Known locally as Jamesons beach this is a real hidden gem - in fact I shouldn't even be telling you…read moreabout it ! So at the risk of getting thrown out of "The Peninsula Club" here goes. The beach lies at the bottom of the cliff path between Sutton and Howth. It is directly beneath the house that was occupied by the Jameson family (yes the whiskey dudes) and there is a little tunnel from the house that leads to the cliff path. They had children who liked to swim in the ocean but they were worried that they might swept out to sea and end up on the beach in Wales. So Mr.Jameson built a wall in the sea and in doing so created a makeshift seawater swimming pool. There is a big diving rock on the outer edge and a small little pool in the shallows for the littlest swimmers. Sadly due to the power of the sea a lot of the walls have crumbled but you can still see them at low tide. The beach itself is quite small but the views are spectacular. The path down although partly paved is steep and rocky so not suitable for small kids or those unsteady on their pins. To get to the beach you can walk up along the cliff path from Sutton or walk down from the Summit or Carrickbrack Road - There are a few other access points to the cliff walk

Having grown up with amazing Australian beaches on my doorstep, I often long for a deserted sandy…read morebeach to escape to, to indulge my sand and surf addiction. Howth doesn't cut it, nor Dun Laoghaire, and Bray doesn't have the answer either. For me, the only Dublin beach that even goes halfway towards holding the answers to all of life's problems is Malahide. If you're lucky enough (go on a weekday!) you might even get the entire beach to yourself. There's nothing more enthralling than being alone with a vast expanse of beach infront of you, and being free to skip, dance, sing or scream, whatever floats your boat at the time. Malahide Beach is also good for a sit down. It offers a lovely vista out to Lambay Island, Howth and Island's Eye (depending on how far you walk, that is..) Also look on the ground.. there are some lovely shells for the finding if you look hard enough. From Malahide Beach you can take the coastal walk all the way to Portmarnock (but beware, it's 5km away so is no stroll through the park.) Malahide is definitely my pick of Dublin beaches.

I love this beach on my doorstep. The views are amazing across to other beaches such as Donabate…read more It's s short beach but links to portmarnock beach by footpath which is a great length for walking and running in the evening...... 5km each way. Unfortunately no swimming on malahide beach due to dangerous tides.

I don't know how I never knew this beach was here! I felt like my Dub credentials were under threat…read moredue to my ignorance until I realised that apparently nobody else knows about it, not even Yelp! It's a lovely stretch of beach with pure white sand that I can only assume was imported... Located at the back of Sutton Village you have Ireland's Eye, Howth Head and Malahide on the horizon and a lovely mix of young, old, Irish and new Irish alike, not to mention some rather impressive eye candy (i.e. Tim sunning). Definitely my new fair weather spot!

Having grown up on this beach it holds a special place in my heart but I thinks it's one of the…read morenicest beaches in Dublin. Located on the Burrow Road it is known as either Burrow Beach or Hole in the wall beach as the access to the beach used to be through a large hole in a wall - you still need to climb over what's left of the wall but much easier now ! It's a lovely long flat beach and has great views out to Ireland's Eye. It's good for swimming but be careful as there can be strong currents. A great walk you can do is to get the DART to Sutton station which is very close to the beach and then walk along the beach up to Howth - then you could walk the pier and replenish your lost calories with some chips or just jump back on the DART. This however is only possible at low tide and you must be careful not to get trapped by the incoming tide

Beautiful little fishing village located just a 30 minute train ride from Dublin!…read more We heard great things about Howth and honestly this made a great side trip on our first day in Dublin. Away from the city we were transported to a small village town with gorgeous scenery and people. We went for a ferry ride to see Irelands eye and the Howth cliffs and unfortunately it got too foggy during the tour. For an hour long it was mostly fog but we did see a seal just chilling in the water. It was sunny on the mainland so it was very unexpected that there would be not much visibility on the water. We wanted to see puffins but they are rare to see I think. The ferry ride was pricey so not sure I would recommend it especially since you're not guaranteed to see everything. I would suggest going up the Howth cliffs walk as it is a beautiful view from up top! The locals in the village are also super friendly and love a good chat. Such a great place to visit if you are travelling around Dublin!

