ITALY - Cinque Terre, Rustic Villages Along the Rugged Coastline

Visiting Cinque Terre was an absolute dream come true. What an extraordinary, magical location. I’m so grateful we were able to spend a full day exploring as a family, the kids enjoyed themselves and had a great time despite it not being the most kid friendly place.

Cinque Terre translates to ‘five lands’ and that names derives from the five towns that are within the Cinque Terre National Park area. Five towns are: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore.

Vernazza

Where we stayed:

We stayed in La Spezia for two nights and dedicated one full day to exploring the towns of Cinque Terra by train. La Spezia is the nearest large town to Cinque Terre, with a main train station that is connected to other major towns like Florence. I quite liked the vibe of La Spezia, it was lively with lots of shopping, cafes and restaurants. We stayed in an apartment in a central location where we could walk to the train station, however, parking was a nightmare, we had to leave our car parked about a 20 min walk away.

Manarola

Monterosso al Mare

Vernazza

Manarola

Our itinerary for our day exploring Cinque Terre: 

We first caught the train from La Spezia to Monterosso al Mare, which is the furtherest of the five towns from La Spezia. From there we worked our way back towards La Spezia, visiting a total of four of the fove towns.

Monterosso has the best beach for swimming, with a long stretch of sand in front of the town. We dedicated a bit of time for swimming here and the girls loved swimming in the calm, warm water. There are a number of beach clubs where you can rent a beach lounge and umbrella but we found the public section and just parked up on the sand, along with many others. 

Afterwards we did a little walk along the shoreline and through the tunnel to another beach sections. We then jumped back on the train and went one stop back in the direction of La Spezia to Vernazza. 

Vernazza was a great spot to have lunch as there are a number of restaurants to choose from on the waterfront. Vernazza has a small beach which some people were swimming in but most were lounging along the rock walls of the harbour, enjoying the sun. We climbed up the hill behind the church, navigating the labyrinth like street, to enjoy the view over the harbour. 

Manarola

Riomaggiore

Monetrosso al Mare

Monterosso al Mare

Vernazza

Next stop on our train trip was Manarola, skipping over Corniglia as it’s the only town of the five that it’s not on the water, it sits high up on the cliffs. Manorola seems to be the town that is featured the most in photos of Cinque Terre, it has an iconic view over the small harbour with the colourful houses cascading down the cliffs. (although Vernazza and Riomaggiore looked quite similar)

There is surprisingly a great kids playground where you’ll find the best vantage point for photos of Manarola, so the girls had a great time playing while we enjoyed the view. There is a restaurant in prime position to take in the view but they don’t take reservations so there seemed to be a constant line up of people waiting to get a table. We didn’t bother trying but we did stop off for gelato in Manarola, which kept the girls in high spirits for our last stop in Riomaggiore.

Riomaggiore is probably the smallest of the five towns, with a little harbour and narrow streets. Here, we got a drink and sat on the rocks while Braino had a quick dip in the water. There is a rocky beach around the headland but he just jumped in off the rocks in the harbour where most people were swimming. By this stage it was late in the afternoon and the sun was starting to go down, it was very relaxing just sitting on the rocks, people watching and soaking in the atmosphere. 

Vernazza

A few things to note about visiting Cinque Terre with kids: 

The trains are the most convenient way to see all the towns. You can catch a ferry from La Spezia to the various towns but I didn’t really look into that option too much. You definitely can’t access the tows via a car. The trains left regularly and but were very busy. The streets around the train stations are also very busy and crowded. 

We purchases a train passes from https://card.parconazionale5terre.it/ We did have train officials check our passes too, so I’d recommended being prepared with a screen shot of your train pass on your phone.

It only takes about 15 minutes to get from La Spezia to Riomaggiore (the first town) and then it’s only 5 - 10 minutes on the train between each town.

While it is a lot of walking around and enjoying the view, the girls still enjoyed themselves. It helped planning to have swim at Monterosso and the promise of a gelato is always helpful. 

You can hike between each of the town, I would actually love to visit again and do the hike It does require a hiking permit and it’s very steep in parts so we didn’t priorize it with the girls being so young. 

While you can find accommodation in any of the five towns of Cinque Terre, we were pretty happy with our decision to stay in La Spezia and just catch the train out as a day trip. Catching the busy trains with your luggage would be pretty uncomfortable and then locating your accommodation in the steep, narrow, maze like streets would also be a challenge. We came across a lady who was lost and struggling to find her accommodation in Vernazza,

FRANCE - Pont du Gard, An Ancient Roman Aqueduct

After our stay in Carcassone, we started to make our way across to Italy, where we are planning to spend a large chunk of time. We had planned to break up the long drive with an overnight stay in a town called Brignoles. It’s essentially just a small town along the the highway. We chose it because the hotel was very cheap and we knew we didn’t have a lot of time or the budget to spend a more fancy city like Nice or Cannes on the coast. 

But on the way to Brignoles, we made a stop at another UNESCO World Heritage site - Pont du Gard, an ancient Roman aqueduct that was built in the first century AD to carry water to the Roman settlement of Nemausus (what’s now known as Nimes). 

Roman Aqueducts are such an incredible feat of architectural engineering. Pont du Gard has been somewhat restored and reinforced but it’s amazing to think that this structure as been standing for over 2000 years. 

If we had more time, I would have also liked to have visited the town of Nimes. There are some fantastic roman ruins there too - including a well preserved colosseum. 

