It has been around 10 days since I landed in Ireland for my study and this little country keep surprising me with its natural beauty!
For me who rarely go for jogs, walks, hikes, or any outdoor sports, the sunny and windy days of Ireland's summer (it never exceeds 18°C everyday!) allows me to enjoy things I thought I never like before. So when one of my colleague asked the group if anyone interested for small hike to Howth, I was up for the challenge.
Howth is a small village on eastcoast of Dublin. It is pretty much accessible from any parts of the city, and it only costs 2-3€ (using Leap card) for one way journey using DART (Dublin's Railway). Although it is also known for its historic nature, many people come on weekends for hike trails along its beautiful hills and cliffs.
If you are traveling from city center, Tara St. or Connolly DART station will be your main choice to hop from and the journey will take around 40 mins. I took DART from Dun Laoghaire -another beautiful port area- as it is closer to my home and I reached in around 1 hour 15 mins.
Our group assembled at 11 AM and went to Howth Market for some freshly baked pastries and coffee. Make sure to buy some food if you want to do little picnic on the cliffs! The pastries are tempting, the people are friendly, and it is a must to grab one of their specialty seafood (calamari at the tram chowder stall is bomb!)
In Howth, there are 4 hike options for you to choose, highlighted by different color which maps available on the tourist information center (located opposite of the railway station). Each trail differs in difficulty level and total length of the journey. For this trip, we opted for blue trail, categorized as intermediate and last for 1 hour.
The hike path was very walkable, especially for beginners like me. I passed few residential areas along the journey and the hills are complimented with beautiful seaside as well as greeneries. It is not uncommon to see school trips, joggers and people with their fury friends walk for some fresh air. Once you are in the middle of the trail, you will start noticing a lot of flower fields and berry plants on your left and right.
Despite no signal situation, we knew we reached midpoint of our journey as we see a cliffhouse and area where a lot of people sit on. We did not have a picnic on the cliff, but it is definitely recommended.
The journey back then last around 30 mins and it is a lot more civilized than original path. We crossed one of the main street, passed Summit Inn pub (The only food spot option at the top of hill and access to washroom) and walked pedestrian pavement most of times. The end point will take you back to train station and bus stop for convenient access.
Overall ratings? Easily 8.5 out of 10. I did not know hiking can be such a joy! It is definitely a good and fun exercise to go on weekends and if you have longer time, take some time to discover the whole village and historic ruins. If you are planning to cover the whole area, make sure you arrive earlier.
Let me know in the comments if you have been to Howth before and I am excited to hear your itineraries or discoveries!
Until next time,
Cheers! Stella
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