RePAWter Review in Westport

By Benji and Aoife

Benji and I enjoyed a lovely dog-friendly staycation in Westport, Co. Mayo last weekend and we thought we would share with all of you the best dog-friendly spots, places to eat, and coffee shops 😊

Firstly for our stay, we, in general, prefer to have an entire apartment to ourselves. I looked up Airbnbs and filtered it to a pet-friendly house/apartment in Westport and found a cosy little cabin called “Enchanted Garden Westport”. It was perfect for two people and a dog and had everything we needed, including a big garden for Benji to go exploring in!

The first morning we went to Servd in the town centre for breakfast. The menu was amazing and the food was absolutely delicious. We got lovely ice coffees and enjoyed a kinder “cront” after our mains which was fab! There is limited dog-friendly outdoor seating (just about three tables on the street) and is a very popular spot so you may have to queue but it is well worth it!

After breakfast, we headed to Westport House which had great walks around a lake/river. It also has a huge outdoor restaurant and coffee vans.

Paws Friendly Note: Westport House is a heritage attraction, with almost 300 years of Irish heritage in the manor home and 400 acres of grounds to explore. In partnership with Leave No Trace Ireland, an educational charity dedicated to promoting responsible use of the outdoors, Westport House asks that you always clean up after your pet. Dogs are not allowed within the house and on some parts of the estate (farming areas with wildlife), but these areas are all well marked on the trailheads. While exploring the estate, dogs must remain on the lead at all times.

The next day we went to Achill Island which was incredible. You can rent bikes and cycle around the island or else drive to all the different beaches across the island. We went to the deserted village which has great views of the island and a short uphill walk where you can look at all the abandoned little stone cottages.

After that, we drove to Keem Bay which is just absolutely breathtaking (it is featured on Lonely Planet's "Best Beaches in the World"). If you want to go here (especially on a nice day) make sure you go early because when we were leaving we saw guards stopping people from going up because the car park was too full. Benji made so many little doggy friends on the beach and also enjoyed a little paddle in the sea!

On the way back from the beach we went to “The Cottage” (also on Achill Island) which has loads of outdoor seating and amazing views of the sea. The food was delicious and all the staff adored Benji! If you’re a dessert kind of person, I would definitely recommend the snickers cheesecake!

When we were driving back down south we were recommended by a friend to drive from Leenaun to Louisburg, and it's an absolute must-see if you’re in this area. It felt like you were driving right through the mountains and is just the most beautiful drive. It rained non-stop while we were driving and even that didn’t take away from the experience (although I would recommend trying to go on a clear day). There's also a little coffee van about halfway that does great coffee and cakes!

If I were to give one tip about travelling to Westport it would be to book all restaurants in the evening a good bit in advance (& make sure you confirm that their outdoor dining allows for dogs as we were left disappointed a few times ☹).

Overall our trip to Westport was really enjoyable and Benji loved all the attention he got when he was out and about!

Paws Friendly Tip: Have a look on www.pawsfriendly.com, to find the pet policies of dog-friendly restaurants, cafés, and pubs across Ireland.

I would like to thank Benji and Aoife for sharing their dog-friendly holiday to Westport with the Paws Friendly family! From their adventures visiting dog-friendly beaches to walking around the stunning gardens of Westport House, it is no doubt that they had an absolutely PAWsome time together.

If you have been on a pet-friendly holiday and would like to be featured on our blog, please send an email to info@pawsfriendly.com.

Also, if you are planning a dog-friendly holiday, you can find hundreds of dog-friendly hotels, restaurants, cafés, and bars, on our website.

Don't forget, while you are enjoying time out and about with your furry friend to tag @PawsFriendly!

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Comments

Having spent a long weekend in westport with my puppy Della this September (2021) I can say there wasn't anywhere we couldn't bring Della with us. The towers restaurant large covered heated area was great- water bowl provided - the the hooman food was great. The Quays pub and the Sheebeen pub both were happy to let us have our puppy indoors (she was only 4 months old at the time - mini schnauzer). Didn't find Achill Island quite so dog friendly - one place told me it was against the law in Ireland to have dogs inside, and Lynott's bar - the ladies behind the counter shooed us out hands a waving, when Della followed her hooman into the bar. Cannot recommend Westport enough for dog friendly places, even westport town, lots of dog friendly pubs and coffee shops for both indoor and outdoor dining.

tinamcgrath commented on 10/01/21

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