Pack Your Hiking Boots: Walking the Dublin Coastline

The coastline of Dublin is full of craggy trails, wildflowers, and sea views. On a recent sunny day, I headed south of Dublin city center to explore a trail I’d heard about, connecting the villages of Bray and Greystones.

The best part about this walk is you won’t need a car for it. Hop on the DART (the train that connects central Dublin to places along the coast) and enjoy the scenic ride down to Bray. The tracks follow the coastline, so make sure you get a window seat to watch Dublin Bay sweep by.

Getting off the train in Bray, I took a quick walk through the village. Bray is known as a beach town, and it was easy to see that in its former glory, Bray would have been a wonderful place to spend summers. Although today it is a little worn down, there are still cute cafes, juice bars, and shops that have a more ‘village’ feel than anywhere in Dublin.

I didn’t receive great directions for the trail before I left Dublin – all I was told was ‘walk towards the sea, then walk south, you can’t miss it’. I was skeptical at first – but the directions were correct. I strolled along the beach, up a steep hill, and then started following the path south, winding along the rocky coastline.

This 1 1/2 – 2 hour walk is full of surprises. This far south, the DART train rumbles through tunnels and emerges on a cliff right below the trail. The only interruption to the peaceful walk was the sporadic train passing through. Although the day was sunny, it had rained in the days prior, and parts of the trail were a bit wet and muddy. This was really getting out of the city – stomping through big puddles of mud!

It was great to see that families and couples had the same idea as me on a Saturday afternoon. If you want to be surrounded by locals and not tourists on your trip to Dublin – work this hike into your itinerary. In places, there are stairs to climb but overall it isn’t too strenuous. Coming around a curve in the coastline, you will see the village of Greystones. After crossing one final grassy field, I emerged from the solitude of the crashing sea and rocky cliffs to a bustling little village.

After working up an appetite, I took the suggestion of a friend and stopped at the Happy Pear for lunch (map). I didn’t even look up the menu before I went – I thought the name was cute enough to deserve my business. This organic cafe serves delicious soups, salads, and filling Irish classics like sheperd’s pie.

And the best part? Greystones is on the DART line as well. I hopped back on the train, grabbed a window seat, and watched as the train weaved back towards the center of Dublin.

Photo Credit: Jessica Colley