When I think of Ireland attractions, one of the first thing that comes to Ireland is visiting the Cliffs of Moher. In fact, it is the most naturally occurring visited attraction in the country. The second visited attraction overall. I can completely see why, what with the crashing waves in the waters below, the swooping birds chirping away and the jaw-dropping cliffs themselves.
Let’s not lie, we all love to get a good Instagram picture. Whether you admit it or not, you feel that buzz of joy with every like notification. Luckily, Galway is the most picturesque city filled with Instagrammable Places. With narrow criss-crossing cobbled streets, colourful street art, and medieval architecture. The whole city is heaving with atmosphere and more importantly, places to make your gram stand out.
It won’t be hard to start wracking up those likes with these Insagrammable places in Galway City:
Instagrammable basically just means anything that is worth posting on Instagram. But in recent years, this definition has really developed into a whole lot more.
As well as referring to anything worth posting on the gram, it means photogenic, attractive and generally, following some Instagram trend – A mysterious girl from the back in a beautiful location, a flat lay of a cup of coffee in a cafe. You know it when you see it!
Instagram is now influencing so much in our lives from our outfits, to our holiday destinations. I mean, people have always wanted to wear nice clothes and visit scenic places, but Instagram has taken this to the next level. So are you ready for your Instagram fix in Galway?
Let’s get into some of the most Instagrammable places in Galway City.
*BUT FIRST, if you would be interesting in taking a tour of Galway’s Instagrammable spots with a Galway photographer and Instagrammer to really up your game, check out the end of the post for Insta Tours Galway*
What says Instagram more than wall murals? Well just on Eyre Square you’ll find stunning wings painted on a wall beside O’Connell’s bar. These were painted by Kelsey Montague. Kelsey is a US artist and has left her artwork in cities all over the world.
The Wings in Galway are part of her “What Lifts You” campaign. The idea is to take a picture at the wings and post it along with what inspires you most. Such a beautiful idea. And there you go, an Instagrammable place in Galway, as well as the caption, sorted all-in-one!
This is the only work done by Kelsey in Ireland, so get Instagramming! My shot will be coming soon.
The Long Walk is an iconic row of houses along Galway Bay in the Claddagh area of Galway City. It’s sometimes described as the most photographed street in Galway. While I’m not sure if that’s true, it certainly would be close. It screams Instagram with its row of cute coloured, uneven-sized houses along the waterfront.
*This street also features heavily in Ed Sheeran’s Galway Girl Video – Check back for a post of all the other locations in the video soon.
So, get your creative juices flowing with a stroll down the Long Walk where you’re bound to get that shot for the gram.
The linear walk from pedestrian shop street to High Street, Quay Street and perpendicular Cross Street is undoubtedly the most walked and most popular streets of the city. Each street bleeds into the next. The cobbled and paved pedestrian path is so charming and picturesque. And on a summers day, the atmosphere is infections. My uncle once said “you can’t walk down shop street without smiling”, and it’s true.
This is probably the most Instagrammable place in Galway and you will see cameras and phones snapping away in every direction. Bustling with tourists, buskers, music, colorful shopfronts and flags; it really is the heart and essence of Galway city. A trip to Galway City would not be complete without getting an Instagram here.
The Canal Walk is a short, but pretty walk placed between the canal and the river Corrib, winding its way along the edge of the city. It starts at the stone archway beside the born clothing store near the Salmon Weir bridge. You can follow it right along to the Claddagh, coming out at the Wolfe Tone Bridge.
There are Instagrammable locations the whole way along the walk but there is one specific place id recommend. Just before coming up at Bridge Street halfway through the walk, you will get perfect views of the river passing under the bridge and a canal pouring in from the other side. Such an Instagrammable place in Galway!
Galway has a strong history and is the only medieval city in Connacht. There are great instagrammable places in the city reflecting this past.
No one knows for sure where the name came from. The Spanish Arch likely received its name due to the Spanish boats that were in and out of the bay regularly. The archway still stands and is the entranceway to the long walk.
It is an extremely Instagrammable place in Galway with the archway and the piece of quay jutting out into the river beside it being popular with locals and tourists alike for sitting and taking in the views.
The Latin Quarter is one of the oldest parts of the city that encompasses its medieval past. It is undoubtedly the most picturesque part of Galway and definitely the most instagrammable. It takes in some places already mentioned like Quay Street and Cross Street but another instrammable place in the Latin quarter is Kirwan’s lane.
The Claddagh was once a separate fishing village and the oldest area of the city. it’s close to the city centre being just a couple minutes walk away. In its day, the area was lined with thatched cottages but sadly these are gone now.
