Ireland: Your Next Western European Adventure

Just a short 6 hour flight from Boston, and NYC, you can find yourself in one of the most beautiful places in the world - Ireland. Sure, you could go to California for the weekend, or you could find yourself in a new immersive experience where the views couldn't be better and the people couldn't be nicer. And check another country off that bucketlist. 

When you think of a trip to Europe - your mind might go to drinking wine in Italy, or eating paella in Spain, but the beautiful island of Ireland is truly the rainbow at the end of a pot of gold. Over 11.3 million tourists visit this rich-in-nature country each year and with so much to offer, there’s something for every type of traveler here. 

For the urban lover: Ireland offers a host of vibrant cities like Dublin, of course, and my favorite, Galway.

Dublin is a lively capital city that's as intimate as a village and as friendly as your local Irish pub. Dublin is the perfect mix between historic sites and fun nights of drinking beers and whiskey. And of course, it hosts the Guinness Storehouse.

You probably didn’t know that Galway is famous for being Ireland's festival capital, hosting an average of 122 festivals per year. This gorgeous city is an 18th-century Eyre Square, where you can find stone-clad cafes, and Irish folk music everywhere. Get this - the city still retains its medieval city walls. It gives you that small town feeling with charm, great pubs, and rockin’ live music. (My personal favorite stop  - The Quays Bar and Music Hall). 

For the active traveler: The hikes and scenery are endless. You’ve never seen grass so green and majestic. Killarney National Park covers an area of over 26,000 acres incorporating lakes, mountains, woodlands, waterfalls, and heritage sites. It is a must for those with an enthusiasm for nature, history, culture or a fun day filled with adventure.

For the seeker of photographic moments: We’ve got The Cliffs of Moher, the most famous spot in Ireland, will leave you awestruck. These very impressive cliffs are 702 feet at their highest point and span 8.6 miles in length, with a narrow cliff top path hugging the edge. On a clear day, you won't be able to tell where the cliffs end and the Horizon begins. There's also a 300 million-year-old river channel buried within the cliffs - good luck finding it. 

Of course, our lover of history: Don’t worry, Ireland has more than 30,000 castles to explore. If you can only see a few - we recommend seeing Kilkenny Castle, Slane Castle, and - if you fancy feeling like a royal- stay at Parknasilla Resort Castle in County Kerry. 

Ready to book a trip but don’t know where to start? Join SurfYogaBeer on an epic adventure to Ireland. To see our latest trips to the Emerald Isle - head to surfyogabeer.com/ireland.