The town of Westport is a bustling, lively and fun place full of great pubs and restaurants - well worth visiting in its own right - but it also seres as a handy base for exploring the many stunning beauty spots and landmarks in the Mayo area One of th emost obvious is the sacred Croagh Patrick mountain, where our national saint reportedly fasted for 40 days and nights on its summit. The intrepid can hike to the top, the hardiest doing so barefoot, but the feat (no pun intended) is worth the struggle for the stunning views it affords. The 365 isalnds of Clew Bay - one for every day of the year - spread out before you as you peer down on the world, and it's worth setting at least a day aside to get out to at least one of them. John Lennon did so back in the days of The Beatles, and decided to buy it, but each is as lovely as the others and no matter where you end up you will be happy you took to the water.