It is so beautiful at sunset and a great place to get your camera out. In summer you’ll find every inch of ground occupied. As the place is thronged with people, drinking along the water enjoying the sun.
The Claddagh ring also originated here over 400 years ago.
The cathedral stands bold along the River Corrib and although not religious myself, I can’t deny that it makes for a great photograph. With the Salmon Weir Bridge and the canal and river running in front, you are sure to get that Instagram shot.
While not technically part of the city, Salthill diving board can not be left out of instagrammable places in Galway. In the nearby village of Salthill just 1.4 km from the city, it is walking distance along the beautiful coast.
The diving board is for sure the most instagrammed part of Salthill. Whether there are people queuing down the steps to jump off in summer or the angry waves are hurling themselves over the top of it in winter, it’s a great place to get some shots.
Although originally rejected when being built, it’s now the most iconic spot in Salthill.
Luckily with Galway being such a small city, all the attractions are super close together and are walkable distance from one another. You can see all the instagrammable places in Galway in a short space of time and while exploring the rest of the city. Below is a map of the way I recommend you see them:
While you can visit these locations in any order you wish, I’ve put this together to be the most efficient way to see the Instagrammable places in the city. I also considered the time of day and business while making the map. I recommend going early before it is too busy. From *quiet* Eyre Square in the morning, you can walk out and back in to the city, stopping off at Galway Cathedral and coming back into the city by the Canal walk.
This would be a great time to stop off for lunch which is why I have the Latin quarter next. Restaurants with mouthwatering food in every direction. If you’d like to see my favourite restaurants, click to view my “coolest places to eat in Galway” post.
After that is a good time to go out and enjoy the Claddagh, including the Spanish arch and Long walk. Hopefully, the sun won’t be too high by the time you go out this direction meaning the lighting won’t be too harsh for your Instagram shots too!
Insta Tours have just expanded to Cork and Galway city. What does this mean? It means you can do a guided tour of these spots plus some more with a Galway Photographer and Instagrammer. You will get the best photography tips as well as get answers to any questions on upping your Instagram game too.
If you want to book a tour, please check out this link: https://insta.tours/galway-walking-tour/
You never know, maybe I’ll be your tour guide!
Now that you’ve got your amazing Instagram shots, you need to consider the best hashtags to use to get the best reach and show them off.
There are so many hashtags to choose from and I always recommend doing some research to pick the best ones to suit your shot, these are my go-to Galway and Ireland hashtags:
#thisisgalway #galwayireland #galwaycity #galwaybay #galwaygirls #loveconnemara #visitgalway #connacht
#irelandlove #littlepiecesofireland #thefullirish_ #lovinireland #irishcentral #icuireand #irelandcalling #westisbest #wildatlanticway #wanderireland #irelandinspires #tourismeirlandais #instantirelande
Instagram captions can also have an effect on how well your post does. While I like to discuss what was happening around taking the picture, there’s nothing wrong with a simple quote caption. It is said that longer captions do the best with your photos but ultimately it is the shot that counts. Whether you want to do a who/what/where/why caption or simply “Galway girl” it’s up to you. Personally I do prefer longer captions and enjoy reading what people have to say.
So there you have it. The best Instagrammable places in Galway city as well as the hashtags and captions to ensure your new post gets the reach it deserves.
I hope you enjoyed my post on “the most Instagrammable places in Galway City” and found it helpful. If you did,
and tell me how it helped!
And if you enjoyed my pictures, don’t forget to follow me on Instagram!
Tinyboots
Instagrammable bars and restaurants coming soon!
Please note, Images are my own and are subject to the laws of copyright.
Visiting Menlo Castle | A Hidden Gem near Galway City Centre
Malin head is the most northerly point of Ireland and has some of the most amazing scenery. I say that about almost everywhere, but damn Ireland has some jaw-dropping landscapes. If you want to see waves hurling themselves at jagged cliffs, green lush hills, gold-sand beaches and rocky mountains, Malin head in Donegal is where you want to go.
Banbas crown is the area of Malin Head right where you park.
There is a lower car park which now has proper toilets (amazing!- it used to just have 2 portaloos!) and up a short path there is another small car park right at the crown. On a nice day you might find a coffee or food van at the top.
At this point you’ll come across the old signal station dating back to the 1800s. On a good clear day you may be able to catch a glimpse of the Scottish hills across the North Atlantic too.
If you look down from the tower, you’ll see the old “80 Eire sign, from back in war times, used as a landmark for pilots passing over. The area is also home to one of Ireland’s most important weather stations.
From Banbas Crown, you can walk along the coast by a gravel path and head out west along the coast. It’s well worth the walk so wrap up well against the wild Atlantic winds and prepare for a awe-inspiring walk.