Visiting Pont du Gard is free although we did pay around 9 euros to park in the carpark of the museum. Entry to the museum was another additional cost, and we skipped this, but there are toilets, a gift shop and a cafe alongside the the museum. 

It was about a 5 - 10 minute walk to the aqueduct from the museum and carpark and you can walk across the lower level of the aqueduct and across the banks of the river below. There were a much of people swimming from the little beach area and large group of kayakers paddled past in what looked like a guided tour. 

Even though the skies were blue and the sun was shining, it was a little windy and chilly, but it did look like a great place for a swim, hike and a picnic. 

FRANCE - Cite de Carcassonne, A Fortified Medieval City

We were having so much fun relaxing in Salou that we considering cancelling our time in Carcassone, France and extending our time at La Siesta Salou Camping Resort. However, we realised that a) the accommodation in Carcassone was no longer refundable and b) there wasn’t any availability at the resort park. But I’m glad we continued on to Carcassone! I had only seen a few photos prior to deciding to add it to our itinerary, so I was surprised to realise how extensive the ancient citadel is. We had a fantastic time exploring the walled medieval city.

The fortress has over 2,500 years of history and was occupied by Romans, Visigoth and Crusaders before it fell into ruins and was nearly demolished in the mid 19th century. Thankfully it was restored and serves as one of the best examples of a medieval fortified city in France.

Inside the fortified walls are the Basilica of Saint Nazaire and the Chateau comtal de Carcassonne and many restaurants, crafts shops including leather work, soaps, perfume, jewellery and souvenirs. There is even a haunted house attraction where actors in costumes chase you for the thrill of it - we did not do it, although the girls were intrigued, if not a little confused. by the whole concept.

Carcassone was also has a Museum of the Inquisition, which details some of the gruesome torture that was inflicted during the inquisitions that took place in Carcassone against the Cathars in the 12th Century. We did not go into this either - entirely not appropriate for kids.

We did walk around the ramparts of the Chateau and took in the surrounding views. And were awe struck by the stain glass windows and vaulted ceilings of the Basilica. I thought that the Chateau could of had more historical information and displays, it had a lot in the way of architectural information.

It’s free to enter the fortified city, there’s a few hotels and even a few residents that live within the walls. But we did pay 11 Euro per adult to enter the Chateau area. It was well worth it to see the view over the medieval city and the newer part of Carcassonne from the ramparts. ( Kids are FREE )

We stayed in the newer part of Carcassonne ( pronounced Car-Ca-Son if you were wondering ) in a lovely two bedroom apartment. It was quite charming in itself and we were able to walk across to the medieval fortress quite easily. One full day was definitely enough to explore both the new and old areas of Carcassone, but the whole area surrounding it looked like it would be worth exploring - lots of vineyards, quaint towns and ancient sites.

SPAIN - Beachside Holiday Resort Living in Salou

After Huesca we drove south to the coast of Spain, to the beach side resort town of Salou. Salou is just south of Tarragona and about an hour and a half south of Barcelona. 

We when booked accommodation in this area, we were looking for a family friendly resort that was close to the beach and La Siesta Salou Camping Resort turned out to be perfect! Just what we were hoping for. 

Salou is home to a large theme park / water park called Port Adventura and it had a similar vibe to Surfer Paradise on the Gold Coast in Australia. Very much orientated towards either tourists or retirees. But we didn’t mind, all we wanted to do was enjoy the sunshine, the beach and the pools of the resort - we had some fantastic weather for it too, although the day that we arrived there was a huge downpour and the roads were nearly flooded as we arrived into Salou. 

We had three full days in Salou and the first day happened to coincide with when my sister, Claire was going to be in Barcelona as part of a work trip. We made plans to drive up towards Barcelona and then park at an outlet mall near the airport where we then caught the train into the main train station of Barcelona. Claire was conveniently staying in a hotel above the train station. 

It was great to see her and catch up over lunch, but we decide to head back to the resort for the afternoon to make the most of the pools and the hot weather, rather than explore Barcelona. Do I regret not seeing more of Barcelona when we had the opportunity? Maybe a little. The kids definitely had more fun swimming but in hindsight perhaps I could have spent the afternoon in Barcelona with Claire, while Braino took the kids back and I could have made my way back later in the afternoon. But to be honest, Claire had already seen a lot of Barcelona on previous holidays and my brain was in relaxation mode. 

La Siesta Salou Camping Resort had camping, caravan and cabin facilities with five different pools, a playground, a kids club, restaurants. It was only two blocks back from the beach. The pools were amazing, we had a lot of fun swimming in them all together. Hallie especially loved the waterslides. We were staying in a little holiday cabin so we bought groceries and cooked a lot of our meals in our cabin. We did eat at the buffet on the first day but we found that the buffet was rather expensive if your kids don’t tend to eat much. 

There was a family of kittens that roamed the area around the cabins. They looked quite healthy and were very friendly, Rooney loved playing with them. They did get a bit too cheeky and tired to come inside our cabin on a few occasions. 

The beach of Salou was amazing! On one of the days the weather was absolutely perfect, we spent close to 4 hours at the beach! We got the girls a little inflatable board to ride the waves on, which they loved. The waves and the water temp were perfect for the kids, I stayed in the water myself for hours which is quite rare. 

SPAIN - Following the Pyrenees Mountains South to Huesca

We left San Sebastian and drove south, following the Pyrenees Mountains to the town of Huesca. We only stayed for one night in Huesca, mainly to break up the drive to Salou, on the south coast of Spain, which would have been a 6 hours drive from San Sebastian to Salou.

