First pick
Salthill Park
Park or garden
2.3 ha1.1 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.1 km of path
Centralin the middle of Salthill
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Arnold Unterholzner from Schlanders, Italy · CC BY 2.0100%near a park
Outdoors in Salthill · parks, paths & countryside
Salthill is on the coast
The sea makes up 46% of the area within 5 km. Burren National Park begins 19 km away. Protected sites cover 15% of the land within 5 km; the nearest is Galway Bay Complex SAC.
Near a park
100%
of residents within 400 m
Typical Irish town: 92%
Green space
3.8 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical Irish town: 4.1 ha
Footpaths
34 km
3.3 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical Irish town: 2.1 km per km²
Protected for nature
15%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: Galway Bay Complex SAC
The sea
46%
of the area within 5 km
A coastal town
Character
What kind of outdoors neighbourhood is Salthill?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
On the coast46% of the area within 5 km is sea.A park on every doorstep100% of residents live within 400 m of a park or playing field.Hills with a view8 mapped viewpoints, about 40× as many per resident as the typical Irish town.Countryside close byBurren National Park starts 19 km south.
Salthill’s strongest suit is the sea, followed by parks close to every home.
Against other towns
How Salthill compares with Irish towns
Each figure against Ireland’s 321 towns and city neighbourhoods of 2,500+ (city hubs left out): the marked bar is the town’s, the line the median. Ireland has no Outdoors Grade yet: the figures are described, each against other Irish towns, and none of them counts towards the overall grade.
A park within a walk100%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
83out of 100
Public green space3.8 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
48out of 100
Footpaths3.3 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
61out of 100
Protected for nature15%of the land within 5 km
96out of 100
Woodland1%of the town and 1 km around it, as mapped
17out of 100
The sea46%of the area within 5 km
97out of 100
Parks, paths and woods: OpenStreetMap; residents: CSO Census 2022 Small Areas; protected sites: NPWS; sea: CSO and ONS land outlines. A 0 means nothing is mapped.
Towns its size
Salthill has the 16th most footpaths per km² of 40 towns its size
The 40 Irish towns nearest in population (4,905 to 6,051 residents), by km of footpath per km². Hover for each one’s protected land and woods; click for its page.
From St Stephen's Green (7.4 km per km²) to Clonakilty (0.3 km per km²).
Footpath, km per km²
Salthill3.3
Towns its size1.7
Co. Galway towns2.1
Typical Irish town2.1
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Salthill3.8
Towns its size4.3
Co. Galway towns5.5
Typical Irish town4.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Salthill100%
Towns its size83%
Co. Galway towns80%
Typical Irish town92%
Against towns its size, Salthill stands out most for path per km²: only 15 of the other 39 have more. It falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 21 of the others do better.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Paths (km/km²) | Woodland | Protected | The sea | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Stephen's Green Dublin | 7.4 | 0.9% | 0.3% | 11% |
| 2 | Portobello Dublin | 7.2 | 1.2% | 0.1% | 8.8% |
| 3 | Gillabbey Cork | 7.1 | 2.6% | 0.5% | – |
| 4 | Glasheen Cork | 6.4 | 2.3% | 0.5% | – |
| 5 | Ballyboden Dublin | 5.9 | 4.3% | 0.5% | – |
| 6 | Edmondstown Dublin | 5.1 | 7.5% | 4.5% | – |
| 7 | Ballinlough Cork | 4.9 | 3.2% | 3.8% | – |
| 8 | Rathgar Dublin | 4.8 | 3.5% | 0.1% | – |
| 9 | Knocknaheeny Cork | 4.7 | 2.4% | 0.2% | – |
| 10 | Knockrea Cork | 4.7 | 3.1% | 3.7% | – |
| 11 | Woodquay and Nuns Island Galway | 4.5 | 0.7% | 14% | 32% |
| 12 | Inchicore Dublin | 4.5 | 3.9% | 0% | – |
| 13 | Fair Hill Cork | 4 | 4.4% | 0.4% | – |
| 14 | Ayrfield Dublin | 3.8 | 1.8% | 5.3% | 19% |
| 15 | Garryowen Limerick | 3.4 | 0.5% | 9.6% | – |
| 16 | Salthill Galway | 3.3 | 1% | 15% | 46% |
| 17 | Harmonstown Dublin | 3.2 | 3.8% | 5.3% | 23% |
| 18 | Galvone Limerick | 2.9 | 0.7% | 8.3% | – |
| 19 | Sutton Dublin | 2.5 | 0.7% | 12% | 48% |
| 20 | Carrigtwohill Cork | 1.8 | 5.1% | 12% | – |
| 21 | Ballinfoile and Terryland Galway | 1.7 | 2.1% | 22% | 13% |
| 22 | Rathcoole Dublin | 1.6 | 2.4% | 0% | – |
| 23 | Blessington Wicklow | 1.4 | 10% | 1.9% | – |
