Certified Eco Accommodation in the Northwest: Leitrim and Sligo
The northwest of Ireland between Sligo Bay and Lough Allen has six independently certified eco properties, two different certification frameworks (EU Ecolabel and Green Tourism Gold), and some of the most distinctive small eco stays on the island. It is one of the least visited parts of Ireland and one of the most rewarding for travellers who prefer the company of very few other people.
County Leitrim: Three Certified Properties with International Credentials
Leitrim is Ireland’s least populous county. It has three independently certified eco properties, and all three hold international rather than purely Irish certifications.
Ard Nahoo Eco Retreat near Dromahair holds the EU Ecolabel, the European Union’s official environmental certification, assessed to EU-wide standards covering energy, water, waste, biodiversity, and chemical management. Three self-catering eco cabins built from Irish timber, insulated with hemp, powered by wind turbines. Also operates as a yoga school and wellness retreat.
Pink Apple Orchard near Drumkeeran holds Ecotourism Ireland Gold, the highest level of Irish eco tourism certification. A family-run glamping retreat with handbuilt yurts, a Hobbit House, a tipi, and a gypsy wagon, on a no-WiFi site near the southern shore of Lough Allen. The Ecotourism Ireland Gold certification was earned and renewed through independent audit.
Bush Hotel in Carrick-on-Shannon holds the EU Ecolabel, making it one of only a handful of Irish hotels to hold this award. A 3-star family-run property with a 200-year heritage in the Shannon’s principal inland waterway town.
Leitrim’s three certified properties represent a combination of EU and Irish eco certification that is not found in any other small county in Ireland.
County Sligo: Three Certified Hotels in One Town
Sligo town has three certified hotels: more certified eco hotels in a single town than most counties in Ireland have in total.
Clayton Hotel Sligo holds Green Tourism Gold, the top tier of the internationally recognised Green Tourism programme, aligned with GSTC global sustainable tourism criteria. A 4-star hotel with 170 rooms and a full leisure club, one of the largest hotels in northwest Ireland.
Sligo Park Hotel holds the Green Hospitality Eco-Label, independently assessed under Ireland’s hospitality sector standard. In 2024 the hotel also installed solar panel infrastructure as a capital investment in its climate action programme.
Radisson Blu Hotel and Spa Sligo holds the Green Hospitality Eco-Label, adding a second GHP-assessed property to the town’s certified offering.
The Northwest as an Eco Travel Route
Sligo and Leitrim connect naturally with Donegal to the north (four certified properties) and with each other within a very short drive.
From Carrick-on-Shannon (Bush Hotel), Pink Apple Orchard and Ard Nahoo are both within 30 to 40km, and Sligo town is 40km north. From Sligo, Donegal Town is 80km north, and Ballyliffin on the Inishowen Peninsula is 130km.
A northwest eco travel route might look like: arrive in Sligo (certified hotel, two nights). Drive south through Leitrim (overnight at Ard Nahoo or Pink Apple Orchard, one or two nights). Return north through Sligo and into Donegal for the final leg (overnight at Harvey’s Point or Ballyliffin Lodge, one to two nights).
The entire route stays within certified eco accommodation and passes through some of the most distinctive landscape in Ireland: Benbulben, the Leitrim drumlin country, Lough Allen, Lough Eske, and the Inishowen Peninsula.
Why the Northwest Is Underrated for Eco Travel
Several reasons:
Kerry, Clare, and Galway take the majority of eco tourism promotion in the west of Ireland. The northwest, despite holding seven certified properties in just two of its counties, receives a fraction of the attention.
The landscape quality in Sligo and Leitrim is high: Benbulben, Strandhill, the drumlin belt, Lough Allen, and the Leitrim hills are all distinctive. The surf culture around Strandhill and Rossnowlagh attracts a specific visitor demographic that overlaps significantly with eco-conscious travellers.
The crowd levels are lower than the southwest. In July and August, Leitrim and inland Sligo are genuinely quiet. Certified eco properties here, particularly the small glamping and retreat operations, operate at lower guest volumes by design.
Browse Certified Eco Stays in Leitrim | Browse Certified Eco Stays in Sligo | Browse Certified Eco Stays in Donegal
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