The Wicklow Way is a must-do for any long distance walkers, at least once in your life!”
In May of 2023, we welcomed Volodia Petropavlovsky, Chief Editor of two leading outdoors magazines in France (Grands Reportages and Trek Magazine), to spend five days along the Wicklow Way. The two magazines combine a print run of around 90,000 copies. The walk was put together in partnership with Tourism Ireland’s office in Paris and Visit Wicklow. The result was 13 pages on each magazine of stunning Wicklow imageries that we hope will inspire visitors to take on the Wicklow Way.
Commenting on his adventures, Volodia writes: “Having travelled for more than fifteen years around the world, I have always dreamed of walking around Ireland. The Wicklow Way has given me a fantastic opportunity to do just that. Along the way, I discovered a superb rural Ireland, close to the capital and yet very wild, with mountains, forests, lakes and its small villages. The whole trek was a magnificent experience, thanks to the landscapes covered but also to the warmth of the people I have encountered. The Wicklow Way is a must-do for any long distance walkers, at least once in your life!”
Itinerary:
We designed the itinerary to be as eco-friendly as possible, and from his landing at Dublin Airport, Volodia only used public transport to go to the start of the Wicklow Way and walked his way back to Bray.
Day one: Dublin – Arklow – Woodenbridge:
Volodia took the coastal train from Dublin City Centre down to Arklow to then took the 800 LocalLink bus service to the Woodenbridge Hotel for first overnight in Wicklow.
Day two: Woodenbridge – Shillelagh – Tinahely
From Woodenbridge, Volodia took the early 800 bus to Shillelagh to start his 23km walk through the South Wicklow Hills along the Wicklow Way. After a quick lunch and coffee at the Dying Cow, Volodia went on past Tinahely and overnighted in Kyle Farmhouse with dinner at O’Connors in Tinahely.
Walk Details:
- Walking Route: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/2215685
- GPS Start: 768283, -6.569465 or 52.778732, -6.584499
- GPS Finish: 851428, -6.470823
Day Three: Tinahely – Glenmalure Valley
The second day on the Wicklow Way brought Volodia to climb the mountains at the foothills of Lugnaquilla into Glenmalure Valley. This stretch is 24km long with overall climb of 800m. Dinner and overnight was at the Glenmalure Lodge.
Walk Details:
- Walking Route: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/2215691
- GPS Finish: 957613, -6.353571
Day Four: Glenmalure – Glendalough
From Glenmalure, Volodia walked around 16km into the iconic valley of Glendalough, taking in parts of the Spinc route around the Upper Lake, and a visit of the Monastic Site. Overnight was spent at Lynhams, with dinner at the Wicklow Heather.
Walk Details:
Day Five: Glendalough – Enniskerry
With 29km and nearly 1000m climb ahead, day five was the longest and toughest. Equally, day five was one of the most rewarding in terms of sceneries passing by Lough Tay or the Guinness Lake, and Djouce. Overnight was spent at Coolakay B&B and Dinner in Enniskerry.
Walk Details:
Day Six: Enniskerry – Bray
The Sugarloaf Way route, although not officially along the Wicklow Way, offers a fabulous alternative to complete the long-distance route with the finish on the shore of the Irish Sea in Bray. This route takes on the iconic Sugarloafs Mountains and Bray Head. Final overnight and dinner was taken at The Martello.
Walk Details:
