Sliabh Liag sea cliffs. Europe’s highest sea cliffs Sliabh Liag is one of County Donegal and North West Ireland’s most spectacular visitor attractions. Rising almost 2000 ft / 598 m from the Atlantic, one of the highest sea cliffs in Europe and twice as high as the cliffs of Moher.  At the base of the cliffs is the ?Giants Desk and Chair?. You can take a boat trip out to view the cliffs from the sea and if you are lucky spot dolphins, whales, seals or basking sharks. This service runs from April to September. If you want to be …

Great Pollet Sea Arch The Great Pollet Sea Arch is a real hidden gem of Fanad in County Donegal. It is a spectacular natural sea arch and a fantastic example of marine erosion. It is located on a totally unspoilt stretch of coastline and has a lovely pebble beach adjoining it. This beautiful landmark is much photographed and a quick internet search will bring up many fabulous images for you. There is a small dedicated car park and a new fenced access path down to the Arch with regular seats along the way to rest on the steep climb back …

Ards Forest Park Ards Forest Park is a fabulous destination for a day trip and will provide much to do on many a repeat visit. The park covers approximately 1200 acres. It includes a variety of habitats, among them sand dunes, beaches, salt marshes, salt water lakes, rock face and, of course, coniferous and deciduous woodlands. The sea is one of the real treasures of this forest park and there are several trails, the Binngorm trail, the Salt Marsh Trail and the Sand Dune Trail, which offer the hiker an opportunity to experience it in all its facets. There is …

Doe Castle Doe Castle – ‘Caislean na dTuath’ can be found  in Sheephaven Bay near Creeslough. Built in the 16th century, it was a stronghold of Clan Suibhne. The castle sits on a small peninsula surrounded on three sides by water with a moat cut into the rock on the landward side. Irish singer Brian Mcfadden proposed to his (now ex-) wife Kerry Katona at the castle in 2001, being the spot where his grandfather also proposed to his grandmother. Guided tours of the castle between 11am and 5pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday through the summer months. You can find …

Greenfort Gardens Greenfort House and Greenfort Gardens are situated approximately 3 km from Portsalon Luxury Camping. The Babington family built the first house at Greenfort in 1711, The Bartons expanded and remodelled the house in the early 1800s and then in 1965, the Perrys renovated and added to the buildings. The walled garden and mature trees date from the early Barton era, with the great ponticum bushes being about a century old. In the 20th century, the walled garden supplied fruit and vegetables to the Barton’s Hotel at Portsalon. The Perry family moved from Bunlin, Milford in 1965 and Lionel Perry …

Glenveagh National Park Glenveagh National Park is one of six national parks in Ireland and is an outstandingly beautiful spot. Glenveagh encompasses some 16,000 hectares in the heart of the Derryveagh Mountains. Such a great wilderness is the haunt of many interesting plants and animals. The golden eagle was reintroduced to Donegal by the Park in 2000. These lands were managed as a private deer forest before becoming a national park in 1975. With the completion of public facilities Glenveagh National Park was officially opened to the public in 1986. Glenveagh National Park is open all year round.  The Castle, …

Fanad Lighthouse Fanad Lighthouse is a distinctive landmark of the area and is one of the key discovery points along the driving route the Wild Atlantic Way. The lighthouse was built by George Haplin in response to the sinking of the frigate Saldannah in Lough Swilly in 1812. It was first lit on March 17, 1817. The last principal keeper of the lighthouse retired in 1983. Today it serves as a helicopter base for the service and maintenance of all lighthouses along the northern coast. Fanad Lighthouse was recently voted to be the second most beautiful lighthouse in the world …

Ballymastocker Bay Ballymastocker Bay, bedecked with an array of golden beaches was once voted as the second most beautiful beach in the World by the Observer magazine. Stop at the viewpoint for a panorama so spectacular that it is used to promote – not just Donegal – but the entire Island of Ireland. It really is a treat to walk the length of the beach and not encounter another person. It can be found on the eastern shore of Lough Swilly, just south of Portsalon. With 1,100km of spectacular Atlantic coastline wrapping around Donegal, there is no shortage of beaches …

Donegal has especially dark skies with limited light pollution so it is a fantastic place to view the night sky. The Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) are frequently visible from Fanad Head and from Malin Head in Inishowen. Every August Donegal is treated to a fantastic array of ‘shooting stars’ during the Perseids. Fanad is a perfect place for the amateur star gazer or the seasoned astronomer to enjoy the night skies. At Portsalon Luxury Camping we keep our artificial light to an absolute minimum so that we do not contribute to light pollution. See The Donegal Skies website for further …

A treat for nature lovers, the local area has many wonderful species of wildflowers to find and identify. Our site plays host to a fantastic array of wild orchids during June and July and the sand dunes of Ballymastocker Bay also provide a perfect habitat for many coastal orchids. We do our best to preserve and promote  biodiversity by cultivating wildflowers, native trees and plants in our organic garden and around our site.