Without a doubt one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited…read more Howth is a quaint and beautiful fishing village only about 30 minutes away from Dublin if you take the Dart train from Connelly station. It was 6,50 euro round trip per person and trains pass by about every 20 minutes or so. I would definitely recommend visiting the Howth Market if you come on the weekend. It's like a little farmers market that sells loads of coffee, tea, baked good, prepared foods, souvenirs, etc. This market is located right across the street when you exit the Dart station, you can't miss it. Once you're done there if you continue walking towards the ocean there is a trail that leads you to Howth's head and while you're making your way over there you'll pass by many shops and restaurants. The trail is a steep climb, and if you're not in relatively good shape or have proper shoes on, I'd recommend just staying in town and maybe having a drink at one of the many pubs, but if you're able to make the climb, it's completely worth it. The views are absolutely breath taking, and along the way there are endless vines of wild black berries which you'll see various people (myself included) eating as a snack. I ended up climbing the top by myself while the rest of my party waited for me back down. Please be careful and don't be stupid and take selfies in dangerous areas, make sure to stay on the trail all the time. Enjoy the beauty and charm that Howth offers, I loved it more than Dublin itself.

Shelley Banks Beach is a relatively quiet beach near Sandymount. On the South side of Dublin, it…read moreoverlooks the twinkling lights and housetops of Dun Laoghaire. I came here on a beautiful summer's day when the Irish sun was in full force. When the weather is good, the beach is the perfect place to relax and get a tan. Another fun activity is beachcombing. There are beautiful seashells to collect. I even found a few crabs and oysters too. The place was virtually empty, save a wind surfer or two so privacy is not an issue here. The water is relatively clean as well. This beach was one of the very few ones that got a blue flag, meaning that the water quality is good and safe to swim in.

"The Great South Wall (also sometimes called the South Bull Wall) took some fifty years to…read moreconstruct and was finally completed in 1795. It was the world's longest sea-wall at the time of its building and still remains one of the longest in Europe." what a great walk! its never too crowded because other people are walking along the beach. the surface is a bit uneven so you definitely need to wear runners, no fancy high heels here! What i love about this place, being a south sider i always have one perspective of Dublin city and this gives a totally new view. it is breathtaking really.

I love this walk, how did I not know about it for so many years of living in Dublin??…read more It's just about long enough for a nice post teatime walk in the working week. The views both left and right are nice. While the lighthouse at the end of the wall is nice to inspect on your first visit. The bird life is good too, if you are a bit of a twitcher. And the great big boats coming and going are something to watch as you make your way there and back. The only reason I don't give it five stars is because the ground can be quite uneven. So be careful if you are not sturdy on your feet or have a dodgy knee like me.

It's a sandy beach! Nice, clean, fine, lovely-to-walk-in sand!…read more In the last spate of sunny weather, I trekked out to Killiney thinking this was the spot, the pretty spot the place to go. Pretty yes, nice to sit down or lie on, no! It's all stoney and not conducive to the lazy beach day you would generally have in your mind. Now as for Portmarnock! I had quite the opposite image in my mind, especially after the recent press, but ladies and gentlemen, you will be rather pleasantly surprised if you take the trip out here! Ice cream vans, sculptures, a nice grassy verged area, a huuuuggge beach that goes on for miles, and - wait for it - SANDY sand! The only cautionary note I will end with is - if you're not a major fan of teenagers, or perhaps the younger childer - perhaps stay away. The place is jam packed full of em! The further down the beach you go (away from the parking), the better. You get better sand, more of it, and you are less likely to have to stick some ear plugs in! Re. the parking - we ended up driving into one of the local estates as we couldn't find room anywhere along the roads, and the White Sands Hotel was charging a tenner (TEN EURITS!!) to make the most of their tarmac!

When I have worked too much and have too many tests to correct and too many lessons to prepare and…read moretoo much going on (wow I need to breathe!), I cycle all the way from Dublin centre to this beach. I love cycling and this route is about 17 kms long and I love every second of it! This place makes me feel peaceful and the strand is very long with beautiful rocks and scenery. If you do not exercise that much, there are buses and a main Dart train line in this area too. There is also a Martello tower overlooking the beach, a very local small ice cream stand besides several hotels along the path and a nice monument to honor the first solo westbound transatlantic flight which began there. When you are in the middle of the beach you can see a bit far away Ireland's Eye, a tiny uninhabited island directly north of Howth Harbour. I swim most of the times when I am feeling brave enough and the waves can be quite rough so you need to be a kind of good swimmer.

I so love this promenade. Walking or running along here on a sunny day is one of those experiences…read morethat truly reminds you of the joy of life's simple pleasures. It's completely free and you can't help but feel better about the world afterwards. This is a fantastic running spot-it's flat, scenic, safe....and even more importantly-you get to run on grass. Pavement running can be tough on sensitive souls like me and it can be a struggle to find nice shock absorbing grass without ending up in a field full of cows and their excrement. Generations (probably) of runners have worn a little path into the grass all along the promenade so that it's both easy to run on and free of ankle-twisting potential. Just walking along is one of my favourite pastimes too. On a sunny weekend the place is buzzing with families, buggies, couples, walkers, runners, men with flags, picnickers....but doesn't seem crowded. The excellent cycle lane which extends to Howth means that there is no danger of being mown down. Benches and shelters along the route make it easy to stop and soak up the view. I love the weird yellow and orange exercise things. I plan on making use of them some day....when nobody is around to see! A stroll out to Bull Island is invigorating and it's very difficult to believe that you're still in Dublin out there. The only problem is having to come back over the bridge and back to reality :-(

Who would have thought that just half an hour's walk north of Dublin's city centre you could find a…read moretranquil and picturesque park overlooking sailing boats and the Dublin harbour? Definitely not I, when I moved to Dublin. My first experiences of this fascinating city were of drug pushers and the homeless in Marlborough St and the surrounding delightful nooks and crannies of D1. It was a while before I even ventured south of the Temple Bar region. Yes indeedy, my initial experience of Dublin was most certainly not a balanced one. However, when I finally found a place to call home just north of the city I came across the serenity and the class of Clontarf Promenade. I confess I was astounded. This does not even LOOK like Ireland! Where are the bargain basement shops and the jostling elbows and the 101 fast food outlets? The Prom, as I affectionately refer to it, has been the site for many a sun-soaked picnic or morning jog. It is an expansive, wonderfully green (shut up, I'm Australian - we get excited about grass and stuff), and family friendly place to spend a morning, afternoon or Summer evening. It's a favourite route of many of the area's joggers and cyclists - walking and cycling tracks take you all the way from Fairview through to Bull Bridge (where you can continue along the wooden bridge to Bull Island if you still have the energy). I'm especially fond of the bright yellow exercise machines placed along the running track. As someone with an inexplicable phobia of gyms I convince myself that a jog along the prom and a short turn on the outdoor exercise bike and weightlifting apparatus will suffice for all my exercise needs (and I think I'm justified here). Clontarf Promenade is a wonderfully peaceful place to chill out in, I definitely recommend trying it (on a sunny day!) The 130 bus from Abbey St serves this area, and Clontarf Dart station is a stone's throw away.

The Howth Cliff Walk in Howth, Ireland offers BEAUTIFUL views of the ocean, Irish countryside, and…read morein the distance, you'll see the Bailey Lighthouse that looks straight out of a storybook! (fyi, the lighthouse is on private property so you can't access the lighthouse up close) See pics/videos included w/ this review of the beautiful cliff walk. There are a few different routes you can do but my hubby and I did "The Howth Summit Walk" on Friday, 10/10/2025, which took us about 1.5 hr to complete & this was w/ us stopping to take in the beautiful view and taking lots of pics/videos along the route. This route was fairly easy going down, w/ only a few spots along the route when coming back up that got your heart rate up. I do recommend that you wear tennis shoes (even better hiking shoes) and comfortable clothing. We saw so many people not wearing tennis shoes and instead thought they were doing a fashion shoot on the trail & it did not look comfortable at all - not to mention, not safe! We did a day trip to Howth from Dublin and it was a straightforward and short trip. Fyi(s) - ---- There are a few portable toilets onsite and there is a private parking lot for those who drive themselves. ---- The was also a mobile truck onsite that sold coffee. --- It was cloudy on the day we hiked but the views were still so beautiful! -- - We started our hike around 12pm and despite there being plenty of people there, we were able to have the hiking trail to ourselves. Hope this info helps!

What's up: Wrapping up my trip with one last hike/walk. Since I was in the Swords area, Howth was…read moreone of the places I wanted to check out due to its views. Transit: From Swords, I took Go Ahead Ireland 102 from Forest View bus stop to Sutton Station bus stop and then transferred over to the DART Howth from Sutton Station to Howth Station. If arriving by car, there is a small parking area available right before the trailhead. Environment: There is a single outhouse near the parking area before you head out on the trail. Since it rained overnight, the route was a bit muddy. And as expected, the view was not great lol. However, the trail was well marked and had markers with colored arrows directing your way; I followed the Green Loop. While I didn't get much of a view due to the fog and cloud coverage, the trail did take me past historical marker Eire 6 which is an aerial recognition sign (that was kinda cool). And towards the end, it did clear up and I was able to get a view of Ireland's Eye. The end of the Green Loop will take you into the residential area to loop you back towards Howth Station. Yay/Nay/Meh: Yay, this was a nice hike along the cliffs. There are also benches along the way. Overall, it was a nice hike.