There’s something about Springtime that makes us want to re-boot and get our lives back on track. Light lingers that bit longer with each passing day nudging us to take that first step down a path we may not have travelled before. Go to where the waters flow and you will not be disappointed. Few places gravitate to the sea like County Wexford. Waves roll into shore along it’s 273 km coastline in timeless homage to all who have passed this way before. It pays to wander the Wexford way.
Celtic Ways Ireland are delighted to launch our ‘3 Day Gentle Adventure in South East Ireland’ in 2024 inviting visitors from near and far to sample the hidden gems that County Wexford offers in abundance. Every day with us, you can expect something totally different to what has gone before; walking through a forest to the beach in Curracloe one day with the option of horse riding later through the soft sands of Old Bawn, kayaking along the Hook Peninsula another through the mystical caves speckled across the southern coastline… before returning to the comfort of the 4-star Ashdown Park Hotel. We believe there’s something magical about Wexford that will leave you wanting more.
Early morning sunrise over Ballymoney beach is a joy to behold. Local swimmers regale us with their song and their laughter as they feel the cool embrace of the water. There’s an energy here far beyond the radar of a busy world as rays of light dance in broken reels on the breaking surf. Wave after wave land in soft melodic movements, each one suspended momentarily in time, before it recedes into the infinity from which it came. Dawn by the sea along this South Eastern corner of Ireland is yours and yours alone.
There’s a curious shift happening in the tourism arena. More and more visitors are looking for something a little more ‘immersive’ from their holiday on these shores, an adventure of sorts that draws them deeper into the stories and the culture of the places they pass along the way and connects them to wild therapeutic qualities of the natural world. The more off the beaten tourist path, the greater the appeal. Add in visits to The Irish National Heritage Park, Johnstown Castle or The Dunbrody Famine Ship and you’ve all the ingredients you need to make for the perfect holiday experience. Knowing the story of a place makes its beauty linger that bit longer!
The Raven Point Wood Trail in Curracloe is one of Wexford’s best kept secrets. Few walks indulge the senses more. A unique assembly of forest, dunes and beach, vaguely conjuring up visions of a tropical shore, make this a beautiful sheltered low-level and easy walk on any day and in virtually any conditions. It was on this very beach that the opening scenes of ‘Saving Private Ryan’ were filmed. While its 10km of sands are well-known, the forested sand spit at the southern end adds a whole new layer of magic and beauty to this amphitheatre of peace. There’s no looped trail quite like this one, anywhere!
The Raven Point is a sand spit, a depositional zone where sand strains southward, creating sand banks in the wide Slaney estuary. Its dune system was largely stabilised in the 1950s by the planting of a variety of pines, probably inspired by the great Landes pine forest of the French coast south of Bordeaux. The forest trail winds its way through a shaded canopy of pine over a dune system strewn with bramble and marram grass before the descent onto the beach at Curracloe. The distant hum of waves lapping onto shore only adds to the mystique of the mist-bounded space you walk in. It’s good to dip your toes in the water before you make your way home. Take that first step along the Raven Point Wood Trail… you’ll be glad you did!
Designing tours is just like adding colour to the canvas. When it comes to Wexford, everything you need is already here. Each new shade flows from the natural hues and texture of the landscape to shape a vignette of sorts that will live long in the memory. We do not over-pack the day, preferring to leave the space for the unscripted moments to happen. For the more adventure minded, we take in a gentle horse ride along the soft sands of Old Bawn beach on our way back to base in Gorey. We’ve had visitors from the States realising a life-long dream on horseback along the Wexford coastline. It’s here, it’s around us, and, say it quietly, it’s waiting to be discovered.
Sea Cave Kayaking along the Hook Peninsula in Wexford is a unique and exhilarating way to explore this South Eastern corner of Ireland’s Ancient East. A wonderful tapestry of contour and colour, the Hook Peninsula in Wexford is steeped in jaw-dropping history, Irish heritage and wildlife. Here, we team up with Graham and his team at The Irish Experience in Fethard On Sea and invite you to journey around hidden sandy coves and soak in the rugged beauty of the rocky cliffs and limestone slabs from the unique vantage point of your kayak in the sea. Adventures of this kind stay with you long after you’ve returned home.
Hold onto your dreams and hopes for the year ahead with a very loose grip. Once you take that first step, abandon the illusion of control. Do your best. Let life do the rest. Learn more, laugh more and seize on the opportunities that each new day presents. We are a tiny yet significant song in a wider symphony. We soon come to know that the key to life is to make time for others we pass along the way. It is then the pieces fall into place. Trust yourself as you venture off the beaten track and trust in the universe to lead you home.
Phil and Elaine are looking forward to welcoming our first visitors of 2024 along our Celtic Ways. We are delighted to have been approved by Get your Guide who will be promoting our tour offerings on their international platforms from Spring of this year. Each year brings with it new possibilities and the numbers of international visitors booked for this year gives us great hope for the year ahead – a mix of Irish, American and Australian visitors heading our way. Step by step…
For more information on our Celtic Ways Ireland tour offerings for 2024, check out our website www.celticwaysireland.com or email us directly on info@celticwaysireland.com
For more details on our ‘Gentle Adventure in South East Ireland’ see the link below:
GentleAdventureSouthEastIreland