Westport is one of the few planned towns in Ireland, laid out in the 18th century by architect James Wyatt. The result is a pleasing Georgian grid of streets centered on The Mall, a tree-lined boulevard running alongside the Carrowbeg River. It sits on the eastern shore of Clew Bay, in the shadow of Croagh Patrick, and it's a genuinely good base for exploring the west of Mayo.
Croagh Patrick dominates the skyline to the southwest. On the last Sunday of July, tens of thousands of pilgrims climb it — some barefoot — to honor St. Patrick, who is said to have fasted on the summit for forty days. The rest of the year you can walk up without ceremony, and on a clear day the view of Clew Bay, with its scatter of islands, is one of the best in Connacht.
Westport House, built partly on the foundations of Grace O'Malley's castle, is the town's most formal attraction and opens to visitors from spring through early autumn. The coastline around Clew Bay offers a string of sandy beaches — Bertra, Old Head, Carramore near Louisburgh — and the bay eventually gives way to Killary Harbour, Ireland's only true fjord, tucked into the hills to the south. The town's Georgian heart centres on The Mall, a lime-tree-lined boulevard alongside the Carrowbeg River.
The town itself has a lively pub scene and a good concentration of restaurants for its size. It works well as a jumping-off point for Connemara to the south or Achill Island to the north.