The Sea: Dublin's Most Beautiful Walk Along The Coast to Killiney

The Sea Tour: Dún Laoghaire to Killiney Walk

This is Dublin’s most beautiful walk and 99% of visitors don’t even know it exists.

You’ll pass through local villages, swimming spots, castles, beaches, mansions, islands, and some of the best views in all of Dublin. And it's all just 20 minutes from the city by train.

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Dun Laoghaire

The tour starts Dún Laoghaire (say “Done Leary”), which is a harbour town where Dubliners used to holiday in Victorian times. Today it’s home to 600 sailboats and 80 cruise ships a year stop in Dún Laoghaire.

We'll pass the library that looks like the Titanic, then stop for coffee at Happy Out, a beautiful cafe with an ethos is just as impressive as the view, they employ adults with special needs.

The People's Park market on Sundays has a lovely local atmosphere. But leave room for the Irish traditional 99 ice cream at legendary Teddy's Ice Cream around the corner.

A special mention for the Goat Boat in Dún Laoghaire. It is the best experience I have done in all of Dublin! See incredible scenery, wildlife, jaw dropping houses of Dublin Bay. It's fast. 45 km/h! Do this after my walking tour, we'll arrange times around it!

Glasthule

We’re taking a quick detour. just one street back from the water to the village of Glasthule. Glasthule might not make the NY Times list of Dublin hotspots, and you could walk through it in five minutes. But I like to bring visitors here because it's not a tourist spot, it's just a local village going about their day. Real & local Dublin.

The Forty Foot

The Forty Foot is Dublin's most famous swimming spot. 365 days a year you’ll find people swimming here even when it’s 1°C. I once chatted with a man chilling in the water while I was wrapped in five layers. “Best part of my day,” he said. “Makes me feel alive.”

Naked Swimming

I should add that I was grateful that the gentleman was wearing speedos, because it wasn't so long ago that the Forty Foot was a male only nude swimming spot. This is an excerpt from The Irish Times in July 1974

A group of determined women invaded the Forty Foot bathing place at Sandycove, Co Dublin. Some of the placards read “we’ll fight them on the beaches, we’ll win between the sheets” Some of the men, who often swam naked at the spot waved their genitals at the invaders. From then on, women swam at the Forty Foot.

James Joyce Museum

The James Joyce Museum is run by enthusiastic elderly volunteers who aren't nearly as docile as they look, they guilted me into buying a Joyce book before I left the 'free' museum. The view from the top of the tower was worth it.

Dalkey

Dalkey is home to many of Ireland’s rich and famous.

The main street is even home to Goat Castle, which you can tour. Being a wealthy spot, it's a lovely village to stroll through. We always stop here for a break on my walking tour. I love the falafel wrap at Thyme Out. The Club or the Dalkey Duck are other good spots.

Dalkey is home to the world's most expensive field hockey pitch. You'll understand why when we pass it on my guided walk.

Dalkey Island

Dalkey Island is the kind of thing that I love about Dublin. You're in a capital city, but looking out at an island that could be in the most remote part of the Ireland.

The tourists will be taking photos at Colliemore Harbour, but only because they don't know about Dillon's Park just two hundred meters up the hill where you have better views of the island and there'll be no one else around.

Killiney

At the top of the hill is Sorrento Row. When Dubliners started traveling in Victorian times, they saw places like Sorrento and thought, ‘That’s quite nice" and gave their streets Italian names. Shame they couldn't import the Italian weather.

We will pass Dublin's tiny nude beach where a modern day Robinson Crusoe spends his days, mercifully we will be too far to see anything upsetting. And you'll see the decrepit house owned by U2's The Edge.

Vico Road

Some of Ireland’s most expensive houses are here and you'll understand why when you see the most glorious view in all of Dublin. Across Killiney Beach and over to the Wicklow Mountains. 

As you walk along the Vico Road, look for a small opening in the wall and some steps. This will bring you down to the Vico Baths. A lesser visited swimming spot than the Forty Foot. Look out for the World War 2 Eire sign.

Follow the road down and keep enjoying the sea views and the multi-million Euro homes. You'll pass Bono's house just before the beach. Dip your toes in the water before walking along the beach to Killiney train station..

Tour Details

• Distance: 8km. Starts: Dún Laoghaire DART. Ends: Killiney DART.
• Time: 3.5 hours at a relaxed pace
• Toilets: Many public toilets along the route.
• Google Maps Directions

One Perfect Day by the Sea

10am: Walk The Sea Tour
I'll meet you for a private tour of the Sea Tour

1pm: Take the train from Killiney back to Dun Laoghaire
The train covers in 10 minute what took you two hours

2pm: Dublin Bay Tour on the Goat Boat
A high speed boat tour around Dublin Bay. This is one of my favorites experiences in Dublin!

3pm: Head back to town or.....stay longer!

4pm: Swim at the Forty Foot
Cold, social, and wildly refreshing.

4:30pm: Warm Up at Sandycove Sauna
Seaview sauna to recover and relax. Chat with the locals.

6pm: Cocktail at The Parlour
At Haddington House, sip a martini or negroni at their cocktail lounge.

7pm: Dinner By The Sea
Casper & Giumbini’s is my favorite spot in Dún Laoghaire.

8:30pm Sunset by the Sea
Stroll the East Pier and watch the sunset over Dublin.

9pm: Take the train back to the city or.......

Stay By The Sea

If you’d rather stay by the sea than in the middle of Temple Bar’s crowds, Dun Laoghaire is an ideal base to explore all of Dublin. It's just 20 minutes from the city and 5 seconds from the sea. It'll be a more local, Dublin experience too.

• Haddington House Hotel: A seafront boutique hotel in a restored Victorian mansion. Modern, not stuffy. With a cocktail lounge that could be a top city bar, Merino wool hot water bottles for chilly nights and complimentary Brooklyn Bikes on sunny days. Easy to see why it's rated 9.4 on Expedia. My favorite hotel in coastal Dublin.
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• Royal Marine Hotel: A 200 year old hotel that is a Dublin classic. The place you have afternoon tea thinking of Bridgerton vibes. It has a pool if the sea is too cold for you. A relaxing retreat at the end of a day exploring Dublin.
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• Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel: Go full fairytale at this actual castle in Dalkey. Four poster beds, tapestries, and stone walls that have seen 800 years of history. The pool and spa feel wonderfully out of place in a medieval setting. Perfect if you want to tell people back home you slept in an Irish castle because you actually did.
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