The drive out of San Sebastian through the mountains was unexpectedly stunning! The soaring mountains are dotted with clusters of houses, making up picturesque villages that overlook lush valleys below.

Braino was particularly impressed by the highways and tunnels that cut through the mountains, making it rather quick and easy drive. I can imagine the original roads through the mountain passes would have been a much more slower and winding.  

The landscape eventually levelled out to a hilly yet arid climate, it reminded me of when we drove Route 66 in the USA, but with a little more greenery. Throughout the valley there are villages, many of which looks abandoned, perched atop the hills. They looked so intriguing, it would be a fascinating area to explore with a small camper van. 

We’ve done a number of iconic drives around the world, like the Icefield Parkway in the Canadian Rockies, the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Route 66 in The USA and obviously now a lot fo the Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland, but Braino and I agreed that the drive from San Sebastian to Huesca was surprisingly up there amongst the best drives, in terms of the dramatic landscapes and scenery. I only wish we had stopped to take more photos.

The town of Huesca itself was a relatively large regional city with its own hilltop old town area, with the cathedral perched at the top. We spent the afternoon wandering the streets and quickly realised that an afternoon siesta is a real thing in this part of Spain. The street felt totally deserted between the hours of 2pm and 6pm, but came alive as the sun started to set. The town of Huesca even has a bull flighting ring that is still in use throughout the year. 

Thankfully, good old Burger King was open and it had a surprisingly large indoor playground that girls enjoyed. 

We stayed at the well located Hotel Pedro I de Aragon and had a room on the top level that included a terrace that over looked the old town area, up to the cathedral. 

SPAIN - San Sebastian, a beautiful urban beach

We departed Dublin and flew into Bordeaux where we picked up our hire car. (I will do a another blogpost about our hire car experiences in Ireland and Europe) and then drove to San Sebastian in the North-Eastern corner of Spain.

We actually stayed about 20 minutes out of the centre of San Sebastian, in a small residential area. We were able to find a comfortable two bedroom apartment within our budget and it was interesting to experience a residential neighbour - the area had a number of great playgrounds.

We travelled into San Sebastian on the two full days we had there and unfortunately, the weather was a little cloudy and rainy on both days. Definitely not the cosmopolitan European summer vibes we had been envisioning after being in Ireland for so long. But we still had a great time exploring the city.

San Sebastian City Hall

Beach of La Concha 

Beach of La Concha

The girls loved splashing in the water and playing in the sand, regardless of the cloudy weather. Both days we went to La Concha Beach which is the beach that is most central to the town.

We also found two great playgrounds in the city centre. One outside the San Telmo Museoa (Museum of Basque Enthography and History) and the other in front of the San Sebastian City Hall, along the waterfront next to the Carousel.

We also enjoyed walking around the Old Town area, with it’s narrow streets, impressive churches and stunning Plaza de la Constitution. Our walk continued around marina and out past the aquarium.

While it would have been amazing to have seen it on a sunny day but San Sebastian still left an impression on us. I see it more as a honeymoon sort of destination but in saying that, I wouldn’t tell people not to bring their kids. The beach was great for kids and the city was really flat and easy to walk around, while the surrounding area is full of beautiful lush green mountains. San Sebastien has the feel of a large city, with restaurants, museums and shopping district, while having a beautiful beach in an incredibly central location.

COUNTY ANTRIM - The Giants Causeway

The Giant’s Causeway is a remarkable geological location that is steeped in mythology and legends. Located on County Antrim’s coast in Northern Ireland, the iconic hexagonal basalt columns that stretch out into the ocean were believed to have been created by the Irish giant Finn MacCool to face his Scottish rival, the giant Benandonner. In a more geological sense, the basalt columns were created by ancient lava flows. Similar basalt columns can be found across the ocean on the coast of Scotland.

While the coastline and pathways down to the causeway are free and accessible to everyone, we opted to pay to use the visitor centre. It is admittedly a little on the expensive side, but this guarantees a parking spot in the dedicated carpark, access to the very informative displays in visitor centre and use of the audio guides, which the girls really loved! They received the kids version which had lots of stories and facts from the legend of the giants.

We walked down the blue track from the visitor centre, which takes the lower path along the shoreline. We fully intended to take the red path on the way back that requires you to climb up the hillside and follow the path at the top of the cliffs, but we spent so much time at the causeway, we decided to return back up the quicker blue track.

There is a shuttle bus that ferries people along the road of the blue path, it’s 1 pound per person and is ideal for anyone with mobility issues but we found the walk to be really easy and enjoyable for the kids.

Even though I’ve known about the Giant’s Causeway since I was a kid, I kept my expectations low, fearing it would be over hyped. But I was very wrong. It was very busy with other tourists, but it really is a magical location. It’s amazing to be able to walk across all the basalt columns and enjoy the coastline stretching out on either side. It’s so much fun to simply explore the location and take in the scenery. There were many other points of interest that we didn’t make it too, including the Giants Boots and Organ Pipe, you could really spend all day exploring the area if you are willing to do a lot of walking. We visited in the afternoon, after stopping at the Dark Hedges and Dunluce Castle, and spent about 2.5 hours there, in hindsight we should have allocated a lot more time.

COUNTY ANTRIM - Dark Hedges and Dunluce Castle

From our accommodation in County Donegal, we ventured across into Northern Ireland to see some of the iconic sites: Dark Hedges, Dunluce Castle and The Giant’s Causeway. Technically Northern Ireland is apart of the United Kingdom, but we were able to easily cross the border in our car.

