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Welcome to my Dublin’s Great Outdoors series 😊 I will be posting about some of my favourite walking spots in Dublin. To kick-start, I am going to write about my personal favourite route: The Bray to Greystones Cliff Walks. If you are looking for something outdoors in the Dublin area, this walk is definitely for you!

Bray to Greystones Cliff Walk

While it may not technically be in Dublin, if you’re looking for something different to do besides the usual tourist destinations in the heart of the city centre, this seaside walk is perfect for a relaxing afternoon in the outdoors with nature.  A mixture of fresh air and scenic views (arguably the best views on entire east coast), make this trail one of the most popular walking routes in the Dublin region. The best part - it’s completely free! If you’re visiting Dublin from abroad, snaps of the stunning views are sure to make all your Instagram followers back at home extremely jealous!! Beware though, you will have no signal once on The Cliff Walk so your posts will have to wait until you are down the other side. 

Location

The walk is very accessibly located along the dart line, you need to get a southbound train and get off at the Bray stop. Tickets are only a couple of euro. Bray’s dart station is roughly a ten-minute walk to the beginning of this route which connects Bray to a small little town called Greystones. Walk along the Bray Promenade (which itself is a lovely walk ) and follow the road up towards the car park on Bray Head. On a warm day you could stop for an ice cream in Ginos or the famous Teddy’s Ice Cream. If you’re driving, there’s amble free parking in the bray head carpark or paid parking all along Bray seafront. If you prefer, you could hike up bray head however, I’d recommend taking the cliff walk around the head, instead of going up and over. The walk itself is marked and easy to follow. The Cliff Walk is home to numerous types of seabirds and colourful wildflowers that add to the natural beauty of the walk. You might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a dolphin, a black harbour porpoise or a basking shark swimming in the waters around the Cliff.

History

As if the beautiful scenery isn’t incentive enough to visit, The Cliff Walk has a really interesting history; it was built during the construction of the rail line, to allow the movement of men and equipment.

The ruins of a small house along the path were once Lord Meath’s Lodge, here there was a toll gate and the public was charged a penny for entry. Just past lord Meath’s lodge was an area called the Brady Hole, which was cave notorious for smugglers.

Difficulty and Length?

The simplicity of this route makes it ideal for all walkers – you do not have to be an experienced hiker to enjoy this route. There’s a couple of steep parts however nothing too major. I’ve done this walk multiple times with my friends and family and we even bring the dogs sometimes. In terms of timing, I would allow two hours for the walk itself, and then you will have to factor in travel time depending on where you are travelling from. Bring your walking boots and a warm jacket, as well as a bottle of water – It is roughly an 8km walk one way so keep this in mind and stay hydrated.

Time for a Bit of Grub?

Once you get to the other side, follow the road which leads you through a new housing development and eventually brings you to Greystone’s town.  It’s small but cheerful and has a laid-back, seaside atmosphere. You can grab a coffee in one of the many coffee shops – you will not be short of choices. The route itself is famously associated to The Happy Pear, a well-known healthy café which I can honestly say serves some of the best vegan food I have ever tasted. The owners have built an amazing brand and I’m sure you’ve probably come across one of their cook books or their delicious product range currently being sold in SuperValu’s across Ireland. Here’s the link to their website if you want to check it out before you go: https://thehappypear.ie/about/ 

Return Journey

If you’ve had enough of the walking, you can hop on a dart at Greystone’s dart station and head back home. However, if you have the time and want to do a bit more walking, you just follow the trail backwards and you’ll end up back where you started at the base of Bray Head.

Next Time ….