I’m sure there are even more wonderful places out there (and Sagan and I will find them) but for now, these are 8 great places we have found around Dublin to take your best friend.

1. St. Anne’s Park

I absolutely adore this park. It has a wonderful mix of everything I want in a good walk with my dog and it keeps us both interested and happy. It’s quite large with plenty of nature (various types of trees, a river, large areas of grass for dogs to run) but also has charming rose gardens, beautiful stone walls covered in ivy, a clocktower, great playgrounds for kids, and cafes. On Saturdays, this park is host to a nice little market where you can buy arts and crafts, flowers, and homemade goods. This is by far one of my favorite places in Dublin. Sagan seemed to approve, too!

 

2. Ardgillan Castle

Perfect place to see some history, take in some great views AND the best part – it’s very dog-friendly! Located north of the city, Ardgillan has a large, beautiful castle to look at plus you can see the water and mountains in the distance from the grounds. They feature a dog-friendly cafe outside the rose gardens where you can have a light lunch and enjoy a little break between walks with your furry friend. The dogs aren’t allowed in the rose gardens but are allowed to walk all around the grounds and, believe me, there’s plenty to enjoy without entering the garden areas.

3. Wicklow Mountains

South of the city, the Wicklow Mountains span a large area with numerous trails to choose from. This area is great for breathtaking views of not only the mountains but lakes, waterfalls, cliffs, and the overall beauty of nature.

4. Loughshinny Beach

This is a peaceful, quiet beach north of Dublin. Great for when you want a calm setting for your walk. It’s rarely crowded and has really unique rock formations to look at.

5. Sandymount Strand

This is a nice stretch of beach with a walking/jogging trail along the coast southeast of Dublin city centre. There are good views of the Dublin Bay, famous Poolbeg chimney stacks, Dun Laoghaire, lighthouses, and the Wicklow mountains.

Sagan really enjoyed the day here and even made some new friends!

6. Howth

Howth is a peninsula just to the east of Dublin city centre.  There are many different trails and climbs that offer fantastic views of Dublin bay, the city, and the mountains. You can take a walk along the water from pretty much any side of this small peninsula or you can go to the Howth summit to get some gorgeous views of the city from above. You may also want to hop by the local fish market to buy some of the fresh seafood while you’re exploring.

7. Malahide

Malahide is a charming small coastal town located north of the city. It offers peaceful walks by the sea with long stretches of beach. We always see plenty of dogs and their owners out for a stroll when we visit and most of the time we can bet that Sagan will make some friends (and so do we)! You can also take your dog for a walk around the Malahide Castle grounds which are dog-friendly and surrounded by beautiful gardens. Overall, Malahide is definitely a great place for dogs – and their people!

8. Skerries

Skerries is another coastal town north of Dublin and, as with many of the others on this list, provides phenomenal views. Here you can see the boats on the water and the rolling countryside on the hills. You may, if you need a little post-walk refreshment, enjoy a pint outside at the various local pubs facing the sea.

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Thanks for reading and feel free to comment if you know of some other great places to take your dog around Dublin!

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