| 24 | Glounthaune Cork | 1.2 | 8% | 6.1% | – |
| 25 | Passage West-Monkstown Cork | 1.2 | 3.5% | 10% | 12% |
| 26 | Inishkenny Cork | 1.1 | 4.2% | 0.2% | – |
| 27 | Ballybeg Waterford | 1 | 1.2% | 4.1% | – |
| 28 | Ardee Louth | 0.9 | 0.7% | 0.8% | – |
| 29 | Kinsale Cork | 0.9 | 1.3% | 0% | 21% |
| 30 | Ferrybank Kilkenny | 0.8 | 4.1% | 6.6% | – |
| 31 | Monasterevin Kildare | 0.6 | 16% | 2% | – |
| 32 | Carrick-on-Suir Tipperary | 0.5 | 9.9% | 4% | – |
| 33 | Ballybofey-Stranorlar Donegal | 0.4 | 7.7% | 2.3% | – |
| 34 | Carrickmacross Monaghan | 0.3 | 5.5% | 0% | – |
| 35 | Tipperary Tipperary | 0.3 | 0.7% | 0.8% | – |
| 36 | Mountmellick Laois | 0.3 | 0.5% | 3.4% | – |
| 37 | Tullow Carlow | 0.3 | 0.4% | 1.7% | – |
| 38 | Roscrea Tipperary | 0.3 | 3.4% | 7.9% | – |
| 39 | Oranmore Galway | 0.3 | 2% | 5.2% | 13% |
| 40 | Clonakilty Cork | 0.3 | 1.8% | 3.3% | 7.1% |
The map
Parks, woods, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Salthill’s neighbourhood.
Green: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces and woods, named or not.© OpenStreetMap contributors · NPWS · Sport Ireland · CSO
Places to walk
Parks to walk in, in and around Salthill
The biggest is Salthill Park, 2.3 ha (6 acres).
All 6 named parks and woods by size: 8 ha (20 acres) and 3 km of path
Parks & gardens 8.0 ha
The two biggest, Salthill Park and The Celia Griffin Children’s Park, are 52% of the named green space. 5 of the 6 are under 2 ha.
The Celia Griffin Children’s Park
Park or garden
1.9 ha0.8 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.8 km of path
1.0 km eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Claude Toft Park
Park or garden
1.3 ha0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
Centralin the middle of Salthill
Directionsto a point inside
Quincentennial Park
Park or garden
1.0 ha0.6 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.6 km of path
0.7 km south-westfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Glenard Park
Park or garden
0.8 ha0.1 km of path
Centralin the middle of Salthill
Directionsto a point inside
Named parks, gardens, commons and woods in the town or within 400 m of it, from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL); pieces of one name that touch are one place. Sizes are the whole site; directions go to a point inside.
Close to home
Everyone in Salthill lives within a 5-minute walk of a park
Each square is 1 in 100 residents: green lives within 400 m of a public park, garden or playing field (CSO Census 2022 Small Areas against OpenStreetMap).
Within 400 m (100%)Further (0%)
Salthill100%
Co. Galway towns80%
Typical Irish town92%
Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees.
Protected areas
15% of the land around Salthill is protected for nature
Special Areas of Conservation, Special Protection Areas and Natural Heritage Areas designated by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, within 5 km of the town’s edge.
Inside Salthill0.7%
Within 5 km15%
Co. Galway towns14%
Typical Irish town1.8%
5 protected sites lie within 5 km of Salthill. Proposed Natural Heritage Areas cover 9.3% of the land within 5 km as well; many have been proposed since 1995 and aren’t counted here. Ireland’s National Parks have a block of their own on this page; much of their land also lies inside these sites.
Galway Bay Complex SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 147 km² · reaches Salthill
NPWS pageInner Galway Bay SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 135 km² · reaches Salthill
NPWS pageLough Corrib SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 257 km² · 0.7 km from the edge
NPWS pageMoycullen Bogs NHANatural Heritage Area · 36 km² · 2.4 km from the edge
NPWS pageLough Corrib SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 176 km² · 3.5 km from the edge
NPWS pageProtected sites: National Parks and Wildlife Service designated site boundaries (CC BY 4.0), 2026; land within 5 km from CSO Small Areas and, over the border, ONS. Overlapping sites are counted once.
National Parks
Burren National Park is 19 km away
Ireland’s National Parks within 100 km, and the nearest always, by direction and distance from the town’s edge; circle size shows each park’s area.
National ParkThe 5 km around the town
National Park
Burren National Park
19 km south21 km²
National Park
Connemara National Park
56 km north-west21 km²
National Park
Wild Nephin National Park
84 km north171 km²
3 of Ireland’s six National Parks are within 100 km of Salthill.