Our first stop was the Dark Hedges, an atmospheric tree lined road that has been made extra famous when it was featured in Game of Thrones, although it was already one of the most photographed locations in Northern Ireland. It also has a spooky ghost story about the Grey Lady who haunted the beech tree lined road.

My photos honestly don’t do it justice. It would look phenomenal at sunrise or sunset with a zoom lens and fancy camera. I’ve just been using my iphone on this trip, and it’s been extremely convenient but this location (and many others) have made me pine for my old Canon 5Dmk3 and lens.

We parked in the nearby carpark of the Hedges Hotel (parking was approx 5 euro from memory) and this location will forever more be remembered as where Hallie and Rooney both slipped over in the mud, only seconds after Braino told them not to run on the muddy grassy. It was honestly like a scene from Funniest Home Videos, I could barely contain my laugher while Braino came close to loosing his cool. Thankfully we had the suitcases in the car, as we had checked out that morning, so we were able to change the girls into clean clothes. Crisis averted.

After the Dark Hedges, we travelled on to Dunluce Castle, a magnificent ruin from the 16th and 17th centuries. It was inhabited by both the feuding McQuillan and MacDonnell clans and dramatically sits in a rocky headland overlooking the ocean. This is probably my favourite castle ruin that we’ve visits in Ireland, the location is just spectacular! It was also used as a location in Game of Thrones, although with a lot more CGI.

COUNTY DONEGAL - A Drive Through the Countryside and Pub Lunch in Town

After we visited the Slieve League Cliffs, we drove back to the town of Donegal and I absolutely loved the countryside of Donegal. Donegal is one of the more remote counties in Ireland, tucked away in the Northwest corner, the northern end of the Wild Atlantic Way.

It felt so remote and untouched, windswept and ruggedly beautiful. It is one of the remaining Gaeltacht areas (Irish speaking areas) and is a land of towering rocky green mountains with sheep surrounding quaint solitary white farm houses.

We ate lunch at O’Donnells which is on the diamond area in the centre of Donegal town. It has a fantastic cost feel and a delicious menu, we could have stayed all afternoon listening to their classic rock playlist.

Afterwards we stopped in at Donegal Castle, which is located in the centre of town, which is worth a look.

We only spent 3 nights in County Donegal, one day visiting Slieve League and the other visiting the sights of Northern Ireland, but if I was to return to Ireland (and I certainly hope I do) I would dedicated a lot more time to exploring County Donegal.

We also did a drive one day from Galway to Westport in County Mayo, through the Connemara area and the scenery was absolutely stunning. Rocky peaks rising above lakes and remote valleys dotted with farmhouses. I would definitely prfioritize seeing more of County Mayo and County Sligo too.

COUNTY DONEGAL - Visiting the Slieve League Cliffs with Kids

The rugged, soaring cliffs of Slieve League (or Sliabh Liag in Irish) are located in County Donegal in the far north west corner of the Republic of Ireland, near the town of Teelin. These magnificent cliffs are nearly three times as high as the Cliff of Moher and are much less touristy, although we found that the infrastructure that is in place for visitors makes them easily and safely accessible for families.

We parked in at the Sliabh Liag Cliff Experience & Visitor Centre where we then caught a shuttle bus up to the viewing platform on the edge of the cliffs. The bus trip is around 10 minutes and leaves every 20 minutes, no advanced bookings were required. There is also a cafe, toilets and information display located in the visitor centre. Alternatively, next door is the Slieve League Cliff Centre which offers similar facilities. \

The shuttle bus was 6 Euros per adult and 4 euro per child or 20 euros for families.

The other options are to walk from the visitor centres in Teelin to the viewing platform. This takes around 50 minutes and you’d be walking along the narrow windy roads that the cars and shuttle buses are driving along - definitely not ideal for kids.

There is a car park about 5 minutes past Teelin along Sliabh Liag Road, the same road that the shuttle buses travel along, but the car parks were limited and I believe it’s 5 euro to park there. If you were arriving very early in the morning it may be a good option. But it’s still about a 25 min walk to the viewing platform.

We were happy we opted for the shuttle bus, it’s definitely the most convenient and safest option for kids.

The panoramic views of the sea cliffs from the viewing platform are astonishing! And we felt quite safe with the basic fencing along the edge. We did decide to hike a little further up the stone steps that lead higher up the mountainside and the views became even more phenomenal. We could see people high up on the ridge of the nearby peak of the cliffs and the girls would have happily kept going higher but we got caught in the misty raincloud that swept in off the Atlantic Ocean. We made it back to the viewing platform where our shuttle bus was waiting to take a number of drenched sight-seers back to the visitor centres.

I would recommend wearing warm waterproof jackets and good walking shoes (although the girls were just wearing their crocs and they were fine, the girls pretty much love in them ). The wind was pretty wild and chilly and the rain clouds came over quite quickly. I’d suggest even bringing a change of clothes to keep in the car. Funnily enough, I left the accommodation without my rain jacket, thinking it was already in the car but thankfully Braino had his two jumpers / jackets in the car so I was able to wear one of his.

Slieve League would be an incredible location to do more of the extensive hikes (you can read more about hiking trails here) but taking the shuttle bus to the viewing point is certainly enough of an adventure with kids in tow.

COUNTY CLARE - Loop Head Lighthouse & Bridges of Ross

The Loop Head Lighthouse sits at the southern tip of the peninsula that makes up County Clare, at the mouth of what becomes the Shannon River. We drove down from Lahinch on a spectacular day with blue skies and warm sunshine.

