The Sea: Dublin's Most Beautiful Walk Along The Coast to Killiney
The Sea Tour
This is Dublin’s most beautiful walk and 99% of visitors don’t even know it exists. You’ll pass through local villages, cold sea 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. This is the Granite Coast of Dublin!
Dun Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire (say “Done Leary”) is a harbour town where Dubliners used to holiday in Victorian times. Then it was the largest man-made harbour in Western Europe. Today it’s home to 600 sailboats going up value to €15M.
80 cruise ships a year stop in Dún Laoghaire. This walk is the perfect off the beaten track cruise excursion if you are a cruise passenger. Your fellow passengers will be green with envy as they are herded onto crowded coaches as you start a private guided walk with me!
A Private Guided Tour Of The Sea Walk With Me
🧭 Private Tour — Any Day, Any Time — €150
🕒 3 hours of local stories & history
👟 More of walk with a friend than a tour
The Goat, Happy Coffee, Farmers Market and Ice Cream
Take the Goat Boat water wildlife tour from Dún Laoghaire. It’s like a sea version of the Sea walk and is excellent. It's fast & goes at 45 km/h
Stop for coffee at Happy Out Cafe. A beautiful cafe with an ethos is just as impressive as the view, they employ adults with special needs.
The People's Park has a market on Sundays with a lovely local atmosphere. But don't eat too much here, leave room for a 99 at legendary Teddy's Ice Cream around the corner.
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 over all of Dublin was worth it.
😂 Hear More Stories Like This On A Guided Walk
You’ll see more, learn more, and laugh more with a local guiding you
Dalkey
Dalkey Village is where a lot of famous & rich of Ireland live. Bono etc.
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.
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.
Dinner in Dalkey
You could do this walk in the afternoon, visit the castle, watch the sunset over Dalkey Island, then have dinner before taking the DART home.
Killiney
Next is Sorrento Row. When Dubliners started travelling 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 though.
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 where U2's The Edge finally got planning permission to renovate after a very long battle.
Keep following the road, then suddenly it opens up and you see the most glorious view in all of Dublin. Across Killiney Beach and over to the Wicklow Mountains.
Vico Road
Some of Ireland’s most expensive houses are here & you’ll understand why when you see the views. But look down and see the train tracks. And feel a smidgen of satisfaction that all those lucky people in these amazing homes still have a train rattling their walls every ten minutes.
A lovely thing happened on my walk this week. A homeowner once came out while we were snapping photos. I expected a complaint, but he spent 15 minutes telling us the area’s history!
Vico Baths & Eire 7 Sign
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.
As you walk down the steps, you will see built into the cliff a sign saying "Eire". Eire is the Irish for Ireland. During World War 2, we put up these signs all along our coast to let German bombers know that this was neutral Ireland and to leave us alone.
Beach & Home
Follow the road down to the beach and Killiney train station is right there to bring you home.
Hotels Here
Any of these villages are ideal to stay in. They’re packed with great locals only bars & restaurants. And they are only 20 minutes from the city by train. The Aircoach runs from the airport to both towns in under an hour for less than €10 each way.
- Stay at the classic Royal Marine Hotel in Dún Laoghaire
- Or go full fairytale at Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel in Dalkey with pool and spa included.
Tour Details
- Distance: 8km or 15,000 steps
- Time: 3.5 hours as a relaxed pace
- Difficulty: It's easy as far as Dalkey, it's all flat. The walk to Killiney is uphill though.
- Toilets: Many public toilets along the route.
- Google Maps Directions
"The Sea Tour by Darragh is fantastic. He is full of local history. Highly recommend as you see the REAL Ireland!!"
More Sights Along The Sea Tour (Click To Expand)
