Sky Road begins just outside Clifden, following signs west from the town centre. The road climbs gradually away from Clifden before passing the entrance to Clifden Castle and eventually splitting into an upper and lower route. Both eventually loop around the Kingstown Peninsula and reconnect with the road back towards Clifden. The route is part of the wider Wild Atlantic Way and is one of the most celebrated coastal drives in the west of Ireland. You could physically drive the loop in around 30 minutes, but allow 1 to 1½ hours — because you are going to stop. Probably repeatedly. The main viewpoint alone deserves time, and there are several places along the upper road where the view suddenly seems better than the last one.

After passing the Clifden Castle entrance, the route divides into Upper Sky Road and Lower Sky Road. On a first visit, take the Upper Sky Road. That is where you will find the famous elevated views across Clifden Bay and the Atlantic. The lower road descends closer to the sea, small bays, houses and the offshore islands — both are beautiful, but Upper Sky Road gives you the classic postcard experience. The main viewpoint sits around 5.5km from Clifden. There is a small car park and viewing area beside the road. From here you get panoramic views across Clifden Bay, the Atlantic, offshore islands and the surrounding coastline. On a clear day, Galway Tourism highlights views towards Inishturk, Turbot Island, Omey Island and Ardmore, with wider views extending along the Atlantic coast.

Parking at the main viewpoint is free. The car park is not enormous, so during sunny weekends, summer afternoons and sunset periods it can become busy. Sky Road is narrow and is still used by residents, farm vehicles, cyclists, tour vehicles and normal traffic — do not block the road if the car park is full. Sky Road is also a classic cycling route around Clifden. The wider cycling loop is around 17km with roughly 150 metres of climbing early in the route. Galway Tourism suggests around 2 hours for the cycling loop. The road can also be walked, and there is a shorter Beach Road walking route from Clifden covering around 5km and taking approximately 1 to 2 hours. However, Sky Road does not have a continuous dedicated footpath, so walkers share the narrow road with traffic and need to stay alert and face oncoming vehicles where appropriate.

One of the best stops on Sky Road is Clifden Castle. The ruined Gothic Revival mansion was built in the early 19th century by John D'Arcy, the founder of Clifden, and sits around 2.5km west of the town near the beginning of Sky Road. There is only a very small pull-in area near the castle gates — Galway Tourism estimates space for roughly four cars. If the pull-in is full, come back later. From the gates, follow the rough track downhill towards the castle. Along the way you will pass a series of standing stones installed by D'Arcy as decorative features imitating prehistoric monuments. The ruins stand in a superb setting overlooking Clifden Bay and make an excellent addition to a Sky Road trip. There is also a monument to D'Arcy on Monument Hill, close to the beginning of Sky Road, with a lovely view back across Clifden with the Twelve Bens in the background.

Sky Road is famous for sunset. Discover Ireland specifically highlights its Atlantic sunsets, while Galway Tourism recommends the main viewing point as an especially good place to stop in the evening. If conditions are clear, it can be spectacular — the sun drops towards the Atlantic behind the islands. The viewpoint car park can become busy at sunset, so arrive well before rather than appearing five minutes beforehand expecting an empty space. Sunrise is quieter, with very little traffic, softer light and a much more peaceful viewpoint. Our recommendation is late afternoon — good light, plenty of time to stop, and potentially sunset over the Atlantic afterwards. There is really no bad time if visibility is good. Connemara also suits dramatic weather: low cloud drifting over the hills, sunlight breaking through gaps, rain moving across the Atlantic — it all adds atmosphere.

Sky Road works brilliantly in autumn. The heather and rough grasslands shift towards gold, brown, rust and deep green, and traffic is generally lighter than during the summer peak. On a crisp October afternoon, Sky Road can be exceptional. Winter is still worth doing, but days are short and roads may be wet, windy and occasionally icy — do the route during daylight. There are no major visitor facilities at the main viewpoint — no café, no visitor centre and no large public toilet block. Use facilities in Clifden before heading out. Clifden has cafés, restaurants, hotels, shops and public services, and is only minutes away. That is one reason Sky Road works so well — you are never far from one of Connemara's best towns for food, coffee, pubs and accommodation. Do the drive, then head straight back into Clifden for lunch or dinner.