For a small fee you can enter the lighthouse grounds which has a small museum display, coffee shop and toilet facilities. You can pay a small amount extra to climb to the top of the lighthouse but we opted not to. Instead we did a walk beyond the walls of the light grounds to the edge of the cliffs.

The cliffs are extremely high, with no fencing at all. I’ll admit, as much as it is breathtakingly beautiful and exhilarating to see the coastline stretch out either side and the Atlantic Ocean stretch out to the horizon, it’s also quite anxiety inducing. Our girls are really sensible and cautious and they behaved themselves really well, but it’s hard to escape intrusive thoughts of someone going over the edge. Braino was surprising brave, being memorised by the crashing waves below. May times I felt compelled to tell him to get back from the edge. We even saw a local man with a fishing rod and tackle box climb down to a precarious ledge to fish over the edge. We could see all the way to the mountains of the Dingle Peninsula to the south, it was really magical.

We stopped off at the nearby Bridges of Ross, which is another section of the coastline that has unique naturally formed arched bridges that cross parts of the cliff. You can see in last photo on the right Braino and the girls siting on top of the bridge section over the water below.

COUNTY CLARE - Kilkee Beach & Kilkee Cliffs

Kilkee is a picturesque beachside town around an hour south of where we were staying in Lahinch with stunning, and somewhat underrated, sea cliffs.

We actually came here on two different occasions to enjoy the beach on sunny days. The beach is a lovely sandy cove with calm water and the main street just one block back. It felt very much like a hidden gem, somewhere that’s been kept off the tourist radar; a summer destination for Irish families.

We would recommend it over Lahinch, where we stayed, as a beach destination. Lahinch is a small town with a large beach that is considered more of a surf beach, but it has a huge rock wall reinforcing the store line. At high tide the waves crash against the rocks and it can feel pretty wild. Kilkee Beach, being in a cove, felt a bit more protected and the town felt more spread out and walkable.

On the headland either side of the beach are the stunning sea cliffs. We only did a drive by after our day at the beach, pulling over for me to take some photos but there is a dedicated walking track along the top of cliffs.

I’ve been reading various facebook groups for Travel Tips in Ireland and many people lament how ‘touristy and over run’ the Cliffs of Moher can feel, with the huge numbers of tour buses that arrive each day. Many people say that the Kilkee cliffs are a much more authentic, lesser known option. While they didn’t seem as high as the Cliffs of Moher, they are still spectacular. (and don’t come with any admission. prices)

But I would recommended that if you’re able to venture of the track to Kilkee, then keep going south to the Loop Head Lighthouse which has even more incredible coastline scenery (read more about it in the next blog post)

COUNTY CLARE - Bunratty Castle and Folk Village

Bunratty Castle and FolK Village was another wonderful family friendly, open air museum. Located in County Clare but only a short drive from the city of Limerick, Bunratty Castle and Folk Village allows visitors to walk through time with the incredibly preserved castle and the recreated folk village, containing buildings and farmhouses from Ireland’s last century.

The version of Bunratty Castle that stands today was built around 1425 by the powerful MacNamara family but by 1475 it had become the stronghold of the O’Briens, the largest clan in North Munster.

The castle was abandoned from 1804 to 1954 when it was then restored and opened to the public as a National Monument. Today, visitors are able to tour through the restored rooms of the castle and climb to the top of the towers.

Sprawling out from the castle grounds is the 26 acres of countyside that make up the Bunratty Folk Park. At the far end is Bunratty Manor, home to the Studdart family who abandoned the castle in 1804, in favour of living in the more comfortable Georgian manor house. The house has also been preserved and is open for visitors to wander through, including the lovely walled gardens.

The folk park contains examples of traditional Irish farmhouses from throughout the last century, from single room stone dwellings to the multiple room cottages, complete with whitewashed walls and thatched roofs. Many have been relocated and reconstruction from various parts of the County Clare and the Shannon region.

There is also the village street with relocated buildings including a school house, doctors house, shops and a pub, a church and a mill house. All of them are open and furnished with authentic pieces from that time so it really does feel like you’ve stepped back in time.

There are also staff that wander around in character or are stationed at particular building, answering any questions and doing short talks throughout the day. We made a point to say hello to Eoin, the carpenter in the castle courtyard, who, our friend Tina told us, has a huge following on TikTok, sharing his traditional skills live from Bunratty Castle.

The kids particularly loved the train ride, the playground with flying fox / zip line and spotting the various animals like pigs, baby goats, Irish Wolfhound Dogs and geese. Overall, it’s a great family day out where you can learn a lot about Ireland’s history and experience historic Irish architecture all in one location. Bunratty Castle is a popular tourist destination but I’d say its worth the visit, especially with kids.

COUNTY CLARE - Day Trip Through The Burren, A Unique Landscape Filled with History

The Burren located in County Clare, Ireland, is a unique and rugged landscape renowned for its limestone pavements and remarkable geological features. This barren yet beautiful region is steeped in history, with ancient monoliths, Neolithic tombs, and captivating Celtic sites dotting the landscape, offering a glimpse into Ireland's rich heritage

We were able to take in some of the main sites via a scenic drive through The Burren and into County Galway, which wasn’t far from where we were staying in Lahinch.

The first site was the Poulnabrone Dolman, one of Ireland’s most iconic archaeological monuments. This portal tomb dates back to between 5,200 and 5,800 years ago. It was excavated in 1980 by archaeologist Anne Lynch who revealed the remains of 33 people.

