Ireland is dotted with enchanting buildings such as Kylemore Castle.

Sunlight spills through the clouds to shine on the silky flanks of two gray horses grazing peacefully on the mountainside. Behind them the Atlantic Ocean stretches to the horizon, swirling around the islands of Inishturk and Turbot. Thousands of miles out there is North America…. But here, on the ragged fringes of Europe, I still feel at home.

Connemara is a magical place where you’ll find music and poetry in the landscape, and Gaelic culture still thrives (it’s common to hear Irish spoken). Down winding country lanes, tucked into the folds of mountains, you’ll find 200-year-old cottages inhabited by friendly locals (and a few expats), always ready with a smile and a wave.

A land of lakes, rivers, bog, and seascapes, Connemara is wild and beautiful, but it’s not remote. This area of the Irish county of Galway is less than an hour from the city with the same name.

Known as “The City of the Tribes,” Galway is a bohemian place with a large student population. Brightly painted bars, cafés, and restaurants line the narrow cobblestone streets, and the city has a hip vibe like Greenwich Village in New York City.

It’s a hub of Irish culture and has a thriving nightlife, music, and theater scene. Finding a “trad session” (traditional Irish music) is about as easy as finding a pint of Guinness. If you’re looking for both, then one top spot is Club Arus. This hole-in-the-wall bar is a local favorite. I walk in to find a circle of 10 cheerful musicians playing harps, fiddles, flutes, and uileann pipes. A girl in the middle clicks her heels in a jig. It may sound clichéd, but this is the genuine thing, characteristically Irish.

The bay the city sits on is known for its oysters, and the city hosts an oyster festival every September. That doesn’t mean you can’t sample the local seafood all year round. A meal of freshly fried cod, vinegar-soaked fries, and oysters so-fresh-you-can-taste-the-saltwater costs me $15. As I’m about to dig in, Faye, an old friend from back in the U.S., wanders in. I haven’t seen her for eight years, but I’m not surprised. Galway is like that.

There’s plenty to occupy you in and around the city. You can take walking tours, explore the city’s medieval heritage, or take a cruise out to the Aran Islands for $36. There are surf schools, diving, seaweed baths, and more.

But for me, the highlight of this part of Ireland is a driving tour of Connemara. Oscar Wilde called the region “a savage beauty,” and it’s easy to see why. This is the Ireland of your imagination, from the rugged “Twelve Bens” mountains to the hundreds of hidden coves and deserted beaches.

Shaggy sheep rule the shoulders of the roads out here. Herds trot along the verge scrambling over old, dry stone walls. Every few miles you’ll find a small village – usually not much more than a pub, store, and a couple of houses. Feeling peckish, I stop off for breakfast in one. I skip the traditional Irish option of bacon, sausage, black pudding (a blood sausage), fried egg, and toast, opting instead for a delicious vegetarian breakfast of baked beans, hash browns, an egg, and oven-roasted tomatoes. Total cost: $9.

A friendly local at a nearby table advises me to stop by Lough Inagh, a secluded lake area. Here the peaks of the “Twelve Bens” reflect perfectly in the dark waters of the lake. As the clouds shift, a misty rain starts to fall and a rainbow frames the mountains.

From the road you’ll spot castles and the grand homes of Ireland’s old ruling class. The most noteworthy is Kylemore Abbey, one of Ireland’s most romantic castles. Built in 1868 for a wealthy British politician, today it’s a Benedictine convent. The nuns bought the castle in 1914 after fleeing from Belgium. You can tour the castle and part of the grounds, but visitors have to take a short bus ride to the walled gardens so as not to disturb nuns walking the grounds in contemplation.

A 20-minute drive from Kylemore Abbey, Clifden is one of the principal towns of Connemara. This seaside town is dotted with charming cafés, souvenir shops, and hotels. Prices here in the “Capital of Connemara” are relatively high (typical meals in this town will cost you around $20).

But if you’re looking for an affordable lunch, try the Connemara Hamper, a lovely artisanal deli, run by an equally lovely woman who touts “Bruce Springsteen cheese.” After a concert in Dublin, “the Boss” apparently mass-ordered Mossfield Organic Farm’s cheese and took a number of wheels. The cheese, which tastes a bit like Gouda, now has celebrity status. A few slices, along with a tasty smoked-salmon and caper-berry sandwich, costs me $9.50.

There’s plenty of good-value accommodation around Connemara. One particularly attractive bed and breakfast is the Kylemore House, a luxurious Georgian house built over 220 years ago (KylemoreHouse.net). You can get an antique-decorated room with a fireplace here for $50 to $80.

Despite the many tourists you’re likely to find in this part of Ireland, it still maintains its Irish character. It’s green, friendly, music-filled Ireland. You can fly into Shannon and take a bus or drive to Galway City (about 1.15 hours). Galway is about a two-and-a-half hours’ drive from Dublin on a good road, and for $50 round-trip, you have the option of taking a train as well.

Seven Tips for Driving in Ireland

For your own, genuine Irish adventure, it’s best to get out into the countryside and explore. A rental car gives you the freedom to see Ireland on your schedule – if from the “wrong” side of the road. Irish roads are in good condition and the recent boom saw big improvements in infrastructure. Drivers are courteous. Follow these tips to make your experience as seamless as possible.

1. Relax. Take a deep breath. The basic rules of the road are the same in Ireland, where they drive on the left, as they are back home. Don’t overthink it: You know how to drive. Just pay attention to what the driver in front of you is doing and you’ll be all right.

2. Just as in the States, renting a car across the pond requires a credit card, a passport, and a driver’s license. Depending on size, cars cost about $18 to $35 per day.

3. Watch the left side of the car. I clipped a number of curves during my trip and came very close to losing my left mirror. It takes time to get used to the new spatial dimensions.

4. Make sure you know if the car takes petrol (gas) or diesel. The rental agent will let you know which fuel to use. Using the wrong fuel destroys the engine.

5. Get insurance. Normally, it’s better to be safe than sorry. And it only costs around $15 more a day.

6. Rent an automatic. If you’re comfortable driving a manual transmission back home, you’ll be fine in Ireland. But just to make the transition easier, you can stick to an automatic for safety and convenience.

7. You’ll find roundabouts across Ireland. These can be confusing. Just make sure to look to your right and stay on the left when you advance.