Discover what the village has to offer
A walk around Howth Harbour will clear your cobwebs and is an easy stroll if you’re not ready to tackle the hills. It is a working fishing harbour so you might see trawlers unloading as well as tour boats that go to Ireand’s Eye.
It also has a large marina for recreational boating. You might spot a seal as they are plentiful in the harbour area (but please make sure not to feed them).
The small cove of Claremont Beach nearby is also a lovely spot for walking and paddling. Brave souls sometimes bathe here too although it is quite shallow at low tide and quite high when the tide is in. It has a lifeguard station during the summer.
The sea air has been known to work up an appetite and there are a variety of pubs and restaurants nearby.
A journey well worth taking, the Howth Coastal Walk was recently awarded a Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence. The walk starts at the carpark of Balscadden Bay (a few hundred metres east of the village). From here, a path leads up and around the Nose of Howth and onto the cliff tops.
If you continue uphill, there are excellent views of Lambay Island and Ireland’s Eye (be careful on the cliff edge) and a slight detour to the south takes you to Baily Lighthouse.
At the highest point of the walk (171 metres), you will reach the Ben of Howth, marked by an ancient burial cairn. The path then returns downhill to Howth Village. In total, the walk is 7 kilometres and takes 2-3 hours.
Alternatively, instead of returning to the village you could continue on the cliff path until you come to Sutton and then take either the DART or the No. 31 bus back to Howth. For more information on this and other local walks see fingaldublin.ie.
Howth Farmers’ Market is on from 10am–5pm every Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday opposite Howth Harbour.
The number of stalls varies week to week but there are typically about 40 stalls with a wide variety of produce from fresh fruit, organic vegetables and local fish to homemade chocolates and handmade jewellery.
Amble around and you will find lots of delicious fare ready to eat such as barbequed prawns, sausages and venison. There are lots of international influences too, with a Malaysian food stall, a crêperie and a Mediterranean stall and many more. Artisan sweet treats abound too.
For more information, phone 01-8394141 or see howthmarket.ie.
To explore more in Howth click here.