Next we visited Caherconnell Fort which is a ruins of an ancient settlement that dates back one thousand years. (Click here to see what it looks life from above, a far more impressive view). Also there is a sheep dog demonstration at the Caherconnell property but we just stopped by for a coffee and snacks at the cafe and a quick look around the fort.

We then continued north to the town of Kinvara (which is technically in County Galway) and walked along the shoreline to Dunguaire Castle. This restored 16th century tower house was built in 1520 by the O’Hynes clan and sits on a rocky outcrop on the shores of Galway Bay. The castle is temporarily closed to tours however visitors can still walk around the outside perimeter of the castle and enjoy the view out over the bay back to Kinvara. The girls loved walking through the narrow, bushy track that hugged the castle walls but at this point Braino had to run back into town, in urgent search of a toilet.

The last stop of the day was at Kilmacduagh Monastery and Round Tower near the town of Gort. (also in County Galway). The site was founded by St Colman in the 7th Century and has a number of ruined churches, a graveyard and one of the most well-preserved Round Towers in Ireland.

We’ve visited a number of round towers in Ireland, including Glendalough, The Rock of Cashel, and Clonmacnoise. The girls, especially Hallie, get quite excited about round towers. I guess they do look like something straight out of a fairy tale. Round Towers were used by the ancient monks as a lookout tower and as a safe haven during times of attacks and raids. The doors are set about 8 feet up, the monks used a ladder to climb up and then they hoisted the ladder into the tower, so the attackers could not enter.

The round tower at Kilmacduagh, while on a slight lend, is the tallest of its kind in the world! Which is why I would have to say that the Kilmacduagh monastic ruins are incredibly underrated. It was totally free of charge to enter and there was hardly anyone else there while we visited.

COUNTY CLARE - The Cliffs of Moher, A Breathtaking Natural Wonder

The Cliffs of Moher, towering majestically along the southwestern coast of Ireland, offer a breathtaking blend of natural beauty and rich history. Stretching over 5 miles and reaching heights of up to 702 feet above the Atlantic Ocean, these dramatic cliffs provide stunning panoramic views.

Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site, with scenic walking paths, visitor center, and a touch of Irish folklore, the Cliffs of Moher are an unforgettable destination that captures the wild spirit of Ireland.

The Cliffs of Moher were only a short distance from where we were staying in Lahinch, in County Clare and we visited them one sunny, clear afternoon from 4pm - 6pm. I’m incredibly grateful that we had the option to wait for ideal weather to see them; there was only a mild breeze, blue skies and warm afternoon sunshine. The weather in Ireland is so unpredictable and extreme, many tourist with tight itineraries would have no choice but to visit the cliffs in rain and gale force wind. If you have the choice, I would recommended going later in the afternoon as it’s less crowded and slightly cheaper.

If you’re looking at a map of Ireland, the cliffs stretch from Lisconner in the south all the way to Doolin in the north and it has been possible to hike from one end to the other and it is free to do so. In the middle, near O’Briens Tower, is the visitors centre which includes a large designated carpark, a museum with informative displays, cafe and giftshops. It’s $12 Euro per adult to visit via the visitor centre (kids under 12 are free) and this area has paved pathways and stone barriers in place.

For us, with kids, the visiter centre was the most straighforward and safest way to visit. With the stone barriers, there was no way the girls could go close to the edge. Being close to the edge of cliffs this high does give you an intense feeling of anxiety and unfortunately people have ventured to close to the edge and fallen to their deaths.

The tracks that extend 1km both north and south of the visiter centre have stone barriers set along the paths but beyond that to Lisconnor and Doolin, the paths have no barrier and are fairly close to the edge.

Just recently, while we were staying in Lahinch, authorities have close off portions of the cliff walks that extend to Lisconnor and Doolin to set up more barriers and warning signs. As beautiful and awe inspiring as the cliffs are, it visitor centre felt like the safest and most practical way to visit them.

COUNTY KERRY - Skellig Michael, Journey to the Sacred Island

Visiting the Skellig Islands off the coast of the Ring of Kerry was one of the most exhilarating experiences. It was an incredible day trip however, due to the dangerous terrain on the island, it isn’t suitable for kids under the age of 12 so it was a solo mission for me. Braino and the girls spent the morning at the nearby town of Waterville enjoying the beach.

The Skellig Islands are a UNESCO World Heritage site with an ancient monastery at the top of the big island - Skellig Michael. I once heard it described as Irelands answer to Machu Picchu, so it was instantly added to my bucket list.

I was very lucky in terms of booking the trip late ( it can sell out months in advance ) and then having favourable weather on the day of the trip ( many landing tours have to be cancelled on the day of due to rough weather ).

The group of boats left the harbour of Portmagee around 8:30am and it took roughly an hour to travel over to the big island, Skelling Michael. We travelled past Little Skellig, the smaller island that is home to a colony of gannets (sea birds). Little Skellig is sheer rock and its not possible to dock there and climb the rocks, it’s strictly a protected sanctuary for the birds.

There were 12 people aboard the boat I was on and there were approximately 3 other boats that departed at the same time as us. Once we arrived on Skellig Michael, we were given a safety induction by one of the guides that live and work on the island throughout the summer months.

Skelling Michael is also the annual home to a colony of puffins, who arrive on the island every year to breed. As we hiked up the steep stone steps, the hillside was swarming with the incredibly cute little birds, who make their nests in burrows amongst the rocks. I visited on the 23rd of July and the guides were predicting that the puffins were due to migrate soon. They are usually all gone by the second week of August, so again, I was very lucky to have seen all the puffins. I can’t say I’ve ever been much of a birdwatcher but I’m kind of obsessed with puffins now.