National Park boundaries: National Parks and Wildlife Service, generalised to 50 m (CC BY 4.0, © Government of Ireland), 2022. Distances from the town’s outline (CSO Small Areas).
Footpaths and woods
34 km of footpaths cross Salthill
Footways that aren’t pavements, paths, bridleways, steps and tracks open on foot, and mapped woods and forest, in the town and 1 km around it, each beside the county’s and Ireland’s typical town of 2,500+.
Footpaths
34 km
over 10.2 km² of town and the 1 km around it
Woodland
1%
about 0.1 km² of mapped woods
Km per km², town and 1 km around · mapped on OpenStreetMap
SalthillCo. Galway townsTypical Irish town
Footpaths3.3
024 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
SalthillCo. Galway townsTypical Irish town
Woodland1%
0%50%100%
Salthill has more footpath per km² than 61% of Irish towns and less woodland than 83% of Irish towns.
Footpaths and woods: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Woods are mapped cover, private and Coillte forests included.
Footpaths & trails
1 waymarked walk passes through or near Salthill
34 km of footpaths are mapped in Salthill and the kilometre around it, 3.3 km for every square kilometre (the typical Irish town has 2.1).
One more waymarked walk on OpenStreetMap
Local
Slí na Sláinte5.3 km
Trails: Sport Ireland National Trails Register (CC BY 4.0), registered trails within 5 km; footpaths: OpenStreetMap (ODbL). More waymarked walks: OpenStreetMap route relations (ODbL) within 2 km, those already on the register left out. Coillte’s own forest trails and recreation sites aren’t included: Coillte’s terms limit its data to research or private study. Its trails on the National Trails Register are listed.
History
One historic park or garden on the record in Salthill
Parks, gardens, walled gardens and demesne walls in the town on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, each with its record.
Demesne walls/gates/railingsDemesne walls, Taylor's Hill Road, Galwayfrom 1830Regional rating (NIAH)
The oldest dated is Demesne walls, Taylor's Hill Road, Galway, from 1830.
National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (CC BY 4.0).
When to get out
The best walking months in Salthill: May to September
Met Éireann’s 1991–2020 averages for the town’s 1 km square and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 15 to 30 °C and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 8.0 | 9.7 | 11.7 | 13.9 | 15.8 | 16.9 | 16.5 | 14.8 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| High (°C) | 9 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 128 | 105 | 96 | 73 | 77 | 82 | 96 | 113 | 104 | 124 | 139 | 146 |
April is the driest month (73 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 19 °C). Winter days are short, about 7.5 hours of daylight in December, and 146 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. The climate in Salthill →
The coast
The coast and bathing waters near Salthill
46% of the area within 5 km of Salthill is sea. 4 bathing waters are within 5 km, each with its latest class.
Grattan Road BeachSufficient (2025) · 0.3 km from town
beaches.ieSalthill BeachExcellent (2025) · 0.3 km from town
beaches.ieSilverstrand BeachExcellent (2025) · 2.5 km from town
beaches.ieBallyloughane BeachGood (2025) · 3.1 km from town
beaches.ie2 of the 4 are rated excellent, Salthill Beach among them.
Bathing water classes: EPA, latest season (CC BY 4.0). Sea: the area outside CSO and ONS land outlines. Check today’s water quality on beaches.ie
Things to do
8 viewpoints and 22 playgrounds
Mapped on OpenStreetMap in the town and 2 km around it; each count per resident beside Irish towns’ typical town of 2,500+. Beaches are on the coast’s list, from the EPA.
8Viewpoints40.2× the typical Irish town, per resident1Picnic sites22Playgrounds3.1× the typical Irish town, per resident6Slipways
Per resident, viewpoints stand out most: Salthill has 40.2× as many as the typical Irish town.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 8
Salmon Weir Bridge1.0 km from town
DirectionsPlus 7 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Picnic sites 1
Plus 1 picnic site without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 22
Claude Toft Park Playground0.0 km from town
DirectionsMary Byrne Playground0.5 km from town
DirectionsCladdagh Playground0.9 km from town
DirectionsKennedy Park Playground1.3 km from town
DirectionsCul Gharrai Play Area1.4 km from town
DirectionsMcGraths Field Playground1.4 km from town
DirectionsPlus 16 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Slipways 6
Plus 6 slipways without a name on the map.
Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Unnamed places are counted, not listed.
Gardens & nature
2 gardens and nature sites to visit near Salthill
Gardens, national parks, nature sites and islands within 15 km of the town’s edge, each with its own page.
Circle of Life National Organ Donor Commemorative GardenGarden · In Salthill
Its pageEyre SquareGarden · 1.3 km from town
Its pagePlaces to visit: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0), OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.
