Why More Travellers Are Choosing Ireland's County Donegal

Ireland’s northwest coast is gaining attention for its Atlantic scenery, strong local culture, and slower pace of travel

Feb 22, 2026

∙ Paid

Sunrise at Fanad Head Lighthouse in Donegal, Ireland - Shutterstock

County Donegal sits in the northwest of Ireland, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and shaped by distance, weather, and land rather than convenience. For years, it lay outside most first-time itineraries, partly due to its location and partly because it never fitted neatly into Ireland’s faster travel routes. That has begun to change.

More travellers are now choosing Donegal because it offers something increasingly hard to find elsewhere in Ireland: space, continuity, and a sense of everyday life shaped by landscape rather than tourism. High sea cliffs, long beaches, inland lakes, and mountain roads remain part of working communities, not visitor zones. Irish language areas, fishing towns, and small villages still function on their own terms.

Well-known places such as the Slieve League Cliffs and Lough Eske draw attention, but interest in Donegal goes beyond individual sights. People come for slower travel, coastal walking, local music, and roads that encourage stopping rather than passing through. What sets Donegal apart is not one landmark, but the way geography, history, and daily life remain closely connected — and that is exactly why more travellers are now willing to make the journey north.

In today’s email

Can you name the 32 Counties of Ireland?
Why More Travellers Are Choosing Ireland’s County Donegal:-
- Natural Wonders
  - Slieve League Cliffs
  - Glenveagh National Park
  - Malin Head
  - Fanad Head Lighthouse
  - Eas a’ Ranca Waterfall
- Historical and Cultural Sites:
  - Donegal Castle
  - Grianan of Aileach
  - Doe Castle
  - Glencolmcille Folk Village Museum
  - Donegal Railway Heritage Centre
- Outdoor Activities:
  - Surfing in Bundoran
  - Hiking in the Bluestack Mountains
  - Fishing on Lough Eske
  - Glenveagh Mountain Walks

Can you name the 32 Counties of Ireland?

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