Hike the Dingle walking trail
It is a bit of a long one, but before the 179km long walking trail puts you off, rest assured that there are smaller subsections that you can choose to walk instead. Offering stunning views of the Atlantic, passing mountains, archaeological sites and tranquil farmland, the trail starts and finishes in Tralee.
Classed as easy to moderate in difficulty, smaller sections between the towns and villages along the way are four to nine hours long, while the entire trail takes about eight days. You will pass towns such as Dingle, Cloghane and Camp and have plenty of opportunity to refuel or stay the night. Adventure galore, we say!
Explore the Titanic Belfast
This is the real deal – the birthplace of the Titanic, the “unsinkable” ship. Titanic Belfast tells the story of the Titanic, from its design all the way to her maiden voyage. You can take a self-guided tour, called the Titanic Experience. This will allow you entry into nine interactive galleries, which tells the ship’s story and plays on sight, smell and sound to immerse you in the experience.
You can also opt for the guided Discovery Tour, an outdoor walk, which takes you through why and how the ship was built, what happened at sea, as well as personal stories of the people who were on the ship. There are regular talks and events at Titanic Belfast, so take a look on their website (www.titanicbelfast.com) if you are interested in finding out more about the Titanic.
Did you know that to see the largest stalactite in Europe, all you have to do is take a trip to Co Clare? Doolin Cave offers guided walking tours that take you 200ft underground along passages and pathways until you reach the dome of the cave, where the Great Stalactite hangs. After asking all visitors if they are comfortable with this, the tour operator turns off the lights before you get to the stalactite.
This enables visitors to imagine what it must have been like for the cavers Brian Varley and Mike Dickinson when they discovered the Great Stalactite, as the light gets turned on and the 7.3m long stalactite comes on show. The tour takes about 50 minutes and visitors will be provided with hard hats.
Cycle the Foyle Valley Cycle Route
Swerving back and forth between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, this cycle route will lead you through counties Donegal, Derry and Tyrone. The 33.9km-long path starts in Derry and ends in Strabane and is a mixture of traffic-free paths and quiet country roads. There are attractions such as Foyle Valley Railway Museum or the Gray’s Printer’s Museum along the way.
There are many stunning art works on the cycle route that will surely get you off your bike to take a better look. For example, there are two viewing structures along the Foyle River. The two structures are erected on opposite sides of the river and make up a combined artwork that can only be understood if one visits both sides of the river.
Read more
Around the Country: spring to new adventures
Weekend walks by the seaside
Hike the Dingle walking trail
It is a bit of a long one, but before the 179km long walking trail puts you off, rest assured that there are smaller subsections that you can choose to walk instead. Offering stunning views of the Atlantic, passing mountains, archaeological sites and tranquil farmland, the trail starts and finishes in Tralee.
Classed as easy to moderate in difficulty, smaller sections between the towns and villages along the way are four to nine hours long, while the entire trail takes about eight days. You will pass towns such as Dingle, Cloghane and Camp and have plenty of opportunity to refuel or stay the night. Adventure galore, we say!
Explore the Titanic Belfast
This is the real deal – the birthplace of the Titanic, the “unsinkable” ship. Titanic Belfast tells the story of the Titanic, from its design all the way to her maiden voyage. You can take a self-guided tour, called the Titanic Experience. This will allow you entry into nine interactive galleries, which tells the ship’s story and plays on sight, smell and sound to immerse you in the experience.
You can also opt for the guided Discovery Tour, an outdoor walk, which takes you through why and how the ship was built, what happened at sea, as well as personal stories of the people who were on the ship. There are regular talks and events at Titanic Belfast, so take a look on their website (www.titanicbelfast.com) if you are interested in finding out more about the Titanic.
Did you know that to see the largest stalactite in Europe, all you have to do is take a trip to Co Clare? Doolin Cave offers guided walking tours that take you 200ft underground along passages and pathways until you reach the dome of the cave, where the Great Stalactite hangs. After asking all visitors if they are comfortable with this, the tour operator turns off the lights before you get to the stalactite.
This enables visitors to imagine what it must have been like for the cavers Brian Varley and Mike Dickinson when they discovered the Great Stalactite, as the light gets turned on and the 7.3m long stalactite comes on show. The tour takes about 50 minutes and visitors will be provided with hard hats.
Cycle the Foyle Valley Cycle Route
Swerving back and forth between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, this cycle route will lead you through counties Donegal, Derry and Tyrone. The 33.9km-long path starts in Derry and ends in Strabane and is a mixture of traffic-free paths and quiet country roads. There are attractions such as Foyle Valley Railway Museum or the Gray’s Printer’s Museum along the way.
There are many stunning art works on the cycle route that will surely get you off your bike to take a better look. For example, there are two viewing structures along the Foyle River. The two structures are erected on opposite sides of the river and make up a combined artwork that can only be understood if one visits both sides of the river.
Read more
Around the Country: spring to new adventures
Weekend walks by the seaside
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: