When the sun is beating down relentlessly and you want to head somewhere north, think of Ireland. The climate there is pleasantly oceanic with cool temperatures. Well, it also tends to rain often. If you decide to book a flight to Ireland, I recommend flying to Dublin, the country’s capital. It’s easier if you start your exploration in the capital. Once there, you’ll get plenty of tips from locals on where to head next. You can rent a car, but you should pay attention to which side of the road you’re on – in Ireland people drive on the left-hand side. There will be numerous traffic signs reminding you of that immediately upon exiting the airport.
Dublin is a city of wide streets and plentiful pubs, where you can often listen to live music playing all day long. Or you can simply sit down on a bench at the Trinity College and observe student life. If you’re interested in discovering a different side to Dublin, then the walking tour taking you to an Irish place haunted by ghosts will be perfect for you. In this time of globalisation, they say that all cities are becoming the same. So, if you want to set Ireland apart from other countries that you’ve visited, you’ll have to head out of the city. Let the countryside exploration begin. For starters, you can go on a trip to Galway and the majestic Cliffs of Moher from Dublin – two things you simply must see.
Ireland is an old land, not just in a geological sense but also with all its myths and folk tales, which the Irish are still proud of. And what could be more wonderful than stopping at an Irish bookshop, buying a book of Irish mythology and then reading it on a train. Today we’ll be taking a train to the Dingle Peninsula. It’s located in south-western Ireland some 300km from Dublin, or a four-hour train drive if you go all the way to Tralee. Before we look at all the things you can do on the peninsula, we first need to find a place to stay, so our next stop is a hostel that’ll also be our starting point for further exploration of the peninsula. We’ll be staying at Europe’s westernmost HI hostel, in a place called Dunquin. Its name in Irish (Irish Gaelic) is Dún Chaoin, which is also the name you’ll most often encounter on signs. Irish is still the main language there. The hostel’s surroundings are green and the same is true for the entire peninsula. You can take in the entire landscape with a single glance and spot thousands of sheep and rocks. If you ever see these rocks arranged in various shapes, you can take a closer look. They represent the remnants of history. People have been wandering around the place for 6000 years, exchanging life stories and building dwellings and places of worship. Researchers still haven’t managed to explain the purpose of many buildings, so you can only imagine what happened there. And when you get tired of looking at the rocks, you can observe the sea dancing by the cliffs or head to the beach. You won’t be able to bathe much, but you can play with the waves. The Inch Beach is one of the most famous beaches among surfers. You can explore the peninsula using transport or by bike. Or you can go horse-riding, admiring the stables that look as if taken out of an old English novel. If you decide on travelling by bike, you’ll need a good one, since the road constantly climbs up and then descends. You’ll also need a raincoat, since you never know when it might start raining. The island’s most famous road is the Slea Head Drive, which offers scenic views of the ocean and pleasant fishing villages. Slowly but steadily you’ll get to the peninsula’s capital, Dingle.
Its most famous inhabitant and one of its best-known attractions is the local dolphin named Fungie, which has been living in the city bay for more than 40 years. The dolphin comes to greet every tourist, so there’s no need to worry about leaving without a selfie. Once in town, you can try the local ice cream. It’s delicious, albeit expensive. There are also cute pubs and all of them have live music playing every evening. Rhythms here also change at night and become wilder, but you should also take time to look around the pub you’re in. There are lots of interesting and funny inscriptions on the walls. The town also has charming little cafés where you can read a book while listening to the sound of a guitar. Conor Pass runs above Dingle and that’s where you can find a true mountainous landscape surrounded by fog, which also boasts a waterfall.
Now you can head back home or continue your journey across Ireland. There’s Kerry Peninsula nearby with plenty of interesting things to discover. If you decide to go there you can join a guided tour where you’ll be introduced to many landmarks and undoubtedly a legend as well. And don’t worry, there are 22 HI hostels in the Republic of Ireland, which always means great and cheap accommodation. You can also head all the way to Northern Ireland.
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