I’d seen pictures and heard of the dramatic cliffs, rugged coastlines, and scenic seaside trails of Ireland’s west coast and it is undoubtedly gorgeous. However, this trip was all about exploring the possibilities around Dublin, and oh, was I pleasantly surprised! With rolling green heathland dotted with cute sheep, stunning mountains and beautiful coastal walks, the Wicklow County area was perfect for my hiking needs.
I started in Dublin on a Sunday morning. Finding the public bus to Glendalough on St. Stephens green was no problem, even on a day when all the streets were closed for a city center marathon, as we were personally escorted by the driver to the bus parked a 15-minute walk away. Great service!
Arriving in Glendalough, I missed my stop at Laragh, so the bus driver drove me back after letting the rest of the passengers off at the visitor center. Another great service – I’d come to learn that this is just the Irish hospitality. I loved it already. From my hotel in Laragh the kind lady at the reception explained to me how to find a gravel road that would take me back to Glendalough and the lakes while avoiding the trafficked road. This turned out to be such a beautiful part of the trail with huge, old trees covered in moss. I also got to pass by Glendalough woolen mills, a perfect place to buy some local wool souvenirs for colder days.
This was however not a cold day – I was already warm walking from the shop along the gravel road, very happy to be hiking on a sunny day. Reaching Glendalough I took a small detour through the cemetery to see the old headstones and the tall, round tower. With the mountains in the background and monuments from the Middle Ages around me, I could only imagine how it must have been to be here a thousand years ago.
Glendalough was a spectacular hiking destination. Being able to choose between several trails with different lengths and levels of difficulty offers so many possibilities and it meant that I could choose just what I needed today. I had a map of the trails both on paper and on my phone, but all trails were colour coded and marked very well, so I had no problem finding my way even though I was hiking alone. When some tourists asked me for directions (maybe I looked like a local?) I could join in on the high level of Irish service and give away my paper map.
I did the white spinc trail, a +/- 10 km hike which loops around the Glendalough upper lake. The trail was very well maintained and consisted partially of long lines of wooden boardwalks. They were fun to walk on but narrow enough that I had to take turns with oncoming hikers to step out to the side where there was designated space. In Norway we always greet oncoming hikers when we are out in nature, and it just felt natural to do here too! It was May, Sunday and many hikers outside, but it was never too crowded.
The landscape was so lush, fresh, and tranquil that it was impossible not to feel my shoulders relax and my mind unwind. I saw a herd of deer in the mountainside above me, too far to take a photo but close enough to enjoy the views, and I met so many nice people on my way. Back down in Glendalough, I found a kiosk for something cold to drink and hiked back to my hotel along the same beautiful trail as before, ending at 18 kilometers total including my side quests. What a great day!
The day after, I was picked up by Gerry, a local taxi driver, ready with my hiking gear, raincoat and day pack. My luggage would be picked up from the hotel by Wicklow Way Baggage and delivered to my next hotel in the afternoon. How convenient! Gerry dropped me off at the Sugarloaf car park, from where I started today’s hike. I would follow a route I had a map for on my phone, all the way to Bray. I had four kinds of weather already before I reached the top of the Great Sugar Loaf, but while at the top, the sun peeked through the clouds, and I had great views over Dublin Bay with surroundings. Ireland really is green from above!
After enjoying the views, I followed the trail down to the other side of the mountain. The trail was very well marked here too, with red and yellow arrows and little yellow people walking with backpacks and hiking poles. On my way to the Little Sugar Loaf, I had to cross the highway, but that just meant an opportunity to buy a cold drink at a gas station. Perfect! Continuing uphill I decided to take a detour to the top of the Little Sugar Loaf as well, and as the rain had started again, I had an interesting experience at the top. The strong winds with sideways rain made me soaking wet and almost made me lose my balance on the rocky trail, but I could still see the ocean and the Great Sugar Loafs on the other side through my squinting eyes. What a rush! Although it was fun, I had no reason to stay up here for long and carefully walked down the mountain.
My next stop was luckily not far away; at Kitchen 28 where I would stop for lunch, they had even fired up the fireplace! Perfect to dry my wet clothes while enjoying a very tasty sandwich and a warm coffee.
The next part of the trail took me along the coast over Bray Head Park and to the Bray Head cross. The weather had cleared up again, luckily, and with relatively dry clothes the rest of the hike in dry and somewhat sunny weather, was perfect. The scenic trail gave me panoramic views over the coastline, with the dramatic cliffs and the beaches on both sides of the headland. Reaching the cross, I could see my hotel down at the beach and knowing it was almost over, I enjoyed the stunning views a little longer here before descending to the hotel and changing into dry clothes from the luggage that had already arrived. With my book under my arm, I went down to the beach in Bray to enjoy the sound of the waves and reflect on today’s idyllic 18-kilometer hike. Far less touristy than yesterday, but again with such nice people and cute animals along the way.
I’m very happy to have seen so much in only a few days, and hiking alone in Ireland was never a problem. I can’t wait to come back to see and hike some more in Wicklow and on the Emerald Isle!
Ingrid Marie Sørhus began her travel career as a teenager when she volunteered in South Africa and quickly became hooked on the globetrotter lifestyle. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Development Studies, which included fieldwork in Indonesia, religious studies while traveling through Asia, and an extended stay in Bolivia, where she wrote her thesis on volunteer tourism.
Ingrid has always made travel a priority in her free time and believes that it’s the experiences you have on a trip—not the destination itself—that make a place a favorite. Having visited more than 90 countries, she finds it difficult to rank them, but she has a particular passion for Latin America and speaks Spanish fluently.
With many years of experience in the service industry, Ingrid is dedicated to ensuring that Carpe Diem’s guests enjoy memorable and exceptional travel experiences.
Ingrid joined Carpe Diem as a tour leader in 2018 and became a tour producer at the company’s Helsfyr office in 2019. She designs inspiring trips to destinations you’ll definitely want to explore. She is also responsible for the U45 travel concept and oversees its tours, while working with marketing, events, and travel operations support.
