Posts filed under 'Walking'
The fifth section of Wicklow Way extends from Oldbridge to Glendalough. This walking route is easy to complete for average walkers. The route will take walkers through nine kilometres of relaxing scenery. The highest point on this route is about three hundred metres. Most walkers will manage to complete this trail in about three hours. You will come across some steep areas as well as forest road. When you are almost near the end of this walking path, be sure to watch out for tree roots lest you should trip over them and get yourself hurt. This walking path will introduce walkers to some truly spectacular scenery. Expect to enjoy refreshing mountain walks and pleasant woodland trails. The lakeside walks here are a delight to take. The villages of Annamoe and Laragh on this route are a nice place to stop and relax a bit. Tourists will find themselves mesmerized by the sheer beauty of Glendalough. This area is part of the Wicklow Mountains National Park. Expect to see various kinds of wonderful animal and plant wildlife in this area. Walkers will be enthralled by the superb views of the valley and the lakes and rivers in Glendalough. The city of Glendalough is historically significant with monastic churches and other archaeological sites that make this a must see place for explorers.
January 10th, 2007
The fourth section of the Wicklow Way takes walkers on a pleasant walk from Lough Tay to Oldbridge. As far as difficulty is concerned, this walking route is deemed to be easy to complete. This walking trail is about eight kilometres long. There is hardly any climbing involved on this walking path as the highest point is only a mere seventy metres high. Average walkers will easily complete this route in about two and a half hours. On the way, you will have to deal with forest road and a little bit of steep climbing. Some parts of the path can also be muddy. The beautiful village of Enniskerry is located close to this route. Be sure to check out Powerscourt Estate for its fabulous gardens. Adult tourists will enjoy the recreational facilities of Victoria’s Way located near this trail. If you fancy catching some fish, head on over to Annamoe Trout Fishery. Do note that fly fishing is the only type of fishing allowed here. The Djouce Mountain Golf Club close to this path is a fine place to cure your golfing fix. The shimmering lakes of Vartry Reservoir will delight anyone with an eye for natural scenic beauty. Yet more splendid views of lakes can be had at the Lugalla Estate that is also located on this path.
January 9th, 2007
The third section of the Wicklow Way is comprised of the route from Glencree to Lough Tay. This route is graded to be moderate as far as difficulty is concerned in traversing it. This walking route stretches to a distance of about nine and a half kilometres. The highest point you are likely to reach on this trail will be no more than four hundred metres high. Average walkers can expect to complete this route in about a little more than four hours. This path can be muddy and wet at places so be careful. Be especially wary of the boardwalk on this route since it is very slippery when wet. There are many exciting places to visit on this walking route. The beautiful and charming village of Enniskerry is located close to this path. You can choose to explore the enchanting beauty of the glen of Cookstown and the Glencullen River. There are many pleasant walks to be had in the woods around Enniskerry. If you are interested in enjoying the sight of rare Irish species of plants and animals, be sure to pay a visit to the Leafed National Reserve in Knocksink wood near Enniskerry. The highest waterfall in Ireland, the Powerscourt Waterfall, is also situated nearby. The Powerscourt Estate and Gardens is a splendid tourist attraction with an excellent variety of gardens where you can stroll away the afternoon. You can also enjoy a nice shopping experience as well as an exhibition in the delightful Palladian House.
January 8th, 2007
The second section of the Wicklow Way starts at Glencullen and ends at Glencree. The difficulty grading of this route is easy, making it suitable for casual walkers. This route covers a distance of about ten and a half kilometres. The highest point you can expect to reach on this trail is no more than 260 metres. Average walkers will take about four hours to complete this walking trail. The condition of the road on this path is generally pretty good. Some sections of the path might be muddy. You will also have to be careful at two sections where you will have to make a steep descent. There’s plenty of interesting tourist attractions on this route. In Glencree, you can choose to pay a visit to St. Kevin’s reconciliation centre. The purpose of this centre is to encourage acceptance of people with different views so everyone can live in peace and harmony. You may also visit the German Cemetery and pay your respects to the Germans who died serving in Ireland during the world wars. The seaside town of Bray is located close to this trail. At Bray, you can learn more about sea creatures at the National Sea Life Centre. Bray Heritage Centre showcases the proud heritage of this impressive town. You can also choose to enjoy some relaxing walks exploring the Killruddery House & Gardens.
January 5th, 2007
The Wicklow Way is a very long walking route with its length stretching to almost 132 kilometres. For the convenience of walkers, this trail is divided into eleven sections. Each of these sections is supposed to be covered in half a day of walking by an average walker. Today we are going to talk about the section stretching from Marlay Park to Glencullen. This section is about 4.5 kilometres in length. There is a steep climb of 400 metres on this route which should be welcome news for anyone looking for a workout. The route will allow walkers to enjoy the pleasant wooded paths of Marlay Park. There are also young forests to explore here in the Dublin Mountains and the Glens of South Dublin. There are many tourist attractions to visit on this route like the Powerscourt House and Gardens. Tourists will be delighted at the sight of these beautiful gardens with ornamental lakes. The majestic view of the Great Sugarloaf Mountain in the background adds further to the splendour of this area.
January 4th, 2007
Lettermaghera Loop is located near Clew Bay in County Mayo. This walking route includes the lower slopes of the Nephin Beg Mountains. It’s a fairly easy route and you will only have to climb a hundred metres on this walking path. The walk begins three kilometres from Newport which is a small town dating from the 18th century. This town is known for its delightfully beautiful viaduct made of red sandstone. The walk starts at the Derrad Community Centre. From here you follow a narrow lane towards north. After passing a few small lakes, you will arrive at Furnace Lough. This lake is famous for having Europe’s largest marine research facility. Going further, you will come across Salmon Leap Bridge where Furnace Lough and Lough Feeagh meet. Here you can enjoy the beautiful sight of different kinds of fishes swimming in the water. Going left from here, there is a bog road where you can treat yourself to some mesmerizing views of Clew Bay. Now the track will turn south. After passing a few lakes and an abandoned railway track, the sight of the Community Centre will signal the end of your relaxing walk through this beautiful area.
