Go Girls! Leave the men (and the kids) at home and make a break for some serious fun in the great Irish outdoors. Make waves on a surfing trip, beat a path around a mountain or zip it up with some high wire acts!
Here are ten great girlie outdoor breaks in Ireland- but for lots more find Discover Ireland on Facebook, @discoverirlon Twitter or check out www.discoverireland.ie #thisisLIVING
Giddy up to Kildare!
Glam up - you can bet on a great day out at the world famous Curragh Racecourse in Co. Kildare. Make a girlie date for The Irish 1000 Guineas/Tattersalls Gold Cup ladies Day on May 24th. Or put on the high heels for glamorous Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby on June 27th. With your winnings gallop across to the nearby Kildare Outlet Shopping Village for some seriously great value, retail therapy.
Make Waves in Waterford
Aloha girls! Make waves and splash out on some fun surfing with expert instructors from Oceanics Surf School in the beautiful Tramore in Co. Waterford, one of the best surfing spots on the Copper Coast. Keep an eye out for confirmation of dates for the Oceanics annual Ladies surfing weekend taking place later this year where surfing, yoga and cocktails are all expected to be part of this super fun weekend!
Bond in Ballyhoura
Escape for a bonding breather to beautiful Ballyhoura, an area of unspoilt landscape and thrilling outdoor activities spanning counties Tipperary, Limerick and Cork. Saddle up at Ballyhoura Horse Trails Equestrian Centre near the picturesque village of Kilfinane for some mountain trekking or explore one of the areas challenging cycle trails. Mmake it a home from home and book a magical woodland cabin with Forest Holiday Homes in Ballyorgan, the perfect base for fun girlie adventure.
Beat a path to the Blackstairs
Brush away the cobwebs and forage for food on a spectacular guided eco adventure with Blackstairs Eco Trails near Borris in Co. Carlow. This fun adventure will bring you around stunning Mount Leinster and along the gentle River Barrow tow paths. You will learn to make wild garlic pesto which you can wash down with delicious home-made sloe gin.
On your bike
Saddle up for great girlie fun on a Clifden Cycle Hub trail set between the rugged peaks of the Twelve Bens and the rolling waves of the Atlantic Ocean in Connemara. The 16 kilometres Sky Road Loop promises spectacular views of Inishturk Island and Clifden town.
Dive into the Burren!
Discover a fascinating underwater world snorkelling the Flaggy Shore (made famous in the Seamus Heaney poem ‘Spirit Level’) in Co. Clare with the Burren Outdoor Education Centre. The waters here are teeming with starfish, scuttling crabs and waving seaweed.
Enjoy a capital raft
Splash out and explore Dublin from a completely different angle - rafting down the River Liffey through the beautiful Strawberry Beds. Taking around two-and-a-half hours, you navigate four weirs as you flow downriver, passing stunning wildlife and discovering some intriguing history on the way.
Zip-it in Louth
Round up the girls and reach new heights swinging, screaming and climbing as you release your inner Jane at Skypark Zip Line Trekking Park at Carlingford Adventure Centre in Co. Louth. If that is not enough excitement for you sign up for more thrills canoeing, kayaking, windsurfing or rock-climbing in this beautiful part of the North East.
Map your way to Kilkenny!
You don’t have to be queens to tackle the new orienteering courses around the magnificent grounds of medieval Kilkenny Castle. If you don’t get lost along the way make your way afterwards to the Kilkenny Design Shop based in the old castle stables across the road for some retail therapy.
Go girlie glamping!
Discover the great outdoors in style and book a girlie break in a luxury Yurt on a hillside overlooking Lough Swilly with Portsalon Luxury Camping in North Donegal. Each yurt has big comfy beds with cosy interiors and warming wood burning stoves inside and a barbeque and fire pit outside. The world renowned Ballymastocker Strand blue flag beach is approximately one mile from the site, and nearby Portsalon village has two superb restaurants and a pub.
For lots more find Discover Ireland on Facebook, @discoverirl on Twitter or check out www.discoverireland.ie #thisisLIVING
