I'm looking for some suggestions or recommendation for a base town for an Irish Hiking/Walking vacation. I'm planning a week long stay in Ireland for a hiking/walking trip. My plan is to pick one location, and then do day trips from there. Just day trips, nothing longer than 12-15 miles.
I'd prefer to not have a rental car, but it might not be possible.. I'm looking for a base location where I will stay the entire week; that has 4 or 5 nice day hikes, in the nearby area (less than an hour drive or bus to the trailhead). Mountain hikes, beach hikes, lakes, rivers, farmlands, all are acceptable... Other local attractions (castle, museum, etc) would be a plus... I'm combinging this with a 10 day loop trip around Ireland, hitting the highlights, so this week will be a chance to focus on one place and try to become a temporary local.. I realize there may be hundreds of places like this in Ireland, but was just looking for recommendations or experiences from others who may have "been there, done that"! :-)
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9371 posts
You're right, there are many places in Ireland like that. Two that I would suggest are the Killarney area (national park, historic sites, trails) and the Clifden area in Connemara (national park, seafront, historic sites, trails).
Posted by
Myrtle Beach, USA
12315 posts
Kilarney would be my choice. You can hike from town through the National Park to Muckross Castle or you can drive a little ways to other hiking trails. You can also use it as a base to drive the Ring of Kerry or Dingle.
Posted by
wichita, kansas
484 posts
You might take a look at www.wicklowway.com, it is easy to reach by both train and bus from Dublin. This is probably not the format you want but it is worth a look. www.walkingireland.ie
Posted by
wichita, kansas
484 posts
Sorry, the walkingireland site seems to be mostly Donegal and somewhat dated. Although Donegal is very scenic and undervisited, it is not easy to reach using public transportation except by bus.