Getting ready to head off to the Delphi Mountain Resort was a bit like packing for a music festival.
Timberland boots, fleece tops, waterproofs, heavy socks, woolly hat, gloves, insect repellent, sunscreen – thankfully there was no need for the tent or the spare roll of toilet paper.
The Delphi Resort may be located in the deepest depths of Connemara but the drive out from Galway was an absolute joy. Once past Oughterard, on the road towards Clifden, I turned off at Maam Cross and meandered my way around the stunning hills of north Galway to the village of Leenane.
The final few kilometres took me on a lap of Killary Harbour fjord, a magnificent body of water looking especially beautiful with the sun bouncing off the motionless surface.
The Delphi Mountain Resort was recently relaunched after a two-year multi-million euro investment and development programme initiated by the new owners Rory Concannon and his wife Aileen.
A major part of the new €10 million development was the installation of a water treatment facility, which treats and purifies all of the water used in Delphi, returning it to the equivalent standard as drinking water, guaranteeing zero environmental impact from the resort on the surrounding groundwater.
The Resort is moving towards environmental sustainability, and is one of the frontrunners in Ireland of environmentally aware tourism.
Delphi Mountain Resort is newly refurbished
I was staying in one of the very spacious suites, complete with spectacular views from the bedroom and living room. And there was a wood-burning furnace in the corner, which looked like it would come in very handy once the cold weather kicked in.
Other accommodation options include a selection of authentic hostel style dorms, which are used for large groups or work team-building outings.
With a few hours to spare before dinner, I went walkabout around the local hills and stumbled across some of the adventure activities that are scattered about the extensive lands around the Resort.
There was an abseiling area, a rock-climbing wall and a host of high-rope things that looked daunting but enticing.
Abseiling, rock climbing and a zip-wire........
There was also one of those zip-wire contraptions that hurtled you down a big hill through the trees. I was determined to get a go on that before I left – it looked like great craic.
Dinner was served in the upstairs restaurant and the very tasty menu more than complimented the spectacular views of the surrounding mountains.
The lobsters and mussels are apparently caught fresh every day in the nearby Killary fjord and the organic lamb and beef comes from the farms and hills surrounding Delphi.
The inspiration comes from renowned culinary artist Gerard Reidy who has created a fantastic menu of wholesome, natural, healing foods.
The three-course meal is a tad pricey at €49, however, though to be fair the hotel tries to source all ingredients from carefully selected farmers and fishermen within Connemara and the vegetables come from a selection of local growers and suppliers so you probably won’t mind paying that little bit extra for the local produce.
An early start, a hearty breakfast and it was off to Cross Beach for a spot of surfing, the first of my planned adventures.
Now to say ‘a spot of surfing’ is a bit misleading, but I was in the Atlantic Ocean for over two hours and there was a surf board attached to my ankle via a plastic cord for the duration.
I never did manage to stand up on the eight-foot board but I did make it onto my knees a few times and it definitely gave me a taster of why there is so much hype about the sport.
Lunch and a seaweed bath - perfect recovery
By the end of the monster session, I felt like I had gone ten rounds with Mike Tyson and while both of my ears were still intact, the rest of my body was starting to ache at an alarming rate.
The only thing that kept me from my bed for the afternoon was the all-you-can eat luncheon that was on offer back at the Resort – all for €12, which was great value.
I sat out on the veranda and ate my way back to life, pausing between courses to tell anyone who was willing to listen about my heroic exploits out on the surf.
The next thing to get devoured was the complimentary newspapers in the very comfortable library, the broadsheets being my only contact with the world beyond Delphi.
The library does have wifi access, which is your only other means of communication with the world outside as there are no televisions and mobile phone coverage is only available beyond the main road or in certain parts of the car park.
The Spa at the Delphi is small but, once again, the settings make up for the lack of space. I plumped for a seaweed bath as it is the local specialty. The seaweed is hand-harvested in the area and apparently the bath combines the benefits of seaweed with the minerals of the mountain spring waters, which is designed to relax and ease tired and tense muscles, increase circulation and deeply moisturise the skin.
It was a bit of a weird, but not unpleasant, sensation getting into a bath full of seaweed but after a few minutes the smell and the unfamiliar feeling were secondary as I recovered from my mornings exertions.
Spectacular views
The bath was followed up by an equally lengthy spell in the Jacuzzi, before I settled down in the Relaxation Suite with a cup of organic seaweed infused herbal tea and a complimentary plate of fresh fruit. Did I mention that the views were breathtaking?
And the evening was spent in the bar with a well-deserved steak and chips and a few bottles of Budweiser. A special mention also for the homemade apple tarte tatin.
I had an early night as the kayaks and Killary Fjord were waiting the next morning, although I did manage to watch a couple of sneaky episodes of Mad Men on the laptop before bed – who needs a television?
Getting there:
The Delphi Mountain Resort is about 45 minutes by car from Westport or an hour and a quarter from Galway. If you are travelling by car from Dublin, I would recommend that you go via Galway and return by Westport to really appreciate the amazing surroundings.
Fans of slow travel will be glad to hear that Delphi will arrange pick-ups from Westport train station or further afield, if required.
Places To Visit:
1 Leenane – the village of Leenane sits pretty on Killary Harbour – Ireland’s only fjord, by all accounts. You can enjoy a ferry ride around the fjord or take a hike through the countryside that was the setting for ‘The Quiet Man’ film with John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara.
2. Clifden – Further out the road lies one of Ireland’s most westery towns, Clifden. Dubbed the capital of Connemara, the town has a great choice of pubs and restaurants for lunch, with plenty of adventure, angling, mountaineering, nature and wildlife on offer.
3. Climb Croagh Patrick – If you have any energy left after your adventures at the Delphi Resort, take a hike up Croagh Patrick to take in the stunning views of Clew Bay, which is reported to have 365 islands scattered about it – yes, that’s right, one for every day of the year, as you’ll no doubt be told by the locals. It’s no cakewalk, however, so bring plenty of water and stick to the designated trail.
More info: http://www.croagh-patrick.com.
4. Hit the beach – Go north from Delphi on the Louisburg road and take a detour to any of the amazing beaches that you will discover down any random boreen. And what makes it even better is that most of them will be virtually deserted.
5. Westport – After a few quiet relaxing nights in the Delphi, you may be in the mood to let your hair down. Well the town of Westport is only up the road and boasts one of the best pub scenes in Ireland. Matt Molloy’s pub is always a great place for live music.
Ed Leahy
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