On the coast road west of Galway City, Spiddal has two beaches; one is by the roadside east of the village, the other is sheltered behind the pier and is reached by means of a narrow road west of the village. The rocks behind the pier, and the pier itself, provide some shore angling when the mackerel shoals are in.
Spiddal is busy in summer as the road on which it stands is one of only two by which the heart of Connemara can be reached. There is a 'craft village' (really a collection of workshops on one site) where a variety of craft items is produced.
Near Spiddal was the home of the historian Roderick O'Flaherty, who died in poverty nearby in 1718. Spiddal is a noted centre for students of the Irish Language; a school devoted to this purpose, Coláiste Chonnact stands on the outskirts of the village.
