearby farms and hills. Where do we sign up?

Bundoran Surf Company
Main St., Bundoran. Tel. 071 984 1968.
bundoransurfco.com

Bundoran Surf Company is a surf school, surf lodge and surf shop located in Bundoran, Co. Donegal, long recognised as the surf capital of Ireland. Established in 2005 by Pete Craig and Aidan Browne, the company teaches students of all ages and levels in their school, caters to the needs of local and visiting surfers in their fully-equipped store and accommodates core surfers and casual travellers alike in their three-star lodge. Situated on Bundoran’s main street, the lodge is ideally located close to the beaches of Bundoran, with most rooms offering a view of the sea. A welcoming and pocket-friendly spot for surf fanatics, it offers a spacious common area with wide screen TV, DVD player and X-Box to help you wind down after your day on the waves, and a continental breakfast each morning to set you up for the day ahead. The Surf Lodge is run by local surfers, so as well as helping you improve your skills on the water, they’ll be able to tell you everything you need to know about where and when to surf in Bundoran. For info on their Surf And Stay packages, pay them an online visit at the above address.

Adventure West
Westport House, Mayo.
Tel. 087 3627828.
adventurewest.ie

Specialising in zorbing, zipwire, coasteering, abseiling and rock climbing, Mayo’s Adventure West are always seeking out the latest adventure crazes to get Irish pulses racing. Here’s what you need to know about the services they offer; abseiling involves climbing the 60ft sheer rockface over Clew Bay and making the descent back down with the help of a series of ropes and pulleys; coasteering combines adventure swimming, cliff jumping, rock scrambling all into one action packed session and zipwire invites the adventurer to get harnessed in and take a ride on an adrenaline-pumping 270 metre zipwire, where you can admire the fabulous panoramic views across the grounds of Westport House (if you can bear to look down, that is!) This brings us to zorbing; the newest of the lot, which involves, in a nutshell, rolling down a hill in a ginormous ball (known to the professionals as an OGO). Hydro zorbing is best described as an invigorating mixture of a waterslide and rollercoaster ride. This wet and wild experience involves one, two or three riders entering the OGO at the top of the hill, before instructors add 20-25 litres of warm water, secure the door closed and launch the OGO downhill. Harness zorbing is a little more extreme; punters are strapped into suspended seat harnesses before being sent rolling head over heels downhill to watch the grass and sky go spinning past. As you may have gathered, these particularly adventurous activities are not for the faint hearted, but if you feel the need to try something new, Adventure West will see to it that you’re in very safe hands.

Ben’s Surf Clinic
Lahinch., Clare. Tel. 086 8448622.
benssurfclinic.com

Ben Bennett, originally from Kildare, has been surfing for 20 years and coaching for 19. After a decade of passing on his wave-catching wisdom onto others in various schools around the country, he decided that there was a better way to do things and set up Ben’s Surf Clinic in 2004. It was the first surf school in Ireland to teach beyond introduction standard, employing highly skilled coaches who are qualified to teach up to international competitive standard. The clinic accommodates anything from complete beginner to those who have been surfing for ten years or more, with improver and intermediate courses incorporating lots of water time plus theory sessions and video analysis of the student on the waves.
If you hadn’t already guessed, Ben’s Surf Clinic isn’t your average surf school. Located in Lahinch, Co. Clare, on Ireland’s rugged west coast, it’s the perfect place to take on the swell of the Atlantic Ocean, but what really sets it apart is the unique tutoring service that it provides. Ben’s instructors focus on smaller coaching groups (a maximum of six at a time), so they can give a high level of personal attention to each and every student. “We have the skills and knowledge to help any surfer.” Bennett promises, “no matter what level of experience. From absolute beginners to the advanced, we can help you master even the gnarliest of waves!”
For a complete getaway, the clinic provides weekend surf packages comprising two surf lessons and two nights stay at the stylish and surfer-friendly West Coast Lodge B&B, just minutes from the beach, making it ideal for those early morning or sunset surfs. The clinic also runs Summer camps for kids, teens and adults, so there’s really no excuse not to be tempted by the waves of the notorious west coast.