You will really get to appreciate the beautiful scenery Ireland has to offer and work up an appetite for a hearty dinner later in the evening.

Phoenix Park, Dublin by William Murphy

Start with a day exploring Phoenix Park, just 4 kilometres from Dublin city centre. An 11 kilometre perimeter surrounds 1,750 acres of land and it is one of the largest city parks in Europe. It is also home to a herd of fallow deer and other types of wildlife. It is open 24 hours a day and is full of interesting sights, buildings and monuments, amongst a beautiful landscape. The residence of the President of Ireland, Aras an Uachtarain, is located in the park, as is Dublin Zoo.

Start to head further out of the city with a bracing beach walk from Malahide to Portmarnock. It is one of a series of iWalks, free podcasts audio guides that will educate and entertain you as you pass through areas of interest. Malahide to Portmarnock is a stunning walk along the northern coastline of Dublin Bay. Along the way, you can enjoy views of Lambay Island, Howth and Ireland’s Eye. The longest option is a 7km route.

If you are interested in a more challenging hike, then take a day to walk the Bog of Frogs Loop, a 10 kilometre walk with a 250 metre ascent that is graded as ‘hard’. The start of the Loop is located in Howth village, 15 kilometres north east of Dublin city centre. You can easily take the DART or a bus to the start of the route at Howth.

The Bog of Frogs Loop is well signposted with a purple arrow and takes in some spectacular views and attractions, including Lambay Island, Howth Castle, Martello Tower, Ireland’s Eye and Baily Lighthouse. Ireland’s Eye has a bird sanctuary and you can see a wide variety of birds, such as guillemots, fulmars, razorbills and gannets.

Howth Castle, Ireland by Erzsèbet

Perhaps you would like to try a long distance hike, or maybe tackle a section of the Grand Canal Way, a 114 kilometre long distance trail which begins as Lucan Road Bridge and finishes at Shannon Harbour. If you want to do the whole route, it can be finished in four to five days and as it passes through towns and villages, walkers have plenty of accommodation options each night. As public transport links are good, it is also easy to start and stop along different parts of the route. The Grand Canal Way was designed to connect Dublin with the west, through the midland area and the River Shannon. The area has been largely unaffected by development and agriculture and so is a tantalising glimpse into the past and a haven for plants and wildlife that used to be a common sight throughout Ireland.

Don’t confuse the Grand Canal Way with the Royal Canal Way, another long distance trail, 77 kilometres long, that runs almost parallel with the Grand Canal Way. It was originally constructed to connect Dublin with the Upper River Shannon and was finished in 1817. The route covers grass towpath, gravel and occasional tarmacked canal side roads to the village of Abbeyshrule in County Longford.

Again, it is easy to find accommodation along sections of the route and excellent public transport links make it easy to walk a section and return to your starting point. These are just a few of the walking and hiking options available to you from a Dublin base. You can head off on a long distance trail for a week or take short day trips and return to the city at night to enjoy the craic!

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Zalakaros Thermal Spa offers 4000 m2 of water area surrounded by large forested park. The indoor treatment centre which is open all year round, includes several relaxation pools with thermal water and a large thermal pool. Here you can also enjoy a huge sauna complex, wellness center, restaurants and cafes. The large thermal swimming pool is open during the summer months only. Waterpark offers an indoor pool with thermal water and various water attractions and the multifunction sport pool. Outdoor thermal park covers a total area of ​​10 hectares, where you can enjoy the thermal relaxation pool, multipurpose pool offering lots of attractions, swimming pool with artificial waves, a children’s pool and paddling pool.

Zalakaros is one of the newest spas, its 85-99 °C hot water was discovered during exploring of oil deposits. The springs provide the active iodine and bromine water, and feature highest fluorine content of all Hungarian spa waters. The baths are suitable for treating post-operative conditions, for the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders, for rehabilitation and are effective in treating chronic gynecological problems and other problems.

From the nearby attractions you should not miss the bird sanctuary in Zimány, which is located only 18 kilometers away. Among other “must see attractions” are watching herds of bison, stretched 10 km from the spa centre. These animals live in Europe only rarely in the wild. Nearby Zalavár is famous for its ruins of Slavic settlements and visitors arriving by car can also include a trip to Lake Balaton.

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Nigula Nature Reserve has a rich fauna and flora. There are rare plants here. Nigula Nature Reserve is also home to Europe’s protected and not very abundant carnivores such as bear, wolf and lynx and to big game animals such as elk, roe deer, red deer, wild boar. The area is also an important bird sanctuary. In 2000, the Nigula Nature Reserve was added to the group of Natura 2000 (the largest network of protected areas in the world).

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