Venturing down a woodland trail puts things into perspective. Trees join limbs before the sky and…read moresunshine filters down in golden patches. Bees land on wild flowers and the sound of birdsong is powerful. All of a sudden, the softest blanket of purple haze shimmers before me. A shock of bluebells huddle together, their heads downcast. The astonishing splendour of nature has awoken me and I feel like telling the bluebells to look up. Look up and appreciate the beauty around you. The magnificence of yourselves.

Went for a lovely walk here recently. It's a bit out of my way but I wouldn't mind coming back,…read moreespecially in Spring when the bluebells and wild garlic are in full bloom. Seemingly there are walks to the extend of 10km and well sign posted. Some of the ways we walked are lovely small. Just pure nature. A nice suurounding to unwind.

You can't expect to grow if you keep hanging around the same crowded spots or scrolling your phone…read moreall day. Donadea offers peaceful trails, fresh air, and a chance to clear the fog in your head. Walking those trails, you'll feel the stress melt away while surrounded by towering trees and calm waters that reset your energy and mindset

Lovely walk with amazing history to research. For kids, I can only imagine that their imaginations…read morego wild. 12th century castle ruins, old graveyard & church, lake, ancient stone walls--great place to explore. As an expat who survived 9/11, I was surprised by the 9/11 memorial on the grounds as well. Very thoughtful & moving tribute.

An enormous reservoir serving much of Dublin city's water, the Blessington Lakes (aka Poulaphouca…read morereservoir) seem natural enough - but were, in fact, made by damming the Liffey in the '30s. The dam at Poulaphouca is still used to generate electricity. Why the lakes don't show up on Google Maps is uncertain. Since then the lakes have proved popular with day trippers from Dublin - fishing, hiking and nature-watching are all typical pasttimes. There's a leisure centre in the area, focal point for many of these activities. Don't trip over the fishing poles on the bus on the way down. Motor boating is banned on the lakes, but canoeing and sailing are popular. Pity about the swimming though - it's strictly prohibited due to dangerous underwater currents and obstructions, the legacy of the flooded valley. Get there via the 65 bus from Eden Quay, Dublin. A drink in one of Blessington's numerous pubs is often an adventure before setting home.

This is just such a gorgeous spot! On sunny days, it actually feels like somewhere far away from…read moreIreland. You could nearly be on the coast of France or Spain! It's a bit of a walk down but so worth it. Bring a little picnic and chiiiilllllll time. Now all we need is a little bitta sun...

Beautiful beach . . . a bit of a hike down all the millions of steps but always worthwhile.read more

A lovely place. Great scenery on top with nice rocks. You can see the whole Dublin…read more Coming here mostly with a road bike. A good challenge to get up there. You may park at the bottom and walk up. Be prepared to sweat a little bit. There're at least two ways. I tried the other one and it was all gravel. No good for road bike. But nice walking experience.

Ticknock has up to 10 km of mountain and forest walks catering to seasoned hikers, mountain bikers,…read moreskateboarders, mountain runners, Sunday strollers and everyone in between with fantastic views from Dublin City to Bray Head. The forest has an extensive network of forest trails managed by Coillte and Ticknock is part of the Dublin Mountains Partnership which aims to improve the recreational use of the Dublin Mountains. The area comprises Two Rock, Three Rock, Kilmashogue and Tibradden Mountains. There are two trails specific to just Ticknock with the addition of the Wicklow Way Trail. The first trail 'Mountain Access Route' starts and finishes at the Ticknock Forest carpark. It meanders through the woodland paths before going straight up to the summit of Two Rock at Fairy Castle. This trail comes back down the same way. It's an 800m walk which takes about 20 mins. It's marked by Coillte and the Dublin Mountain Partnership as moderate and it seems to be used by runners a lot for training, as well as the occasional skateboarder on the lower part of the trail where it is tarmacadamed (I know this isn't a word, but you get what I mean!). I tend not to do this trail as it's a bit too short. The ground is partially forest walk, partially forest road and partially uneven mountain trails. It's a nice short, steep walk to the great views from Fairy Castle. The second trail 'The Fairy Castle Loop' starts and finishes at the same point but covers 5.5km and takes an estimated 1hr 45mins although as we took the wrong path for a little while on Sunday it took us closer to two hours, but hey, it was a lovely sunny day so no harm done The trail is also considered moderate. It's grand, a little uneven in places and some parts are a little on the steep side, but if you have any level of fitness you should be fine. This trail loops past Fairy Castle at the summit and passes Three Rock on the way back down (or up if you go in the opposite direction). Another thing to note is that the Dublin/Wicklow Way also runs through this part of the mountains, and so there are often other walkers coming from further afield. You can also extend your walk by heading along the Wicklow Way to either Tibradden Wood and joining the 'Tibradden Mountain Trail' or to Kilmashogue Forest which is another lovely walk. The Coillte and Dublin Mountains Partnership websites both have handy downloadable free maps which I would recommend taking if you're unsure of the trails and you don't want to bring an OSI map with you. The trails are well marked in places but not at every possible diverging fork. There is quite a lot of parking available at Ticknock as it is a very well used part of the mountains. Apparently the 44B is the closest public transport but I've had a look and it seems the closest stop might be at Lamb Doyle's.

