Cross-border cycling in Ireland

Holidaymakers looking for a cycling holiday experiencing the green landscapes of Ireland and Northern Ireland can take advantage of a new bike route that opened earlier this year.

Created thanks to a special EU fund, the Inishowen Cycleway connects the north-west of Ireland and western Northern Ireland with a 55 kilometre circular route.

Over a third of the route is traffic-free and the path is a great way to experience the island's natural beauty, as it goes through valleys, bridges, villages, patchworks of rural fields and giving mountain and coastal views.

The route can be accessed from the historic city of Derry, which boasts well-preserved city walls, including some of its original, imposing gates. Derry also has 16th-century cannons, an impressive cathedral and riverside walks to experience.

From Derry the route goes through the Foyle Valley and Ballyarnett Country Park, before going under the Foyle Bridge, one of the longest bridges in Ireland, spanning 866 metres.

In the country park holidaymakers can visit Amelia Earhart Cottage, which is a museum dedicated to pilot who was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

Other highlights include the ancient temple of An Grianan Aileach, from where cyclists can see over Lough Swilly, Inch Island, the Inishowen peninsula and the Sperrin Mountains, and award-winning, car-free Foyle Valley Greenway, which runs along a former railway line.

The structure is thought to date back to 1700BC and is dedicated to the pre-Celt god, Dagda.

On the edge of Lough Swilly's are cliffs and beaches which are home to birds varieties such as arctic tern and the great northern diver. The waters of the lough also support common seals and grey seals.

Also worth seeing en route is the Foyle Valley Railway Museum, which has trains from across the UK and Ireland, including the Great Northern Railway, London Midland Scotland, Londonderry & Lough Swilly Railway and the County Donegal Railway.

For more information on the route and visiting Derry see www.sustrans.org.uk and www.derryvisitor.com