After continuing on the steep path up the side of the island, we reached the ancient monastery at the top. The collection of beehive huts that overlook Little Skellig and back across to the Kerry and Dingle Peninsulas, date back to 7th century and where inhabited by up to 12 monks at a time.

The monks came to the island in search of solitude and a simple life were they could live a deeply spiritual existence, spending their days in mediation and at harmony with nature. They caught fish and collected birds eggs and had small vegetable plots. At one point they had a cow living on the island that they bought over from the mainland. The monks collected fire wood on the mainland and brought it back in row boats. Simply rowing a boat over from the mainland would have been a feat in and of itself, not to mention constructing the walls and huts of the monastery out of stone.

There were two guides stationed at the monastery who gave a talk every 20 minutes or so. I found it so interested that the three guides who live on the island for 2 weeks at a time on a rotating roster were all women, older the 45 years old. What an interesting job and lifestyle that would be.

Skellig Michael features heavily as a location in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. I was fascinated to learn how the production team were able to coordinate a whole film crew to come out to the island. Apparently it only took 4 days and the crew were blessed with very good weather. Here are a few behind the scenes videos to give you some more insight into the filming.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Exclusive Behind the Scenes in Ireland

Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Behind the Scenes in Ireland

All up, visiting Skellig Michael was such a humbling, awe-inspiring experience, I feel so blessed to have been able to witness such a wild, otherworldly location.

A few tips for visiting Skelling Michael:

• I booked through a company called Skellig Rocks and I would highly recommend them. But here are some other options that leave from Portmagee as I had to try a few before I found availability. Skellig Island Tours, Skellig Michael Cruises, Skellig Coast Adventures.

• I booked a week or two in advance and got very lucky in securing a spot on a day that was convenient for our travels. However, if you were only in Ireland for a short time with a fixed itinerary, I would suggest booking well in advance but allow some flexibility in our itinerary if the weather is unsuitable. You may be able to try again the following day.

• The landing tours run from May to September however, if you do want to see the puffins, you should plan to go before the end of July.

• All up the tour was 130 euros, I paid 65 euro online to secure the booking and then 65 in cash to Derek the boat guide at the end of the trip. Make sure you have cash as it’s the most convenient way to pay the balance.

• If your trip is cancelled your deposit will be refunded. You’ll be notified via email the morning of the trip, maybe as early as 6am - 7am.

• I stayed in Killarney the night before and it took roughly 90 minutes to reach Portmagee, however I would recommended staying in Portmagee or other close towns like Waterville, Cahersiveen.

• If you have hiking boots, these will be the most appropriate shoes, however runners or walking shoes will be fine. No sandals, slip-on shoes or heels.

• Wear layers, including a raincoat or waterproof outer layer. I had a raincoat, jumper and tshirt and was rather hot by the time I reached the top but was warn enough on the boat on the way over.

• Suncream and hat is recommended and obviously your own water too.

• Bring a packed lunch or snacks as there aren’t any cafes or food stalls on the island. However, it’s advised not to have large breakfast or coffee in the morning to avoid any seasickness. If you are prone to seasickness, it’s best to come equipped with any mediation you may want to use. A few people on my trip were seasick.

• There is a toilet on the island at the bottom near where the boats dock, so I would suggest going when you have the opportunity as you won’t want to be climbing up and down the steep steps just to use the bathroom.

• A moderate level of fitness is required. It’s advised not to climb the stone step pathway if you suffer from vertigo or balance issues. It takes around 45 minutes to climb to the top at the slowish pace, there is no rush, you can take your time.

• We arrived on the island by 9:30am and we departed at at 12:15pm. I felt like that was plenty of time to reach the top and enjoy the views.

COUNTY KERRY - Inch Beach and the Dingle Peninsula

Once we left County Carlow on the east coast of Ireland, we stayed for two nights in Killarney, on our way to Lahinch in County Clare. County Kerry is a very popular area of Ireland and the Dingle Peninsula is mentioned a lot on Irish travel itineraries.

It’s a stunning, windswept corner of Ireland that is rich in history and jaw dropping scenery. However, on the day that we had planned to drive down to the Slea Head Loop of the Dingle Peninsula, is was very rainy and misty.

Our first stop was at Inch Beach, a beautiful stretch of sand with the mountains of Dingle to the right and the mountains of the Ring of Kerry to the left. We saw a number of people taking their surfboards out to try their luck on the waves and Braino and I had a lovely chat with the local lifeguard about the surf culture of this area while the kids climbed on the rocks.

After taking in the views, we were back on the road, headed for Dingle Town. We arrived in to the rather crowded little port of Dingle, surrounded by misty low clouds and very poor visibilty. From the town of Dingle, many people continue on down to the Slea Head Loop, with views out over the jagged shoreline and cliffs, across to the Blasket Island and ancient structures and monastic beehive huts along the hillsides

However, we decided to forgo the Slea Head Loop and escape the rain by settling to a coffee shop in Dingle where we meet an older couple from Adelaide who were traveling with their walking club. We actually ran into them a few days later in Lahinch, their tour group was staying overnight at the big hotel next to our accommodation.

We departed the town of Dingle and drove back over The Connor Pass, a high mountain road that provides a stunning view over the peninsula. But we unfortunately drove through the cloud cover and were surrounded by mist. It was actually the first time we found driving on the narrow windy roads to be very nerve wracking!

