Sligo is very well located for exploring the Northwest Ireland and Lakelands area of Ireland, and the following are very easily accessible as day trips:
County Sligo.
Carrowmore
The site of a prehistoric ritual landscape. Around 30 megalithic tombs can be seen in Carrowmore today, older than Newgrange or Knowth in the east of Ireland and which even predate the Egyptian Pyramids.
Strandhill
The village itself is not as pretty as Rosses Point, but is undergoing much renovation, and has a great walking beach. NOTE, it is not safe to swim here. It is, however, a great surfing beach.
Glencar Waterfall
Beautiful waterfall in a small narrow glen, immortalised by the poet W.B. Yeats in his poem, The Stolen Child: Where the wandering water gushes/From the hills above Glencar,/In pools among the rushes/That scarce could bathe a star.
County Donegal. The forgotten county, Donegal has some of the best scenery anywhere in Ireland. It is also probably the least developed county from a tourist perspective in Ireland, due to it's relative isolation, and proximity to the border with Northern Ireland.
County Leitrim. The least densely populated county in Ireland, and suffered much from emigration, particularly during the 1950s to 1990s. In recent years the population has started to rise, and consequently, more development is occuring all over the county.
Coney Island
Said to have given its name to its better known namesake in New York City. In Irish it translates as Oilean na gCoinÃnà Island of the Rabbits, CoinÃn means rabbit. If you're feeling adventurous, and the tide is out, you can drive across the strand to the island. Do check with locals regarding tide times, as almost every year tourists and locals get stuck in the sand.
Ben Bulben
Prominent table mountain, dominating the landscape to the North. Can be climbed at certain points in about 1 hour or so. It is said to be the final resting place of Diarmuid and Gráinne, the eloping lovers from the Fenian cycle of Irish mythology.
County Mayo.
Achill Island
stunning beaches making it a family holiday favourite.County Galway.
Galway
is a thriving, bustling, university city, very popular with tourists, and well worth the 140 km 90 mi trip down the N4/N17.
Knocknarea Mountain
Just over 1000 ft 305 m high, and can be climbed in 20 to 40 minutes. Fantastic views of the coast-line with a very large cairn or burial mound on the summit, which local legend says is the grave of the ancient Celtic warrior Queen Maedbh pronounced May-v. Climbers are now requested NOT to climb on the cairn or to use the stones from the cairn due to much damage in recent years. An old local tradition has it that a climber should bring a stone from the bottom of the mountain and place it on the cairn on the top. Failure to do so, according to the legend, will result in your dreams being haunted by the Queen Maeve herself!
Rosses Point
Rosses Point is a pretty little village with a beautiful golden sandy beach, perfect for families. The Atlantic Ocean is cold for swimming, but perfectly safe here