Next door
Next to Salthill
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 20 km, coloured by the share of the land within 5 km protected for nature.
Taylor's HillCladdaghNewcastleRahoonKnocknacarraWoodquay and Nuns IslandSalthill
Under 1%1–10%10–25%25–50%50%+
| Town | Near a park | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Paths (km/km²) | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salthill | 100% | 3.8 | 3.3 | 15% |
| Taylor's Hill 0.9 km | 100% | 9.1 | 5.1 | 15% |
| Claddagh 1.4 km | 100% | 7.2 | 2.4 | 17% |
| Newcastle 1.8 km | 100% | 14.4 | 5.4 | 15% |
| Rahoon 2.2 km | 53% | 5.5 | 2.3 | 27% |
| Knocknacarra 2.2 km | 68% | 2.6 | 1.6 | 32% |
| Woodquay and Nuns Island 2.2 km | 100% | 9.6 | 4.5 | 14% |
None of the neighbours has many more of its people near a park than Salthill. Taylor's Hill, Newcastle and Woodquay and Nuns Island have at least twice Salthill’s green space per resident.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Green space nearby. The share of residents (CSO Small Areas, by where people live) within 400 m of a park, garden, common or playing field mapped on OpenStreetMap. Mapping is uneven: a town whose parks nobody has mapped looks greyer than it is.
- Protected areas. Land in a Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area or Natural Heritage Area within 5 km, overlaps counted once. Protected for nature doesn’t always mean open to walkers.
- Footpaths and hiking routes. Footways that aren’t pavements, paths, bridleways, steps and tracks open on foot, in the town and 1 km around it, from OpenStreetMap. Trails are the registered ones within 5 km; a trail often follows mapped paths, so the two aren’t added.
- Woodland. Woods and forest as OpenStreetMap maps them, private and Coillte forests included: mapped cover, not access.
- No grade yet. Ireland’s grades don’t include the outdoors yet: these figures describe the town and stand beside the median Irish town.
Questions about the outdoors in Salthill
What is the biggest park in Salthill?
Salthill Park, 2.3 ha (6 acres). The Celia Griffin Children’s Park (1.9 ha) is second. 7 named parks, gardens and playing fields are in the neighbourhood or within 400 m of it.
Is there protected countryside near Salthill?
Yes: 15% of the land within 5 km is protected, across 5 sites. Galway Bay Complex SAC reaches Salthill.
Where can you swim near Salthill?
The nearest bathing water is Grattan Road Beach, 0.3 km from town: Sufficient (2025). Check beaches.ie before swimming: a notice can close a beach for the day.
How many people in Salthill live near a park?
100% of residents live within 400 m, about a 5-minute walk, of a park or playing field; in the typical Irish town it is 92%.
When is the best time of year for walking in Salthill?
On the town’s 1991–2020 averages and its daylight: May to September, when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light for the place.
Is Salthill near a National Park?
The nearest of Ireland’s six National Parks is Burren National Park, 19 km south of the town’s edge; it covers about 21 km². 2 more are within 100 km.
What is there to do outdoors around Salthill?
Within 2 km, OpenStreetMap maps 8 viewpoints and 1 picnic site; the named ones are listed under Things to do, with directions.
Which parks in Salthill are historic?
The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage records one historic park, garden or demesne in the town: Demesne walls, Taylor's Hill Road, Galway.
Sources
Where Salthill’s outdoors figures come from
- Parks, woods and paths. OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL): parks, woods and footpaths, Geofabrik extract, October 2026
- Protected sites. National Parks and Wildlife Service: designated sites (SAC, SPA, NHA), 2026
- Trails. Sport Ireland: National Trails Register, 2026
- Residents. CSO: Census 2022 Small Areas (residents)
- National Parks. National Parks and Wildlife Service: National Park boundaries, generalised to 50 m (CC BY 4.0), 2022
- Things to do. OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL): viewpoints, hills, waterfalls, nature reserves, picnic sites, playgrounds, campsites and waymarked walks, Geofabrik extract, October 2026
- Historic parks and gardens. Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (CC BY 4.0)
- Bathing water. EPA: bathing water quality, 2025 season
- Weather. Met Éireann: 1991–2020 averages (Copyright Met Éireann)
Protected sites: National Parks and Wildlife Service (CC BY 4.0). Trails: Sport Ireland National Trails Register (CC BY 4.0). Bathing water: EPA (CC BY 4.0). Parks, woods and paths: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Not on this page yet: Coillte’s forest trails (its terms) and bike routes.
Contains Central Statistics Office (CSO) data, Census 2022, and Tailte Éireann boundaries (CSO Urban Areas, Small Areas, local electoral areas, constituencies), under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).