While in Killarney we stayed at the Hotel Killarney and were really happy with the family friendly amenities - great indoor pool, playground, restaurant and bar, breakfast buffet and family size rooms.

COUNTY KILKENNY - Kilkenny Castle, At The Centre of a Vibrant Medieval City

Kilkenny is quite a popular town on Irish travel itineraries and it became one of our favourite places to visit. It always felt lively even on a rainy, grey day and we visited the brand new library on a few occasions. It was the first library we went to and it was there that we discovered that we were able to sign up and borrow out books. It was newly build, literally having opened earlier this year and it has an amazing selections of books.

But the main focus of this blog post is our visit to Kilkenny Castle, the huge 800 year old castle that sits in the centre of town. It has been home to the powerful Butler family, who held the title of Earl of Ormonde throughout history. The castle has been kept in fine condition and we were able to take a tour through many of the rooms that still contain furnishings, tapestries and paintings. It was quite amazing.

The tour inside was at a small cost (the kids were free) but anyone can come into the vast castle grounds to enjoy the fields, walking trails, playground and rose garden. There is even a parkrun though the grounds on a Saturday morning.

Around the time of this visit, the girls revealed that they actually do enjoy visiting castles, and this one is especially impressive, it even had a child’s bedroom with some old and some ‘what creepy looking dolls on display. It’s been really interesting seeing castles in various states of preservation. There are so many you could visit across Ireland.

Also in Kilkenny is St Cannice Cathedral and Round Tower. Halie had said how much she wanted to climb a Round Tower -Hallie out of all the girls has been very interested in the few Round Towers we have seen at Glendalough and The Rock of Cashel. I had read that you can climb the round tower at St Cannice Cathedral but when I looked closer, it turned out that Hallie wouldn’t have made the minimal height requirement. So we never actually made plans to go and visit the Catherdral while we were in Kilkenny. But it seems like it would be a great place to visit in addition to Kilkenny Castle.

COUNTY WEXFORD - Kia Ora Mini Farm

Kia Ora Mini Farm is a family run open farm in Gorey, County Wexford. Its a wonderful day out for the whole family, with farm animals, fire engine rides, peddle carts, and plenty of outdoor play equipment. The girls had an amazing time and the weather was exceptionally sunny and warm.

The highlight for me (and probably the girls too ) was being able to pat rabbits. The rabbits had to sit in little baskets but we were able to stroke them while we had the baskets on our laps. The rabbits didn’t seem to mind and they were so soft. There were so many rabbits and guinea pigs, we even saw nest of new born rabbits.

The farm had so many other animals to look at like cows, ponies, deer, llamas, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens and roosters. (I didn’t take many photos of them though.)

But the thing that made the farm so good for young kids was all the toys and play equipment. I’ll list a few below:

• There were mini peddle tractors that Hallie and Rooney loved riding around on.

• There were real mini excavators that kids could operate.

• Peddle Go-Karts that parents and kids could ride together.

• A soccer game that was kind of like putt putt golf but with soccer balls (this was surprisingly fun for Braino and I)

• A maze made out of netting with a slide at the end that the kids loved running around in.

• A custom made fire truck that the farmer took people for a ride in. (As an adult, this was kind of boring but a 3 year old kid whose obsessed with trucks would totally love it)

• Plenty of balls and soccer nets in the central grassy area, plus a sandpit.

Our girls had a great time but I could see how it would be a whole lot of fun for families with toddlers. All the activities were included in the admission price which was great and we were allowed to bring in our own picnics, although they did have a small cafe selling drinks, ice creams and basic stuff like chips.

COUNTY WEXFORD - Irish National Heritage Park

The Irish National Heritage Park is another exceptional interactive experience. Located just outside the town of Wexford, it is an open air museum where you can journey back in time and discover how people lived throughout history, from the Stone Age right up until the Medieval period of Ireland.

The park is divided into three sections; Pre-Historic Ireland, Early Christian Ireland and The Age of Invasions. Each section contains reconstructed dwellings that exhibit how people lived during these time periods. Visitors are able to go inside each structure, making it a really immersive learning experience for kids.

We were able to join the guided tours of the Early Christian and the Age of Invasions, but arrived a little to late for the Pre Historic Tour. The tours are included in the admission fee and we’d highly recommend joining the them, the guides were so informative and we find it’s the best way to learn and absorb the information. Braino admitted that he was surprised at how interesting Irish history is, particularly during the Age of Invasion, which covers the Vikings and Anglo - Normans. The girls were also great during the guide tours, even though we were in a rather large group.

There are also many hands on activities for kids to do throughout the park, like pan for gold, learn how to weave the walls of the ancient structures and carve markings into a rock. You can imagine that the Heritage Park is a very popular school excursion destination.

There is an obstacle course style playground at the end of the Age of Invasions section, next to the castle and round tower. In the castle there is a falconry centre where you can learn about and interact with birds of prey. We didn’t partake in this section as it was a rather substantial additional cost and we were planning to head to the Wexford Races afterwards to check out the last race of the day. We did make it in time to see that last race, Braino even collected a small win. Arriving late in the afternoon meant we also didn’t need to pay the admission fee so it a big win all round.

Overall, I’d say the Irish National Heritage Park is a beautiful open air museum where kids (and adults too) can really immerse themselves in the ancient history of Ireland. Facilities like this are such a great way for kids to learn, more preferable in some ways to a standard indoor museum. We also visited a similar folk park in Takayama, Japan - Hida No Sato.