The Wicklow Mountains are a stunning expanse of nature. Everything is so green and due to the low…read moretemperature, it stays all green. There are so many outdoor activities such as hiking, cycling, birdwatching, and scenic driving. A hike or walk here will ensure you some nature backed peace and calmness. the park is close to Dublin making for an easy 1/2 day or day trip. In my brain, mountains are supposed to be rock with no greenery: The Wicklow Mountains, however, are unlike many traditional mountain ranges and have lush greenery all over them. We did the Glendalough Lake upper and lower lakes hike.

If you have a few days to spend in Dublin, don't skip out on a visit to Wicklow…read more You'll need to rent a car or book a tour to get up here (about 40min from Dublin City Centre) but it was worth the trek. I had a friend drive me here and it was such an incredible experience. If you're visiting during the winter months, layer up. It gets cold and windy up there, but it's 100% worth it.

One of the most amazing beach in dublin. Liberty is the word. You feel appart and you can have an…read moreinspiring walk on the beach . Colors of the sunset are amazing.

Sandymount Strand is the southside version of Clontarf, with the added bonus of being able to walk…read moreon the sand! The area isn't quite as pretty as Clontarf, but the views are lovely. I find the view of the two towers (the red and white ones, I think they're from a power plant or something) very cute (as in, the 'ugly but intriguing' definition, not the 'ahh so gorgeous' definition). If you ever doubted that people in Dublin like dogs, just spend an afternoon at Sandymount Strand. A whole pet shop worth of dogs will pass you by in about 10 minutes. Lovely for a stroll, and great for watching storms roll in.

If you are in Dublin, do the side trip to Howth. It is about 30 minute bus or train ride from the…read morecenter of Dublin. Check to see if a festival is happening as it affects travel times. A Seafood Festival was happening when we were there so it was crowded. If you take the city bus m, it drops you at the top of the cliff walk and you can walk back down. We ended up walking up and catching the bus back to Dublin at the top. The trail we did was the easy one. It went through residential areas for the first half. As we got further up, we could see some of the views. When you get to the top, the view are amazing. You can see a lighthouse and the Eye of Ireland island. The trail was moderately strenuous. A restaurant/bar is about 5 minutes from the top. A parking lot is at the top. You can walk down on different trails. Some trails are along the sea. A small convenience store is across from The bus stop. We waited about 10 minutes for the bis.

The seaside cliff hike was absolutely breathtaking and one of the highlights of our trip. The trail…read moreis about 5K (around 3 miles) and offers stunning ocean views the entire way. The scenery was gorgeous, with lush green foliage surrounding the path and beautiful purple and yellow flowers blooming throughout the hike. The trail was well maintained and easy to enjoy at a relaxed pace while taking in the incredible coastal views. There were so many perfect spots to stop for photos and simply appreciate the peaceful atmosphere and fresh ocean air. If you enjoy nature, scenic walks, and beautiful seaside landscapes, I would definitely recommend this hike. It was such a memorable experience and a perfect way to spend a day outdoors.

I was in Dublin recently and went for a walk in the Dublin Mountains with Liz from Trails & Tales…read more What a wonderful experience and the weather wasn't even that great! The scenery was beautiful; it was so peaceful, the terrain was diverse in its beauty and appeal. The tales were interesting and stimulating and it was obvious that my guide, Liz, was familiar with the territory, its history and it myths. My 10k walk was leisurely, but if you like you can do a longer, more strenuous one. All you have to do is ask. My advice is that if you go to Dublin contact Trails and Tales. Get a group together and have a wonderful "walk". You will fill your memory bank and be glad you did.

From the owner: We specialise in short walking tours for visitors to Dubllin. Our tours take place in the Dublin…read moreMountains and we can collect from Luas green or red line or indeed your hotel. Our aim is to show you the sights of the Dublin Mountains which has varied scenary from lake views to scenes of the city below.