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Have you ever been to a place and on immediate arrival you knew that no matter what the day held you knew it was going to be everything? This is how I felt when I arrived to the beautiful fisherman town of Howth. I learned about this seaside town when doing research about hikes nearest to Dublin. A website mentioned there was a nice little trail that leads you around a coastal summit overlooking a beautiful harbor, and I knew I had to go. For the last few months I have felt so cooped up in the city that I NEEDED to get out and see a bit of nature. It was like an itch.  According to what I read it was only a 30 minute train ride from downtown Dublin into the heart of this fantastic town. Upon the day I was supposed to go and do this mini hike I woke up nursing a nasty hangover after a night out with zero desire to spend the day outside. However, I pulled my sorry ass out of bed and became determined to see this piece of paradise.

If we are being 100% honest, I had no idea where I was going when I set off on this tourist day. All I knew was I had to get to Connolly train station and head to Howth. Luckily for me Emily knew how to get to the train. It is always better to have a buddy during tourist days. Soon we found ourselves sitting on the train and on our way for a fantastic day. Upon arrival all I could focus on was the smell of the salt water. Hearing the crashing of the waves against the fishing boats filled my heart with so much love.

The initial plan when arriving to Howth was to follow the green arrows and find the hiking trail, but being who I am I I went into this field trip blindly and had no idea where the hell I was going. I also kept getting distracted by the ocean and all the seals that were swimming around the harbor. I just knew I had to find my way to the coast and all would be right with the world. After wandering around the town and discovering the beautiful harbor and playing with cute little seals we FINALLY found the route to the trail. Let me start by saying this did not disappoint one bit. The first bit leading up to the trails was along a road that overlooked the ocean and the harbor. I was at a loss for words due to the beauty of the sites. We even saw a little cottage that W.B. Yeats lived in for a number of years! It was unbelievable. After walking for about 20 minutes we finally made it to the start of the trail. Though it was a bit crowded with other tourists I was ready to take it head on. This was a pretty easy hike with an already worn in path. It took you around the edge of the mountain where all you can see before you was the sea. It felt absolutely amazing to be on a trail again. To have dirt underneath my feet, the sun in the sky, mountains to climb, and oceans to look at made me feel at peace and at home.

After we returned from our mini hike we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to have fish and chips at a local pub. I mean Howth is a coastal fishing village so I knew the food must have been unreal. Man, was I right. We stopped in one of the local pubs and got some of the best food I could imagine. My trip to Howth became one of my favorite days since I’ve been in Ireland. It was so refreshing to get out of the city and to get into nature. Though I couldn’t physically get into the water it was so refreshing to get back near the ocean. I know for a fact I will be back to this magical little town before I leave the emerald isle. I was there for only a few hours and it forever holds a piece of my heart. It is a place I know I would be able to live in at some point in my life. Howth, you truly are an A+ city, and if you ever find yourself near Dublin, but need to see some nature, take a trip to the coast. You will not be sorry.