It is one of the wettest places in Ireland. It is also, with its constantly shifting light patterns and rugged, rocky shorelines, one of the most magical.

Astute marketing has, over the past couple of years, turned Killary Harbour into "Ireland's only fjord" - fjords being, of course, infinitely more interesting than inlets - but the landscape hasn't changed since the combined force of several Ice Age glaciers gouged a rift between the mountain ranges of what would, aeons later, come to be called the counties of Mayo and Galway.

The jury may still be out on whether Killary is a true fjord, but the parameters of fjord-dom - "long and narrow, bounded by mountains and deeper along its length than at its mouth" - might have been invented to describe it, while the extraordinary, untamed beauty associated with the word fjord is well to the fore.

As for trolls, one glance at Mweelrea Mountain would be enough to suggest to any supernatural creature of malevolent intent that they'd found a place to live happily ever after.

At a whopping 800 metres, its glowering hulk dominates the harbour's northern shore - and, incidentally, causes all that rain by creating a misty microclimate.

The southern shore is more accessible to walkers, who can make their way to Killary Harbour Youth Hostel at Rosroe by following the Bunowen Road off the N59, then taking a series of paths that, perhaps to match the scenery, get wilder as they wend westwards, from tarmac to gravel to mud to whatever you're having yourself.

Seriously adventurous folk can climb the broad-shouldered grassy slopes of Leenane Hill, whose summit, at more than 600 metres, offers views to the north-west as far as the island of Inisturk and, if you look out behind you, all the way to Lough Corrib.

But that, of course, is on a clear day. If it's raining - or even if it isn't - you could treat yourself to a catamaran trip on the harbour. From the quay at Nancy's Point, just west of Leenane village, the spanking-new, all-white Connemara Lady will bring you to the sea and back again, a round trip of approximately 90 minutes, for £11.

There are four sailings a day from April 1st to October 30th. You can get more details from the company's website, at www.sea-cruiseconnemara.com.