1 day Sligo itinerary – The PERFECT way to spend a day in Sligo, Ireland

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We have travelled to every corner of Ireland, done more miles on the road than we could have imagined and taken plenty of wrong turns down narrow roads when Google maps stopped working for us.

Through all of that, one place that always holds a special grip on us is Sligo. Sligo to us is often what we imagine when we picture Ireland, lots of green fields, beautiful castles and views and some of Ireland’s best beaches as well.

To us, every Ireland itinerary should include at least a day in Sligo, a place to slow down, enjoy the view and reconnect with nature. It is a beautiful county with a stunning landscape and somewhere that will make you feel at ease the whole time you are there.

With that, our recommendations for Sligo largely focus on the outdoors, with opportunities to experience one of Ireland’s most unique mountains, its biggest waterfall and its best surfing spots.

Where to stay in Sligo – at a glance

Sligo doesn’t have a huge number of hotels to choose from but there are some great options to choose from if you plan to stay.

Sligo is a comparatively small county but there are great options for luxury stays, family friendly and budget friendly hotels around the area. Here are some of our favourites:

• Markree Castle – If you are planning to experience the best castle hotel stays in Ireland, then Markree Castle will be high up on your list. Set on a beautiful estate with a traditional fairytale feel, this hotel stay will be a memory you will definitely cherish.
• Sligo Plaza Hotel – Sligo Plaza Hotel is a great option for a modern hotel with an indoor swimming pool available, as well as a fitness centre.
• Castle Dargan Estate – Castle Dargan Estate is perfect for anyone who enjoys spa and gold facilities, with a championship golf course on site and luxury spa.
• The Glasshouse – The Glasshouse is right in the heart of Sligo Town so it is perfect for someone without a car, providing easy access to public transport options and local bars & restaurants

1 day Itinerary

Morning – Strandhill

To start your day in Sligo, we would recommend going to Strandhill, home to one of the counties best beaches and some great café’s for breakfast.

Our favourite option here is Shells Cafe, which is a classic brunch spot with some great choices like or you could also come back to the area for dinner and try out Stoked, which is a casual tapas style restaurant great for a group/sharing style meal.

Next up, if you only have a day in Sligo, why not try something new? Strandhill is home to one of the counties most beautiful beaches and also to a local surfing school where you could pick up a new skill by taking a lesson with Sligo surf school.

The lessons last around 2.5 hours and you will get the chance to learn the basics on land before testing them out on the water before finishing up the session.

Strandhill is also where you will find Knocknarea Mountain and Queen Maeve’s trail. So if you are more inclined towards hiking than surfing we would also highly recommend taking a hike along the trail to get some great views overlooking the peninsula.

Afternoon – Gleniff Horseshoe, Benbulben & The Devil’s Chimney

The afternoon will bring you to three of Ireland’s most unique destinations.

When you see photos of Sligo, or even Ireland for that matter, they will often feature at least one of these locations.

First up, Benbulben, the backdrop to the county and probably Ireland’s most unique mountain.

The mountain is Ireland’s answer to table top mountain in Cape Town, South Africa, with its unique flat top making it stand out in the background of multiple settings in Sligo.

If you only have a day in Sligo, there won’t necessarily be town to do the forest walk but make sure to take in the beauty of this incredible mountain as you make your way around the area.

Just around the corner you will find possibly our favourite place in Ireland, Gleniff Horseshoe.

No matter how many times we visit Sligo, it is the one place we always make a point of going back to.

I’m not quite sure what it is about Gleniff but something about it feels completely Irish to us, raw, unrefined and green.

This stunning 10km trail can be done by car or you can alternatively take a hiking trail but either way it is somewhere that will absolutely stay with you long after you leave.

Finally, the Devil’s Chimney is one of Ireland’s highest waterfalls and also one of its most unique. The waterfall gets its name from the fact that on a windy day, the water will often blow backwards to look like it is rising rather than falling.

The walk to reach the waterfall takes around 40 minutes but it is definitely worth it. We would recommend visiting the day after there has been rain to see the waterfall at full power.

Alternatively, if you are short for time or just don’t fancy the walk, just a couple of minutes further down the road you will find Glencar Waterfall, which sits between Sligo and Leitrim.

This is a great option if you are visiting with kids or anyone with reduced mobility etc. as the waterfall is less than a 5 minute walk from the car park and there is also a play park for kids that has some incredible views.

Evening – Mullaghmore Head & Dinner

One of the best views you will find in Sligo is at Mullaghmore Head. This area straddles the border between Sligo and Donegal and has built up a reputation n recent years for its big waves attracting surfers globally.

But that isn’t why we would recommending there. Instead, Mullaghmore Head has one of the best views in Ireland without needing a hike to get there.

Once you reach Mullaghmore, you will have a perfect view of Classiebawn Castle, with Benbulben perched perfectly behind it. This is often one of photographer’s favourite spots to capture in Ireland and it is a great place to watch the sunset.

You can’t enter the castle grounds as they are private property but the view alone here is worth the visit.

After enjoying the sunset (or heavy wind and rain which is more often the case than not here), it’s time to relax for dinner.

As we mentioned earlier, you could go to Stoked, if you enjoy a tapas style sharing meal, it is a great option on a nice summer evening.

Alternatively, we would suggest trying out either Montmarte or Ella Bhan if you want something a bit more formal.

Montmartre is a French inspired restaurant with a very meat oriented classic menu, focused on things like steak, chicken, lamb and confit duck.

Eala Bhan isn’t overly dissimilar and focuses heavily on using local Irish produce, with a range of meat, seafood and vegetarian/vegan options available.

So that is everything you need for a spending a great day in Sligo. Make sure to check out our other guides for things to do in Sligo and the Wild Atlantic Way to help you plan an epic Irish road trip.