January 3rd, 2007
Howth in County Dublin is a charming place to enjoy a relaxing walk. It is located on the northern tip of Dublin Bay. Walkers can feast their eyes on lovely sights like the Mourne Mountains, the Wicklow Mountains and Dublin city. There are lots of attractions to visit in the pretty village of Howth. Martello Tower, Howth Castle, Lambay Island and the prominently visible Baily Lighthouse are just some of the sites you can visit here and enjoy exploring them. Nature lovers will love the bird sanctuary of Ireland’s Eye. The walk starts in Howth Village from the parking area of Balscadden Bay. Take the path going up to the Nose of Howth and you will find yourself on the cliff tops. You have to be a bit careful here since the path is pretty close to the edge so make sure you have a firm foothold before walking here. As you walk here, you will be greeted by spectacular views of Lambay Island and Ireland’s Eye. The flora in this area gives off a strong coconut smell that you might find pleasing. Keep walking and you will come to Baily Lighthouse. This happens to be the last lighthouse of Ireland that has become fully automated. The Ben of Howth here is the highest point of the walk and you can find an ancient burial cairn here where it is said that the last Irish Giants are resting soundlessly. The walk now goes downhill and ends back at the village.
December 29th, 2006
Bere Island is an extremely beautiful place located near the Beara Peninsula in County Cork. The beauty of the scenery and the unspoilt surroundings make this place quite desirable for walking enthusiasts. Bere Island can be reached by taking a ferry from Castletownbere. There are two walking loops here that can take about eight hours to complete if you decide to try both of them. The west side of the island is home to the West Island Loop. When you reach the pier here, a track extending to ten kilometres will introduce you to the main attractions of this island. Depending on your walking speed, this can take anywhere from four to five hours. You will have to climb a hill that is more than two hundred metres high. Here you will be treated to awe-inspiring views of Bantry Bay and the two peninsulas of Beara and Sheep’s Head. The Ardnakinna Lighthouse here is also a fine sight to behold. Continue downhill and you will arrive back at the pier. The Rerrin Loop is on the east side of the island in the village of Rerrin. This walking route is six kilometres long. There are lots of structures here that have historical and military importance. The Martello Towers were built for the purpose of defence against attacks from Napoleon in 1796. Two of the four towers can be found here. There are also seven gun batteries to be found here, reminding tourists of the British rule in the past. The walk will end back at the village where you can choose to mingle with the friendly locals and enjoy their fine restaurants and pubs.
December 28th, 2006
The walk in Raven Wood begins from the car park. This car park is located east from Curracloe Village. There is plenty of wildlife for your viewing pleasure here and the sand dunes on the left and Wexford Slob on the right side of the track are a beautiful sight to behold. Keep walking and enjoying the view for about three kilometres. You will eventually reach a grassy track where you can enjoy breathtaking views of Rosslare, the Wexford Harbour and the majestic Mount Leinster. From here, take the path to your left and be sure to look for grey seals in the water. A word of warning though: stay away from the sand banks. It’s possible to get trapped there because they are quick sands and the tide could make matters even worse. After a while, you will arrive at the end of Raven Point. If you still feel like strolling, you can take a walk on the golden sands of Curracloe Beach from here. This walk is pretty long at 15 kilometres. The walk will eventually end back at the car park.
December 27th, 2006
The Ballyhoura area is famous for its walks. Parts of this area are located in both County Limerick and County Cork. The summer walking festival in this area is very popular with avid walkers. The Seefin climb here is a memorable walk. If you are more inclined to take on long distance tracks, Ballyhoura Way will fit the bill perfectly. This walking route extends to almost 90 kilometres in length. You will come across Seefin Mountain on this trail and marvel at the amazing views of six counties available from this vantage point. Explorers will be delighted to know that they will get a chance to check out castles, churches and abbeys that are abundantly located in this area. The walk starts from Greenwood Forest which you can reach from Glenosheen. The track available here is called the Goat’s Path. You can stop to check out Castle Philip along the way which is said to have been the hiding place for outlaws. It will take a bit of time and effort to reach the peak of Seefin Mountain which is almost 528 metres high. From here, you can take the downhill track to descend back into the quietness of the Greenwood Forest. Other sites that attract tourists here are the Mitchelstown Caves, the Lough Gur Heritage Centre, the Doneraile Court and Wildlife Park and the medieval town of Kilmallock.
December 26th, 2006
Clogher Village in County Mayo is a beautiful heritage site reminding everyone of Saint Patrick’s stay in this area around 400AD when he is said to have spent forty days to banish snakes from Ireland. He performed this miraculous feat from the height of Croagh Patrick which has become a popular tourist attraction in modern times. There are many exciting walks to be had around Clogher Village. One of these that in particular deserves mention is the Clogher Bog Loop Walk. This walk begins from the Clogher Bog Heritage Centre where you can witness life in the 17th century in the form of replicas. From the heritage centre, the route takes you through tracks in the bog. The locals here dry the peat and use it for fuel during the winter months so expect to see stacks of these lying about here. Plants in this area are few and far between, largely due to the hostile acidic environment of the bog. However, you can still find some hardy species of plants if you look carefully enough. On the way, you can catch spectacular views of the Party Mountains and the Croagh Patrick. You may also want to check out a supposed foot imprint of Saint Patrick himself at the back of old Drom Cemetry. After following the track a little more, the walk will end back at the heritage centre.
December 22nd, 2006
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