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A Guide to Winter Walks in Dublin

Looking for your next crisp winter’s day walk in Dublin? Here’s all the inspiration you need.

A Guide to Winter Walks in Dublin: Our Top 5 Locations

A brisk winter walk is key to a fresh head on an early morning or weekend. While it may be tempting to hibernate indoors for the winter, the scenery around Dublin is too good to pass up, even in low temperatures. In no particular order, we have offered some of our favourite places in Dublin for a winter walk (weather permitting of course).

St. Stephen’s Green Park 

st stephens green

 

In the heart of Dublin city lies St. Stephen’s Green Park, officially opened to the public in 1880 and used throughout the 20th century as a playground for young kids in the inner city. Its beautifully kept lawns and blossoming flowers even in winter is a picture-perfect scenery, with many routes through the park and lots of benches to chill out. Perhaps the perfect spot for your Instagram story is the bandstand on the south side of the main gate.

Closing time Oct-Dec: 6.30pm approx.

Herbert Park

herbert park

 

In the centre of Donnybrook/Ballsbridge, Herbert Park is a small residential park that pays homage to similar residential parks in central London. Back in the 20th century, they were private entries only with a key given to any surrounding residents. With a children’s playground, bowling green and tennis courts to the north of the park, on the south there are plenty of paths surrounding the football pitches.

On the south side of the park, there is the bandstand, duck ponds and formal gardens. On weekends, Herbert Park also hosts a market that caters to all dietary needs, giving some beautiful scents to the park.

Portmarnock Beach

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On the coast of north Dublin looking onto Ireland’s Eye and Howth in the distance, this beautiful beach has the option to walk both on the sand, the grass bunker or the path above to meet everyone’s preference. But when the tide is out, we recommend a walk on the dry sand to enjoy the coast air.

You could also do the coastal walk from Malahide to Portmarnock or vice versa. On the mainstreet in Malahide, there are plenty of outdoor dining options available. At Portmarnock beach, you also have the White Sands Hotel with heated outdoor dining available.

 For your next winter walk in Ireland’s cool temperatures, why not stock up on some Aran knitwear to keep you cozy? Or, even better, a wool blanket to snuggle into after you return home.

Killiney Hill Park

killeny

 

Killiney Hill Park is the perfect mixture of a walk in the park with coastal views – the perfect idea of a winter walk in Ireland. The Hill Park has a couple of route options, like the side loop which takes you along the cliff or a less hilly walk around one of the paths in the park.

A huge perk for this park is that it is dog friendly, with the café, the Tower Tea Rooms, featuring dog bowls and outdoor seating so you and your pooch can enjoy a hot drink.

Opening Hours: Open 24 hours

The Hell Fire Club

 

The Hell Fire Club sits on top of Mount Pelier Hill in the Dublin Mountains. It is known as the Hell Fire Club for the ruined building at the top is often thought to be one of the first Freemason lodges in Ireland. With this comes many fables of events that took place here, including a sighting of the devil, and some believe that you should only visit during daylight.

Once you reach the hill top, there are two main trails; the Forest loop which is a longer loop of about 5.5km and the Montpelier Loop of 4km, being a little easier on the legs. Having personally completed this in a summer camp when I was 16, I can confirm it is a lot harder than it looks. But perhaps the most beautiful sight is overlooking the whole of Dublin, spanning north and south – making this one of the best hikes in Ireland for an easy day’s walk.

Opening Hours: 7am – 9pm

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