A beach just an hour away from London and Edinburgh has deep blue waters and white sand that wouldn't look out of place in Bali.
Generally when people consider jetting off for a week's holiday kicking back on the beach, Spain, Greece and the south of France are high up on the consideration list.
Perhaps added to their number should be the west coast of Ireland, which has been snapped looking like a tropical paradise, Galway Beo reported.
Paul Anthony headed to Mannin Bay in Ballyconneely last week to photograph the deep blue waters of the ocean meeting the white sands under a near cloudless sunny sky.
He quipped that he was on a "Weekend in Bali... I mean Ballyconneely" in the caption next to the shot, which shows an endless seeming beach and incredibly tempting looking water.
Ballyconneelly is just one of the beaches in Galway that can rival those that feature in the holiday brochures of coastal countries, the only different being that the weather in Ireland doesn't always play ball.
However, Galway has been enjoying a hot patch in recent weeks, warming up the usually icy Atlantic waters and tempting crowds down to the beach.
Weather experts have predicted that the mercury will hit the mid-twenties across the west later this week, providing the perfect excuse to explore parts of the beautiful coastline in the country.
One of those is Keem Beach on Achill Island, County Mayo, which is a picturesque cove that can be reached only by winding cliff-top roads and holds a Blue Flag for its sparkling clear waters.
Online reviewers praised its “mesmerising views”, “golden sand” and “turquoise water” – but warned driving there is “not for the faint-hearted”.
Despite its remote location Keem is no stranger to acclaim and regularly appears on international round-ups. It was named the third-best beach in the world by the Conde Nast Traveller magazine in 2019.
Coumeenoole Beach on the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry is another spot that is well worth a visit, in no small part due to the views from its secluded, rocky outcrops.
Silver Strand on Malin Beg in County Donegal, which one reviewer described as “a great place for lovers of hidden, calm and not very crowded beaches”, is another that shouldn't be overlooked when the weather is good.
Galway itself is a great city to visit and can be reached easily by flights of around an hour from a number of UK airports or via a combination or train and place.
The harbour settlement sits where the River Corrib meets the Atlantic Ocean and is known for its incredibly good pub culture, with trad bands hopping from bar to bar to entertain the drinkers.
The city’s hub is 18th-century Eyre Square, a popular meeting spot surrounded by shops, traditional pubs, stone-clad cafes, boutiques and art galleries.
A short journey out of Galway takes you to the Cliffs of Moher which run for 12km, rise more than 100m in height and are some of the most dramatic geological formations on the British Isles.
