With an epic coastline, stunning mountain ranges, a welcome second to none and endless amounts of beautiful spaces, a walking holiday on the island of Ireland is next to unbeatable.
Countless trails suited to all ranges of fitness and ability mean you can go short or long, completely alone, in pairs or groups, and it is straightforward to arrange a hook up with entertaining local guides and coordinate with a wide choice of accommodation providers.
Those looking for a walking challenge are especially well catered for in the likes of the Beara-Breifne Way. The country’s longest national waymarked trail runs 500km north from the tip of the Beara Peninsula in County Cork, through Ireland’s absorbing Hidden Heartlands to the Breifne area, a medieval overkingdom in Gaelic Ireland, which lies in counties Leitrim and Cavan.
The Beara-Breifne Way follows the route taken by legendary Irish chieftain O’Sullivan Beare, who led 1,000 people from Cork to Leitrim to escape invading forces in 1603. Taking in many of the places and communities shaped by their story, the walk covers some of the most beautiful and least explored areas of the country, including coastal areas, six different mountain ranges and the banks of the mighty River Shannon.