Dublin · Co. Dublin
Howth cliff loop on a clear morning
Half an hour from Dublin. A cliff walk that pretends to be in the west of Ireland.
Distance
The full loop, about two hours
Pace
Brisk where the wind asks. Slow at the lighthouse.
Weather
Irish Sea, often kinder than the Atlantic
Best light
Mid-morning, the sea blue and silver
An expat note from Deborah
We send American visitors to Howth on their first morning, the one when nobody can sleep past six anyway. By eleven they are walking a cliff path with the city behind them, and the trip has, quietly, begun.
It is not Slea Head. It is not the Cliffs of Moher. It is a Dublin walk that earns its place on this list by being there when you need it.
Lunch at Aqua, fish at the pier, or back to the city for the afternoon. All are correct.
How we'd actually walk it
The rhythm of the day.
- 01Dart from the city at nine.
- 02Cliff loop in two hours, slowly.
- 03Lunch at the pier. Back to Dublin for tea.
The hotel pairing
The Marker Dublin
Twenty minutes by Dart. The right city base for a Howth morning.
Related Pathways
Walks that pair with this one
If you liked this walk.
Walk slowly. Bring a coat. Choose the hotel for the country at its door.