A weird name I must admit although that may be my crude sense of humour. By continuing along the path, passed the jagged rocks and swirling waves you’ll come to “Hell’s Hole”. This is a 30m deep fissure where the ocean crashes itself at the rocks.
Continuing on from here you will arrive at the Malin Head Viewpoint:
Although not the most northerly point, the viewpoint is the real treat when visiting Malin head. At the end of your walk you will come to the most insane, huge rocky cliffs which literally just drop down into the raging waters below.
This is the most amazing place to witness sunset. I was there on new years day 2019 and as the sun sunk slowly below the horizon it left an orange glow on the area. If you can get there for sunset definitely do!
When you pull up at the car park you may not even realise this insane view is just 15 minutes walk away so definitely take the walk along the coast to reach this point.
Malin head, and the rest of Donegal, holds huuuge significance for all the star wars fans out there (I am a new star wars fan and pretty excited about it!). Malin head is just one of the locations in Ireland used for filming “The Last Jedi”.
In fact, the millennium falcon was actually built at Malin head for filming.
To celebrate this, the main road to Malin head (originally R242) has been renamed to “R2D2” which is pretty fun I think! So, if you’re passing by you might as well hop out of the car and get a picture by the sign!
The “May the 4th be with you” festival is highly celebrated in the area due to the Star Wars universe coming to Ireland. If you are in the area on this day, you might just see some stormtroopers taking a spin through Malin head and the nearby towns.
There is a Star Wars tour of the area. For more information go through to the website.
I’m pretty sure seeing the northern lights is on every bodies bucket list. Well, this magical light show is known to pass over Malin head during the right conditions.
I haven’t seen it yet but I full on intend to witness it and will be heading to Malin head at every chance I get when the conditions are right!
There are some Apps out there to keep an eye out for the right conditions for the northern lights in Donegal!
Malin head has a rich history and the area was very useful in war times.
The signal tower was originally built as a lookout in 1805 by the British, to keep watch for French invaders during the Napoleonic wars. This is very similar to the one on Valentia Island which was built for the same purpose.
The watchtower was used in both WW1 and WW2 and has concrete bunkers. During world war 2, the area was monitored 24 hours a day.
From 1902 the area by the tower was also used as a means to communicate with ships off the coast, with a signal station built nearby.
The “Eire” sign also dates back to WW2. The sign was created using stones, which were painted white, used for pilots flying over the area. This sign was to indicate that they were flying over neutral Ireland. The number 80 refers to the watchtower number, which you guessed it- was number 80! This area was recently restored.
The inner geologist in my finds it incredibly interesting, that on an island just 5 miles northeast of Malin head is the island of Inishtrahull. This island is made up of the oldest rocks in Ireland – at 1780 million years old!
Malin head, as I’ve said is the most northerly point and is on the Inishowen peninsula. It is 16 km north of Malin town. You will want to be driving to reach it and many tours also visit this significant location.
As you can imagine, being at a location completely exposed to the Atlantic sea, the area is subject to crazy fierce winds most of the time. The weather can definitely get wild – it’s called the wild Atlantic way for a reason! The wind can get up yourselves and to your ears and can be bitter so you’ll want to be prepared for that. I would suggest:
The area is also on marsh and bog land so it can get pretty waterlogged. I have visited the area both very prepared for the weather and very unprepared. Not dressing appropriately can really dampen your visit (literally!) as you’ll be jumping from foot to foot trying to stay warm and will be completely terrorized by the wind out at Malin head viewpoint. Take it from me!
Malin Head is for sure one of the must-visit places in Ireland. Not only because it is the most northerly point, but also for the outrageous views that the area boasts.
Tinyboots
Brigit’s Garden is the ultimate family day out for those who love nature, the outdoors and a bit of Irish heritage. The kids will have their imaginations run wild, while they explore the wonderful gardens, wildflower meadows and woods. This is a truly special experience on the edge of Connemara and a real hidden gem in Galway.
The Gap of Dunloe is an unbelievably scenic pass near Killarney, winding its way between Ireland’s largest mountain range – the Macgillycuddy reeks – and the purple mountain. It’s a landmark that must be visited on any trip to Killarney. If you ask me, this drive is more breathtaking than the nearby famous Ring of Kerry. Come on, a winding narrow road meandering its way through the mountains. You’ll pass over old stone bridges, you’ll see lakes, mountains and multi-coloured sheep (yep really), ginormous boulders strewn across the landscape and noisy streams. Ahhhh bliss wouldn’t ya say?! Visiting the Gap of Dunloe is a must on a trip to Kerry, and should take one of the top spots on your Ireland Bucketlist.